The Next New Syrian Girl: Chapters 22–32

by Ream Shukairy
Khadija Shami, a Syrian American high school senior, and Leene Tahir, a Syrian refugee, must unravel a secret that leads them back to Jordan and challenges who they are.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–21, Chapters 22–32, Chapter 33–Epilogue
15 words 1 learner

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. coercion
    the act of compelling by force of authority
    Mama’s superpower of coercion exhausts us both.
  2. melange
    a varied mixture or assortment of things
    And their daughters and I are all a mélange of Syrian and American that doesn’t fit into their neat boxes, no matter how hard they try to remold us.
  3. divulge
    make known to the public information previously kept secret
    “It was an accident” is all I divulge.
  4. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
    Am I jealous of her?
    Younes’s question echoes in my head. Jealousy is too convoluted. I don’t want her life, and I don’t want to be her.
  5. rigorous
    strict; allowing no deviation from a standard
    I follow a rigorous regimen and abide by brutal rules, my own and my mother’s.
  6. regimen
    a routine or procedure for managing something or achieving a goal
    I follow a rigorous regimen and abide by brutal rules, my own and my mother’s.
  7. quince
    aromatic acid-tasting pear-shaped fruit used in preserves
    A complete Syrian breakfast is set on the dining table: side dishes of yogurt and cucumbers, olives and pickles, honey and butter, handpicked apricot and quince jams, and a stack of pita bread.
  8. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
    I hesitate, but then think a perfunctory what the hell and reciprocate it.
  9. reciprocate
    act, feel, or give mutually or in return
    I hesitate, but then think a perfunctory what the hell and reciprocate it.
  10. wayward
    unpredictable; following no clear pattern
    A wayward spark can blow a massive explosion.
  11. curtly
    in an abrupt and discourteous manner
    “I wanna talk to Kadi,” he says curtly.
  12. cinch
    make sure of
    I hide it well, but I spend countless hours cinching dates and calculating the cash in my bank.
  13. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    I count to twenty in my head and walk in. When I do, Zain tentatively picks up his pencil.
  14. escapade
    any carefree episode
    Where Syria is always just “loss” for me or “a crime against humanity” for the men in suits, it is a place of summers of everlasting escapades for Zain and Khadija.
  15. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    She stands precariously, like she’s stone breaking out of a spell.
Created on Fri Oct 16 22:37:26 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Oct 27 13:25:22 EDT 2026)

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