The Last Cuentista: Chapters 8–16

by Donna Barba Higuera
After Earth is destroyed by a comet, twelve-year-old Petra Peña wakes up on a new planet and discovers she is the only one who remembers Earth. She must use her stories and her wits to save humanity's legacy.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–16, Chapters 17–23, Chapters 24–30
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. scuffle
    fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters
    Thumps and cursing shift around the room until there’s one big thud. Ben moans. The scuffling stops.
  2. purge
    rid of impurities
    “He’ll have to be purged.”
  3. compromise
    expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute
    The Collective’s mission can’t be compromised by one child.
  4. chisel
    carve with an edge tool
    He stops to brush around a dark spot with his finger, chiseling around its perimeter until a rock comes loose.
  5. hodgepodge
    a motley assortment of things
    I stare down at the hodgepodge of beads. “They don’t look at all alike.”
  6. complement
    make perfect or supply what is wanting
    “They’re not meant to be identical; they’re meant to complement one another. Differences make things beautiful as a whole.”
  7. assimilation
    the process of absorbing one cultural group into another
    I think of the Collective from the news. Erase the pain of the past. How far did they go? But the scientists and doctors on our ship, like Mom and Dad, won’t tolerate assimilation.
  8. anomaly
    deviation from the normal or common order, form, or rule
    “Freckles.” A finger rubs over the bridge of my nose. “Skin damage from their sun,” the Chancellor says. “Without epiderm filters, this sort of physical anomaly happens.”
  9. capillary
    a minute blood vessel connecting arterioles with venules
    Her eyes are so light I can see spiderweb capillaries behind her irises.
  10. ocular
    relating to or resembling the eye
    The Corposcope speaks in rigid tone: “Ocular disease. Diagnosis: retinitis pigmentosa.”
    “Her eyes don’t appear different than the others,” Crick says.
  11. aberration
    a state or condition markedly different from the norm
    But I’m no aberration.
  12. imperceptible
    impossible or difficult to sense
    He makes an almost imperceptible head nod.
  13. variance
    the quality of being subject to change
    “I believe we have done enough to absorb this one small physical variance, don’t you?”
  14. nodule
    a small rounded mass or protuberance on the body
    Two singed pink nodules drop into a glass of fluid.
  15. compliance
    acting according to certain accepted standards
    “I hope they can perform.” He walks toward the door. “There were not any decent Experts until the removal of the Epsilon an entire unit ago. Let us hope these have impeccable knowledge and compliance.”
  16. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    The sludgy lump sucks down the hole with remnant stasis gel.
  17. obscure
    make unclear or less visible
    Just like in our room, where a window should be on the outer wall, a metal insert obscures the view outside to the stars, and maybe my first view of Sagan.
  18. replenish
    fill something that had previously been emptied
    Without the constant swooshing of the stasis gel being replenished, you could hear a nanochip drop.
  19. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    “Would you like another sleep capsule or some tonic?”
  20. stark
    severely simple
    The central cavity of the massive room is so stark and white, I blink hard, thinking I must be in the wrong place. There is no park. No bushes or trees.
  21. matte
    not reflecting light; not glossy
    Only an expanse of bland, matte metal remains.
  22. iridescent
    varying in color when seen in different lights
    The carpet of green grass, with its trails and Mom’s tree, has been replaced by a floor of iridescent glass glowing from below.
  23. barren
    completely wanting or lacking
    Besides a few tables and white pillars, the main room is barren. It feels twice as big with everything missing.
  24. unanimity
    everyone being of one mind
    The word Harmony in bright green starts to flash across the otherwise blank ceiling. I’m sure I’m imagining it, but then Unanimity replaces it in purple.
  25. concoction
    any foodstuff made by combining different ingredients
    It only tastes mildly of something like diluted apple juice, and I don’t feel any sort of change in my emotions. Within a few seconds, the concoction of the two expands in my stomach, and I feel like I’ve eaten enough food to last me the entire day.
  26. alfalfa
    plant with trifoliate leaves mostly grown to feed livestock
    I burp bioloaf, and a waft of alfalfa and disinfectant fills the air around me.
  27. sufficient
    of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement
    “The biodrones have confirmed the atmosphere has sufficient oxygen.”
  28. salinity
    the relative proportion of salt in a solution
    “The water supply has shown only mild salinity,” she continues.
  29. specimen
    an example regarded as typical of its class
    “The drones were unable to collect the underwater plants. So, the Collective will need to forage samples in person. Risk is high, so the Zeta unit will collect these among other specimens we need.”
  30. predecessor
    one who goes before you in time
    “And with it we will fix the errors brought on by our predecessors.”
    I grit my teeth. I know by “predecessors” she means my parents and the other passengers.
  31. anemic
    relating to or having a deficiency of red blood cells
    Mixed with the spin of holographic stars, glimpses of pale faces with red-tonic-lined lips wash by like anemic vampires.
  32. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Rápido saunters off toward his den near the trail leading into the desert.
  33. perilous
    fraught with danger
    “I’m glad we survived our perilous mission to Home Depot.”
  34. elusive
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    “I didn’t see anything.”
    She ignores me and whips her flashlight in the other direction. “Ah yes, it must be. The elusive Sage Fairy.”
  35. protrude
    extend out or project in space
    Giant arms of spiky green protrude into the sky.
  36. lupine
    any plant of the genus Lupinus
    “Fairy gowns and suits shimmer like the wings of dragonflies. Fairies drink from cups the shape of lupine bells. Fountains of juice and nectar of all different colors fill their cups.”
  37. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    It hits the middle of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Fiji. In an instant, a bowl of debris shoots upward.
  38. acclimate
    get used to a certain environment
    “I must be acclimating to the new diet, Chancellor. I apologize,” I say, unable to look at her.
  39. disoriented
    having lost your bearings
    If I’m caught—“I just got disoriented."
  40. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    I would’ve been better off if the Collective’s reprogram to my Cog had worked. At least I’d be oblivious like the others.
Created on Mon Aug 22 10:22:33 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Sep 23 12:38:00 EDT 2022)

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