Genuine Fraud: List 2

by E. Lockhart
This suspenseful novel, told in reverse chronological order, follows Jule West Williams, a scrappy and resourceful orphan who develops an intense friendship with Imogen, a privileged heiress.

This list covers Chapters 16–14.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5

Here is a link to our lists for We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.
35 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. publicity
    the quality of being open to general view
    They said they didn’t want publicity, and there was no question of foul play, according to the police.
  2. hostile
    characterized by enmity or ill will
    “I didn’t know we were getting hostile tonight. I’m kinda tired. Can we just skip it, or are you really jonesing for an argument?”
  3. lunacy
    foolish or senseless behavior
    “But if you’re thinking through all that lunacy every time you walk into a new situation, then there is something seriously wrong with you, Jule.”
  4. condescending
    characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
    “What happened with the condescending guy?”
  5. awe
    an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
    “What’s Stuy?”
    “Public school for smart kids in New York. He had a lot of ideas about what I should be, what I should study, what I should care about. He wanted to be the amazing older guy who would enlighten me. And I was flattered, and kind of in awe, but then also sometimes really bored.”
  6. irony
    incongruity between what might be expected and what occurs
    And he did know about a lot of things that I never studied or experienced or whatever. But then—and this is the irony—he was totally annoyed by my ignorance.
  7. perpetuate
    cause to continue or prevail
    Mysteries perpetuate the status quo. Everything always wraps up at the end. Order is restored.
  8. hegemony
    the dominance or leadership of one social group over others
    The whole genre of the mystery novel reinforces the hegemony of Western notions of causation.
  9. causation
    the act of making something happen
    The whole genre of the mystery novel reinforces the hegemony of Western notions of causation.
  10. drab
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    He seemed very bright in the middle of the drab crowd.
  11. hodgepodge
    a motley assortment of things
    Paolo had a Filipina mom and a white hodgepodge American dad.
  12. pretension
    creating a false appearance of great importance or worth
    He was a conversationalist without pretension.
  13. mogul
    a very wealthy or powerful businessperson
    Paolo’s father was a real estate mogul who had been indicted for insider trading some months ago.
  14. muddle
    mix up or confuse
    Jule was telling the truth, and she was lying. Being with Paolo muddled her thinking.
  15. languid
    lacking spirit or liveliness
    Forrest appeared at her elbow. He was languid and slouching.
  16. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    “Yes. No.” She was flustered.
  17. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    The disdain in Forrest’s voice was palpable.
  18. palpable
    capable of being perceived
    The disdain in Forrest’s voice was palpable.
  19. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    He looked hollow and disheveled.
  20. brocade
    thick expensive material with a raised pattern
    Heavy brocade curtains covered the windows.
  21. elated
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    When she woke, she was elated.
  22. repose
    freedom from activity
    She saw herself as a lone vigilante, a superhero in repose, a spy.
  23. morosely
    in a sullen, moody manner
    Jule was looking at the wax model of Charles Dickens, who sat morosely in a hard wooden chair, when someone spoke to her.
  24. bashful
    self-consciously timid
    He had a bashful grin.
  25. stodgy
    excessively conventional and unimaginative and hence dull
    “You can’t decide between butterscotch and hot fudge, you get sick on carousels, you might want to be a doctor someday. You actually play golf, which is stodgy; you’re traveling the world, which is interesting; you follow girls around museums and sneak up on them when they stop to look at a famous novelist made of wax.”
  26. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    “What’s it about?” Paolo wasn’t looking at the waxwork. He was looking at Jule, intently.
  27. jilt
    cast aside capriciously or unfeelingly
    “This orphan boy falls in love with a rich girl,” she told him. “Her name is Estella. And Estella has been trained her whole life to break men’s hearts, and perhaps she has no heart of her own. She was brought up by a crazy lady who was jilted at the altar.”
  28. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    A crowd of four drunk young women headed toward them, crossing the bridge precariously on high heels.
  29. preserve
    a region where animals are protected
    “It was an accident. She was up in a park north of San Francisco. She was there visiting some friends who went to college in the city, but they were busy or something, and Brooke went hiking. It was a day hike, but late, when it was getting dark. She was on a nature preserve by herself. And she just—she fell off this walkway. A walkway over a ravine.”
  30. perverse
    deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper
    She thought of Brooke Lannon, with her loud, show-off laugh. Brooke, who drank too much. Brooke, with that perverse streak of humor, the sleek yellow hair and seal-like body. The entitled set of her jaw. Silly, petty, harsh Brooke.
  31. petty
    preoccupied with unimportant matters in a spiteful way
    She thought of Brooke Lannon, with her loud, show-off laugh. Brooke, who drank too much. Brooke, with that perverse streak of humor, the sleek yellow hair and seal-like body. The entitled set of her jaw. Silly, petty, harsh Brooke.
  32. cautionary
    serving to warn
    “No, no. Just an accident. It was in the news today, like a cautionary tale. You know, always take a buddy when you go out in nature. Don’t drink vodka and then hike across a ravine. Her family got worried when she didn’t come home for Christmas Eve, but the police assumed she’d just gone deliberately missing.”
  33. gazebo
    a small roofed building affording shade and rest
    On one side, there was a sloping garden of rosebushes and stone benches, ending at a round gazebo by the edge of a stream.
  34. genuine
    not fake or counterfeit
    It was better that he was genuine because she could believe in him.
  35. arrogant
    having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance
    He’d been arrogant enough to think Imogen would let him stay.
Created on Wed Nov 28 21:14:59 EST 2018 (updated Wed Dec 12 11:50:06 EST 2018)

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