The Island of Forgotten Gods: Chapters 21–30

by Victor Piñeiro
Nico and his cousins Kira and Nessi go to Puerto Rico to spend the summer with their Abuela Luciana. While enjoying the island's beauty, they encounter fantastic characters, ancient gods, and a monster that could be the infamous chupacabra.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–15, Chapters 16–20, Chapters 21–30, Chapters 31–Epilogue
15 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. slog
    a long period of difficult work
    Papi always said that driving from the airport to Isabela was a hot slog that lasted an eternity.
  2. infamous
    known widely and usually unfavorably
    Guajataca. Infamous for its dangerous surf.
  3. tempestuous
    characterized by violent emotions or behavior
    Something about the dark, tempestuous sea next to the tunnel leading into nothingness, surrounded by pristine beach and greenery…
  4. pristine
    completely free from dirt or contamination
    Something about the dark, tempestuous sea next to the tunnel leading into nothingness, surrounded by pristine beach and greenery…
  5. undertow
    a current that flows away from the shore after waves break
    Then the undertow flips on—nature’s underwater vacuum cleaner—ready to suck you out into the deep ocean.
  6. intoxicating
    extremely exciting
    That mix of death anticipation, oceanic brutality, and wrestling for your actual life is inexplicably intoxicating, and while I wouldn’t quite call it fun, I’d call it priceless and exhilarating.
  7. untimely
    uncommonly early
    “Woo! Vamos, friends! To our untimely deaths!” Kira barely let El Ratón park before she tore down the sand toward the ravenous waves.
  8. opaque
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy
    I caught a small electric lamp on a pillar next to me and turned it on. It didn’t give that much light, and the greenhouse walls looked opaque enough that any demons hunting us wouldn’t notice.
  9. palatial
    relating to or being a large and stately residence
    Lina was forever young. She lived two towns over from Abuela Luz, her palatial house overlooking the plaza.
  10. politico
    a person active in party politics
    To be fair, there were some pretty dramatic stories of backstabbing couples and feuding politicos.
  11. precipice
    a very steep cliff
    She took a few steps back quickly. Then a few more. She was now on the actual precipice, rocking back and forth, not realizing her life was at stake.
  12. foothold
    a place that provides support for standing or climbing
    In the car she told us she’d caught him and climbed to the other side of the cliff’s edge because that’s where the footholds led her.
  13. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
    Eventually the shapes coalesced into something that made sense.
  14. cataclysm
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    T“Viene el cataclysmo,” someone close to me muttered. The cataclysm is coming?
  15. gist
    the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
    “Can you tell me the gist of what they’re saying?” Kira whispered to Naguabano, knocking me partially out of my trance.
Created on Fri May 15 20:30:35 EDT 2026 (updated Mon Jul 13 16:24:38 EDT 2026)

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