Leah on the Offbeat: Chapters 17-26

by Becky Albertalli
In this sequel to Simon vs. the Homo-Sapiens Agenda, Leah Burke navigates difficulties during her senior year: her mom's new relationship, college admissions, tensions among her friends, and a painful crush.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-5, Chapters 6-11, Chapters 12-16, Chapters 17-26, Chapters 27-35

Here is a link to our lists for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. insurmountable
    not capable of being overcome
    I don’t think it would have been a big deal then, but now it feels insurmountable.
  2. pine
    have a desire for something or someone who is not present
    She can have a boyfriend, I can hopelessly pine for some sophomore, and we’ll be legit best friends.
  3. patter
    a quick succession of light rapid sounds
    I wake up to the patter of rain on Caitlin’s balcony.
  4. adamant
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
    “He’s so funny. He’s, like, so adamant that he doesn’t mind doing long distance with Bram, and it’s just a coincidence that he chose New York.”
  5. collegiate
    of or resembling or typical of a university
    She looks perfectly collegiate.
  6. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    She gives me this smug little grin.
  7. anagram
    a phrase rearranged from the letters of another phrase
    “It’s an anagram of my name.”
  8. fringe
    a social group holding marginal or extreme views
    “But it’s not just Morgan. Okay? What she said? That’s not like a fringe point of view. I get that all. The. Time.”
  9. slew
    a large number or amount or extent
    Immediately, a dad jumps in with a slew of rapid-fire questions about his son’s dietary restrictions.
  10. accommodate
    provide a service or favor for someone
    “The dining halls can absolutely accommodate students with food allergies,” she begins.
  11. vegan
    a person who does not eat any animal products
    “Well, my daughter is vegan,” a mom chimes in, glaring up at Fatima like she’s issuing a challenge.
  12. surreal
    resembling a dream
    It feels strange and surreal to be here, to be doing this.
  13. tapestry
    a wall hanging of heavy fabric with pictorial designs
    There’s a giant red-and-purple batik tapestry draped across one wall and woven throw pillows on every surface.
  14. androgynous
    having both male and female characteristics
    We meet Eva, who is stop-you-in-your-tracks gorgeous—tall, sort of androgynous, with light brown skin and closely cropped hair.
  15. fret
    bar of metal across the fingerboard of a musical instrument
    When I open my eyes, Tom’s nodding along, tapping the pads of his fingers together like guitar frets, the way Nick does.
  16. anomaly
    deviation from the normal or common order, form, or rule
    It still catches me off guard that this isn’t some random anomaly of a weekend.
  17. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    Her brow furrows.
  18. condescending
    characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
    “Ugh, that came out sounding really condescending. I don’t mean it like that.”
  19. repertoire
    a collection of works that an artist or company can perform
    I could hole up in my bedroom and not talk to anyone and spend the next four days cycling through my ever-expanding repertoire of daydreams.
  20. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
    “Technically, I replied with a very ambiguous emoji.”
    “It was a smiley! That’s not ambiguous.”
  21. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    I glance over her shoulder at Morgan, who gives me a tentative smile.
  22. auxiliary
    functioning in a supporting capacity
    Saturday's game is in the soccer field behind the auxiliary gym.
  23. brood
    think moodily or anxiously about something
    I spot Simon as soon as I get there, brooding in the stands.
  24. imperceptibly
    in a manner that is difficult to discern
    “I just need to—”
    But then she stops talking abruptly, leaning almost imperceptibly away from me.
  25. conservative
    avoiding excess
    “And that’s a conservative estimate.”
  26. teeming
    abundantly filled with especially living things
    It’s teeming with people—laughing, jostling, and streaming out to the parking lot.
  27. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    But moments later, he bursts out of the front office, looking wild-eyed and disheveled.
  28. existential
    relating to or dealing with the state of being
    “You mean evolutionarily or existentially?”
  29. unhinged
    affected or as if affected with madness or insanity
    And it’s not like I’ve never seen Nick drunk before, but I’ve never seen him this unhinged.
  30. dubious
    fraught with uncertainty or doubt
    “You don’t care.” Simon sounds dubious.
Created on Wed May 23 15:00:55 EDT 2018 (updated Wed May 23 15:16:54 EDT 2018)

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