Blood at the Root: Act I

by LaDarrion Williams
In this novel, 17-year-old Malik gets the opportunity to go to a magical university after 10 years hiding his powers, but he finds himself digging up dangerous secrets about his community and his late mother.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Act I, Act II: Chapters 7-12, Act II: Chapters 13-25, Act III: Chapters 26-34, Act III: Chapters 35-Epilogue
15 words 175 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. manifest
    reveal its presence or make an appearance
    I couldn’t even race against time to change things for the better.
    Well, until the night my magic manifested.
  2. incinerate
    cause to burn
    Flames incinerated the whole room.
  3. slew
    a large number or amount or extent
    Ain’t much changed about this neighborhood. A slew of Section 8 brick apartments at the end of the cul-de-sac. Ghosts of graffiti markings on a fading green transformer.
  4. halitosis
    offensive breath
    One thing for sure ain’t changed—that breath. Straight halitosis.
  5. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
    Like a rising tide, the energy flows through the house, making the lamps flicker and the walls shake from the volatile wind.
  6. sweltering
    excessively hot and humid; marked by sweating and faintness
    I step outside into the sweltering night heat.
  7. morph
    change shape or undergo a transformation
    I look back at my house, my old neighborhood, and I give it one last good-bye as it morphs into nothing but a blur.
  8. activate
    put in motion
    That same blue magic from before activates with a mind of its own...
  9. ebb
    fall away or decline
    As the energy from my magic ebbs, the fluorescent lights pulsate.
  10. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
    I climb back into the car, letting the trepidation and possibility cloud my mind.
  11. deadpan
    deliberately impassive in manner
    I give Samedi a deadpan look.
  12. adorned
    decorated or dressed up to be more beautiful or distinct
    It’s old. Like time itself stood still right in this museum of a living room....Adorned with doilies, a wooden coffee table, and when it comes to old Black folks’ homes, they gonna have pictures of a Black Jesus and plastic all over their furniture.
  13. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    I stand in the middle of the room, incredulous.
  14. headstrong
    habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
    She was so headstrong.
  15. candid
    informal or natural
    It’s a candid photo showing how the wind tousles her hair.
Created on Tue Sep 02 08:56:08 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Oct 22 17:36:12 EDT 2025)

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