Hungry Bones: Chapters 7–20

by Louise Hung
Teenagers Jade and Molly live in the same house in Texas — except Jade is a ghost. Because Molly can communicate with Jade, they become friends and help each other, especially with their relationships with their mothers.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Before–Chapter 6, Chapters 7–20, Chapters 21–33, Chapters 34–52, Chapters 53–After
15 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    Kids are most likely to notice me. They’re the ones who pay attention to a curtain billowing without a breeze, steps on the staircase, or a shadow out of the corner of their eye.
  2. charade
    a word acted out in an episode of a game
    I’d act out silly charades for her or we’d play hide-and-seek.
  3. countenance
    the appearance conveyed by a person's face
    Sitting face-to-face on the round green rug that warmed the floor by her bed, Celia looked me in the eye with the mournful countenance of a person firing a beloved housekeeper or nanny.
  4. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    I sit down tentatively on the polished wood of the bench and relax a little as it squeaks but nothing else happens.
  5. figment
    a contrived or fantastic idea
    In the span of an afternoon I’ve gone from a figment of people’s imagination to a bona fide presence. At least to one living girl.
  6. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    But I need to conduct some tests. I need to discern the limits of Molly’s abilities.
  7. glower
    look at with a fixed gaze
    Every time I start to doze off, a motorcycle or car rumbles by in the distance and my eyes fly open, sure there’s something glowering at me from the dark.
  8. omen
    a sign of a thing about to happen
    I mean, I don’t really believe in omens, but something about walking into your new house and getting zapped, goose bumped, and shouted at by a disembodied voice doesn’t really make you feel welcome.
  9. disembodied
    not having a material form
    I mean, I don’t really believe in omens, but something about walking into your new house and getting zapped, goose bumped, and shouted at by a disembodied voice doesn’t really make you feel welcome.
  10. tumult
    violent agitation
    Seeing the tumult of feelings that cross Molly’s face, I suddenly feel very bad about my haunting hijinks.
  11. faze
    disturb the composure of
    Nothing seems to faze her—not moving, not uprooting our lives, not starting over and over and over again—and sometimes it’s pretty great to have a mom who can watch her daughter basically get possessed by an inanimate object and not have a meltdown herself.
  12. transpire
    come about, happen, or occur
    Seeing the things that transpired outside my door for all these years, I can’t help but wonder how I got here.
  13. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    No matter how distraught I am, the promise of food in the house comforts me.
  14. stave off
    prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    I’ll stave off the monster inside me for a little longer.
  15. residual
    relating to or indicating a remainder
    I rub my arms and try to shake off the residual shivers.
Created on Fri May 29 15:54:25 EDT 2026 (updated Mon Jul 20 17:29:40 EDT 2026)

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