A review by story_goblin
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

This book surprised me. I put it on my list a while back because it seemed cute, and I choose it at this particular time as a palate cleanser between heavy sf/f. I've been reading a lot of "how do we fix the world" type stories, and I wanted a small break to read something different. It did work well for that! It was sweet and funny in places and, even though I saw the main twist coming a mile away, I didn't guess everything. What I wasn't expecting was for this book to make me cry. Aven's conversation with her dad echoed a LOT of feelings I have about my adhd. Her frustrations and fears hit much harder than I expected since I didn't realize I would relate to her so much. Other adults on goodreads expressed that the beginning was slow and/or the ending too syrupy sweet, but I didn't really feel the same way. I agree with them however, that just about any older elementary/middle school-aged child would devour this and be eager for more. I may or may not read the sequel myself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Dementia

Minor: Fatphobia

A minor character, who the main character interacts with several times, has dementia. It's portrayed realistically during each encounter but is not really dwelled on or discussed too much outside of the interactions. Aven and her two friends all feel like outsiders and describe moments in which they have been bullied or otherwise ostracized. Aven explicitly discusses various reactions/comments/looks she gets at school and out in public. Students repeatedly make fun of Connor's ticks and once

he is filmed on a cell phone camera while at a corner store, which his reaction to is a large scene.

Xion expresses/shows discomfort eating in front of people a handful of times and once explains why this is (everyone likes to watch the fat kid eat too see how much they eat).