A Mango-Shaped Space: Chapters 3-4

by Wendy Mass
In this novel, a thirteen-year-old girl learns to understand and manage her synesthesia, a neurological condition in which one sense involuntarily triggers responses from other senses.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue-Chapter 2, Chapters 3-4, Chapters 5-8,
Chapters 9-11, Chapters 12-15
35 words 349 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ancestor
    someone from whom you are descended
    The Roths have lived here since the 1800s, and half of the tombstones in the cemetery belong to their ancestors.
  2. intact
    undamaged in any way
    Grandpa’s face is still surprisingly intact, although the canvas has creased around him.
  3. sorcery
    the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces
    We continue making the lemonade and leave her to her sorcery.
  4. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    He’s leading a golden retriever on a tattered leash while his parents follow behind.
  5. wail
    a cry of sorrow and grief
    A minute later I hear whimpering and a bright-blue wail.
  6. cower
    show submission or fear
    I’m the one who’s supposed to be excited to be in the highest grade, and Zack’s the one who is supposed to be cowering in his seat.
  7. grudgingly
    in a reluctant manner
    I glare at his back as I grudgingly follow him off the bus.
  8. phobia
    an anxiety disorder characterized by irrational fear
    “School spirit and all that,” I tell her as we make our way through the crowd and into the school. “I forgot about your cheerleader phobia.”
    “I don’t have cheerleader phobia,” she insists. “I just think the whole concept is sexist and stupid.”
  9. sexist
    discriminatory on the basis of gender roles
    “School spirit and all that,” I tell her as we make our way through the crowd and into the school. “I forgot about your cheerleader phobia.”
    “I don’t have cheerleader phobia,” she insists. “I just think the whole concept is sexist and stupid.”
  10. sly
    marked by skill in deception
    She shakes her head and grins slyly.
  11. collage
    any collection of diverse things
    The voices and laughter of a hundred kids and various CD players echo off the linoleum walls and fill the air with a collage of colors.
  12. emit
    give off, send forth, or discharge
    The class emits a collective gasp.
  13. amok
    wildly; without self-control
    She was always muttering about middle-school hormones running amok.
  14. maneuver
    a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity
    In one swift maneuver, I switch the sick and healthy baskets.
  15. pathetic
    deserving or inciting pity
    She isn’t the outdoorsy type, which is pretty pathetic considering our house is surrounded by fields and woods.
  16. justify
    show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for
    “Is this whole story some kind of joke to justify your difficulty with math?” asks my mother with a frown.
  17. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    “She’s just a little eccentric. That has nothing to do with—”
    “I figured you’d think I’m crazy,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
  18. solemnly
    in a serious and dignified manner
    Mom breaks her gaze away from the block and looks at me solemnly.
  19. contented
    satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
    Mango is asleep on my bed, wheezing his mango wheeze contentedly.
  20. shrill
    having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
    I cover my ears to soften the shrill screams, but it doesn’t stop the silver spears from shooting across the room.
  21. surge
    a sudden forceful flow
    “But I’ll do my darndest to figure it out,” he says, and I allow myself a small surge of hope.
  22. reflex
    an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
    He proceeds to give me a regular exam, checking my ears, eyes, throat, and reflexes.
  23. threshold
    the starting point for a new state or experience
    I think many girls in my class have their periods already, but as far as I’m concerned there is no rush to cross that threshold into womanhood.
  24. tinge
    a pale or subdued color
    “It’s mostly hot pinkish purple because that’s the color of the d, but the colors of the other letters add a gold tinge to it. Oh, and it’s also kind of grainy.”
  25. fray
    a noisy fight
    “So he thinks I’m crazy too,” I say to my mother as we rejoin the fray in the waiting room.
  26. throng
    a large gathering of people
    I blend in with the throng and make my way to gym class.
  27. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    Two kids help him off the field, and he hobbles back inside.
  28. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    He looks up and grimaces a little.
  29. pry
    be nosey
    Jenna tries very hard not to pry on the bus after school. She talks about the weather, how it should be cooling off a bit.
  30. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    “Okay,” she says reluctantly. “But I’m going to hold you to it.”
    “I know,” I say, wondering if there is any chance she’ll forget. Not likely.
  31. cue
    a stimulus that provides information about what to do
    As if on cue, my father starts hammering.
  32. posterity
    all future generations
    I should record them for posterity—a word I only recently learned means the people who come after you in history, not your rear end, which is your posterior.
  33. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    I concentrate hard and paint fast to keep up with the fleeting images.
  34. ramble
    continue talking or writing in a purposeless manner
    She’s not saying anything, so I ramble on, my hands flying around in the air.
  35. reel
    revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
    This hasn’t gone at all as I expected. My head is reeling.
Created on Wed Apr 18 21:19:13 EDT 2018 (updated Tue Apr 24 09:43:47 EDT 2018)

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