The Brave: Chapters 25–34

by James Bird
Collin, struggling with OCD and frequent bullying, moves in with with his mother, who lives on a Native American reservation.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–18, Chapters 19–24, Chapters 25–34
30 words 38 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. vibrant
    (of colors) bright and striking
    A once colorful, vibrant room now looks like the insides of a super-clean futuristic space ship.
  2. frail
    physically weak
    She looks frail and a bit pale...but still just as beautiful as ever.
  3. teem
    be full of or abuzz with
    What I once saw just as rows and rows of identical trees now looks like a whole new world, teeming with all kinds of life.
  4. palette
    a board on which an artist mixes paints
    In front of us, propped up against a large earthy gray rock, is a white canvas, and beside it is a palette full of colorful globs of paint and a paintbrush.
  5. salivate
    produce a clear liquid secreted into the mouth
    As I turn the corner, I see two pizza boxes on the table, and my mouth instantly salivates.
  6. complexion
    texture and appearance of the skin of the face
    I immediately wish that I had his complexion.
  7. flawless
    without a weakness or defect or mistake
    Not only because black is obviously my favorite color and it’s all I ever wear, but also because his skin looks so smooth and flawless.
  8. blemish
    a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something
    My pale skin always has blemishes and freckles and red spots forming from who knows where, but his skin looks perfectly wrapped around his muscles, with not a scratch on it.
  9. destined
    headed or intending to head in a certain direction
    I hear the lip smacking as he picks her up and rushes her down the hallway like she’s a football and he’s destined for the end zone.
  10. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    We race down the ramp and careen through the grass at a way faster speed than I anticipated.
  11. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    He’s good at everything, it seems. I don’t know who the better catch is, him or my mom. This town must seethe with envy whenever they are seen together.
  12. sclerosis
    any pathological hardening or thickening of tissue
    “Good luck counting this one...amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” he says slowly.
  13. idolize
    love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess
    “Aji lost his dad when he was just a kid. But that didn’t stop him from idolizing him his entire life. And rightfully so—his dad was an amazing guy...."
  14. divert
    turn aside; turn away from
    I tally up his total and divert my eyes to the fence.
  15. gape
    be wide open
    One minute there’s a gaping hole in the fence caused by two crazy kids crashing a wheelchair through it, and the next minute it’s just a normal fence again.
  16. banshee
    a female spirit who wails to warn of impending death
    She faced down her illness and screamed like a banshee as we raced toward danger.
  17. excruciating
    extremely painful
    And they list the pain as excruciating. A ten out of ten.
  18. impaired
    diminished in strength, quality, or utility
    The most common symptoms are impaired speech, excess saliva, difficulty sleeping, and weakness in the hands and feet.
  19. preoccupied
    deeply absorbed in thought
    But I am too busy right now for friends. I am way too preoccupied with worrying about Orenda.
  20. slur
    utter indistinctly
    “I just wish you could be normal again,” I say.
    “I was never normal. And I never will be,” she slurs.
  21. raze
    tear down so as to make flat with the ground
    Aji holds on tightly as we zigzag through the trees, hop over ponds, and finally enter a part of the forest that has been razed.
  22. asphalt
    mixed substance used for paving and roofing
    All the trees are gone. All the green grass is gone. And the earthy ground has been covered by asphalt.
  23. levitate
    be suspended in the air, as if in defiance of gravity
    The sword levitates in the air, but I don’t see the—oh yeah, obviously I cannot see the invisible man holding it.
  24. conquistador
    a 16th-century Spanish conqueror of Peru and Mexico
    He resembles a Spanish conquistador, the kind that brought diseases to the Americas way back in the day that killed millions of the Native people.
  25. fabricate
    make up something artificial or untrue
    Maybe there is still a chance that everything Orenda said and did was not some fabricated fairy tale Native Americans tell themselves to make life on earth a bit better.
  26. oblivion
    the state of being disregarded or forgotten
    As her name trails off to oblivion, something changes. There is a shift in the air, and an invisible wave of calmness rushes past me, causing all the tiny hairs on my body to stand.
  27. unison
    the act of occurring together or simultaneously
    In perfect unison, the butterflies covering me all lift off from my body and flutter above me.
  28. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Her hair is disheveled, and she’s wearing one of Ronnie’s tight shirts, which is so large on her, she could swim in it.
  29. ensue
    take place or happen afterward or as a result
    Then, the four spirit people leave us without saying a word. Silence ensues.
    “There is still a battle within you,” he says.
  30. intervene
    get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
    And if you see some kid being bullied, intervene.
Created on Thu Jan 28 21:04:59 EST 2021 (updated Wed Feb 10 15:20:38 EST 2021)

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