Hungry Bones: Chapters 21–33

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. trope
    a common or clichéd plot device, idea, or theme in a creative work
    HOLY COLD SPOT, BATMAN. It must be in the bathroom with me right now. Someone is watching me. Isn’t that a horror movie trope? I whip around to make sure there are no surprises behind me.
    Nothing. No one. Phew.
  2. squelch
    suppress or crush completely
    I squelch the impulse to run, then push the door all the way open, the steep, narrow staircase like a throat belching blistering breath at me.
  3. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    I explore the attic for almost half an hour, sweating profusely and feeling vaguely nauseous.
  4. nauseous
    feeling about to vomit
    I explore the attic for almost half an hour, sweating profusely and feeling vaguely nauseous.
  5. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    “Mostly, I remember waking up dead. But fleeting moments of what it was like when I was dying sometimes come to me. Fear…confusion…love. I think—I know—someone loved me, even if I can’t remember anything about them.”
  6. overzealous
    marked by excessive enthusiasm for a cause or idea
    “Yes.” I hesitate. “You and your mother make me feel a little less alone. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit overzealous.”
  7. whimsy
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
    Hidden behind the locked door of memories, I believe we promised to take care of each other. Perhaps this is whimsy, but it keeps me hopeful.
  8. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
    I’m eating with someone, I’m sharing a meal, I am human, I am in control, I AM in control, I tell myself while gritting my teeth, and try to emulate all the people at dinner tables I’ve watched over the years.
  9. manifest
    reveal its presence or make an appearance
    From a blog called Dallas Is a Ghost Town I learned that when ghosts “manifest” they need to pull energy from the environment around them, so you get what they call “cold spots.”
  10. opaque
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy
    The most unsettling thing is her eyes. Her normally bright and curious gaze turns empty. Both her eyes, pupils and all, turn flat, opaque white. There is no gleam, no glisten.
  11. gauzy
    so thin as to transmit light
    “Jade!” Molly’s voice cuts through the noise in my head. I stop mid-disappearance, hanging in a gauzy, half-visible state.
  12. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
    The trepidation on her face is unmistakable.
  13. galumph
    move around heavily and clumsily
    As the sun climbs higher in that big, wide, annoying Texas sky, I hear my mom galumphing down the stairs for her morning coffee and realize all at once that I need to get out of here today.
  14. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    Hazel, long and lithe, will swivel around her with a container of rice flour, not spilling a speck.
  15. shortchange
    deprive of by deceit
    “That guy comes in here every few weeks and complains that we shortchange him or don’t give him enough noodles.”
Created on Fri May 29 15:55:16 EDT 2026 (updated Mon Jul 20 17:37:31 EDT 2026)

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