The Unfinished: Chapters 16–20

by Cheryl Isaacs
When teen athlete Avery finds herself haunted by beings from Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) stories, she must reconnect with her own culture to find a way to save her family and her town.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–20, Chapters 21–25
15 words 1 learner

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    Lily’s retirement home was an easy jog from the park; halfway there and I had mentally rehearsed exactly how I’d broach the subject, necessary preparation because I didn’t want to upset Lily.
  2. errant
    straying from the right course or from accepted standards
    The steady rhythm of the needles faltered for an instant, then Lily shook her head, frowning at an errant stitch.
  3. grouse
    complain
    “You know how much lilies cost?” Foster groused.
  4. loath
    unwilling to do something contrary to your custom
    “The—” Foster’s voice dropped, as if he were loath to speak the last word.
  5. parse
    analyze in detail in order to discover essential features
    Stella glanced from me to Foster, trying to parse what was going on.
  6. technicality
    a detail that is considered insignificant
    Foster dismissed that technicality with a flap of his hand.
  7. tactless
    lacking what is considerate in dealing with others
    “How could you two not have known each other?” Stella asked, ever tactless, turning east to head downtown.
  8. denote
    be a sign or indication of
    I kept my hands in my lap but traced all the trails I knew with my eyes, skipping over the red Xs that denoted areas the search teams had cleared, Jeannie’s way of coping.
  9. perdition
    the place or state in which one suffers eternal punishment
    Mom was at work and wouldn’t be looking for faceless monsters intent on dragging her off to perdition.
  10. recap
    summarize briefly
    “So, we need a shovel,” she recapped to herself.
  11. molder
    decay or break down
    That had been moldering out here for who knew how long.
  12. premonition
    a feeling of evil to come
    There was nothing to do but keep descending, but with a terrible premonition that when I emerged back into the light, it would be Unfinished Stella standing there waiting for me.
  13. accentuate
    put stress on
    The echo accentuated the wobble in my voice.
  14. alcove
    a small recess opening off a large room or garden
    I stepped back to the mouth of the little alcove I was in, to the toe of the L, surveying the ground.
  15. mesmerizing
    attracting and holding interest as if by a spell
    I tilted my head, staring. It was mesmerizing.
Created on Tue Sep 01 08:17:45 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Sep 22 10:51:18 EDT 2026)

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