drsuzbark's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Clean middle grade reader. One of the main characters was born without arms and the other has Tourette's syndrome. This book develops a better understanding of others and the struggles they face.
ethan_libra's review against another edition
3.0
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus wasn't any better or worse than I expected it to be. It was a perfectly fine middle grade novel, from a "genre" I think I'm growing out of. Although I enjoyed this book for the most part, I also think it's pretty formulaic. It seems like since Wonder by R.J. Palacio came out and received all of the attention it did, there have been a slew of middle grade books about kids who are "different" in some way adjusting to "normal" life. (Probably before Wonder too, but that's the biggest example of this "subgenre" I can think of.) I feel like these novels can be important in teaching young readers about diversity, the challenges others go through, and accepting yourself and others for who they are. However, I didn't think this particular novel was that interesting on its own, and I'll probably forget it in a week.
sschnabel's review against another edition
5.0
This was a read aloud with my kids, 9 & 11. It was a good, clean book that was inspiring and hilarious.
mangofran's review against another edition
4.0
My friend was hyping this book up and talking about how much representation was inside, so I just had to take a peek! I'm glad I did. It's a little 'childish' for my tastes, at least humor-wise, but in terms of subject matter? This book is very mature. It was really interesting to see the characters struggle with themselves and not necessarily OVERCOMING their disabilities, but learning to live with them regardless of what other people think.
I thought the cheesy (and sometimes gross-out) humor would leak into the more emotional scenes and ruin them, but I was totally wrong. Props to the author for being real with the audience like that. In a post Marvel world, it's pretty rare to come across any fiction that doesn't involve a gross amount of meta humor.
Overall, very informative and fun book. Maybe not my style 100%, but I still loved it and glad I picked it up.
I thought the cheesy (and sometimes gross-out) humor would leak into the more emotional scenes and ruin them, but I was totally wrong. Props to the author for being real with the audience like that. In a post Marvel world, it's pretty rare to come across any fiction that doesn't involve a gross amount of meta humor.
Overall, very informative and fun book. Maybe not my style 100%, but I still loved it and glad I picked it up.
internationalkris's review against another edition
3.0
If you are looking for a book with the same feel as Wonder then this would be a good choice. Aven is a very able middle-schooler who was born without arms. At the beginning of the book she moves with her adoptive family to Arizona where the family will run a wild west theme park. The move means that Aven will have to attend a new school, make new friends, endure the stares and curiosity as she uses her feet to turn pages of a school book or hold a fork or countless other things. This is a feel-good book about disability with cast of lovable characters.
fyziksgirl's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I love disability lit and wanted to love this book, but it was so full of ableism I could not. The ongoing message throughout most of the book is about how a disabled person is better the more they can act like they're not disabled. It even borders on inspiration porn at times. Then she makes a friend with Tourettes and immediately treats him as a project to be fixed, plowing right over any boundaries he sets.
There are many great disability lit books out there, but as a disabled parent of disabled kids, this is not one. We had to repeatedly stop and talk about how it's not bad to use available supports and how disabled people have worth even when they are limited in what they can do.
There are many great disability lit books out there, but as a disabled parent of disabled kids, this is not one. We had to repeatedly stop and talk about how it's not bad to use available supports and how disabled people have worth even when they are limited in what they can do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
jcarsrud's review against another edition
4.0
Goodreads needs to add .5 to their scores as I would give this a 4.5! I loved Aven and her friends! Her attitude towards life is wonderful!
taewri's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
whitefloweryraven's review against another edition
5.0
This is a short, but phenominal book! It's worth more stars than I can give.
Aven, our main character in this coming of age novel is forced to move from Kansas to Arizona when her dad gets a new job running a theme park. As aven has to get used to everything from a new climate to a new school we are with her all the way.
This could sound like another coming of age book with the usual content, but it isn't. Aven takes us through everything from making new freinds, to learning how to run a blog, discover the identity of your birth mother, realizing along the way what truly matters in life as she gets more and more settled in her new home...oh and all this she does without arm, but with her two best freinds Connor who ticks and barks, but is humorous and really smart. And Zion who is used to bieng the fat kid, and therefore seeks solitude, in reality he is just a really nice guy.
These three becomes the new generation of x-men, or at least the teenage middle school version as they conquer their fears, insecurities, and acomplishes their goals together....oh and not to forget spaghetti the fourth x-men member. He is a 20 something year old llama with a headtumor who becomes avens first freinds in Arizona
Aven, our main character in this coming of age novel is forced to move from Kansas to Arizona when her dad gets a new job running a theme park. As aven has to get used to everything from a new climate to a new school we are with her all the way.
This could sound like another coming of age book with the usual content, but it isn't. Aven takes us through everything from making new freinds, to learning how to run a blog, discover the identity of your birth mother, realizing along the way what truly matters in life as she gets more and more settled in her new home...oh and all this she does without arm, but with her two best freinds Connor who ticks and barks, but is humorous and really smart. And Zion who is used to bieng the fat kid, and therefore seeks solitude, in reality he is just a really nice guy.
These three becomes the new generation of x-men, or at least the teenage middle school version as they conquer their fears, insecurities, and acomplishes their goals together....oh and not to forget spaghetti the fourth x-men member. He is a 20 something year old llama with a headtumor who becomes avens first freinds in Arizona