Review by Booklist Review
Evvie Chambers is one project away from graduation. But her biology teacher, Mrs. Dearborn, has assigned her a report on foxes and won't make any accommodations for her neurodivergence or her special interest in cephalopods--especially Aretha, the day octopus at the Minnesota Zoo. She has some teachers who accommodate her and the other "weird" kids, especially Ms. Brownlee, the band teacher, who set up a "lair" in the band storage room for sensory breaks, naps, snacks, and general time-outs. Mrs. Dearborn's great-nephew Vandal and his friends are escalating their attacks on the lair kids from mockery to physical altercations, and with her best friend spending more time drinking, Evvie needs to make lists (of eight points each, one for each of Aretha's tentacles) to figure out how to solve her problems, gather allies, and fight for the rights of all the "weird" kids. Supporting her are her mom (also neurodivergent), the aquarium keepers at the zoo, and Blue, another zoo volunteer and Evvie's romantic interest. Cronn-Mills (Wreck, 2019) never reveals any specific diagnoses, but her insightful and honest depiction of the reality of life with an "unruly brain" makes this a must-read. As Evvie lists, "1. Don't / 2. let / 3. the / 4. neurotypicals / 5. get / 6. you / 7. down. / 8. Amen."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--"WE'RE HERE. We're weird. We don't need to be fixed," Shalan emphatically opens a high-octane performance--with copious FWOOSHING, cursing, emoji-laden (over)emoting, and notable instances of "hop off my wang"--as she manifests neurodivergent Evvie maneuvering high school. Mrs. Dearborn, whose biology class Evvie must pass to graduate, tops the threatening list as abusive bully. Her grandnephew, senior Vandal (his actual given name), continues the family tradition with next-level harassing. Luckily, Evvie's also-neurodivergent mother and teacher-hero Rachel whose "brain is also unruly" are pillars of support. The aquarium where Evvie works with magnificent cephalopod Aretha--and a few fabulous humans--is a welcoming haven. Her best friendship with Ken is devolving, but her new romance with Blue flourishes. Like Aretha, Evvie must be a master of camouflage to navigate dangers--and joys. Plus Evvie knows: "Neurotypical people, you need us." VERDICT Empowerment for and by unruly brains available here.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Multiple trials make a neurodivergent Minnesota teenager's last days of high school decidedly tumultuous. Like Aretha, the octopus she tends devotedly as a volunteer at the nearby zoo, Evvie Chambers has an intense personality as well as the ability to camouflage herself when needed. Both qualities come into play when a possibly romantic connection develops with a fellow volunteer and the band storage room known as the Lair (a safe retreat for students who need it) is exposed. Due entirely to mutual personal animus, a teacher also threatens to deny her the grade she needs to graduate. (Though that same bad apple stands by silently while a vicious teen bully targets classmates, other staff members do show up to do the right thing.) Neurotypical characters generally stay in the background; most of those in Evvie's circle, including her own divorced mom, have diagnosed differences that are clearly and sensitively observed in Evvie's first-person narrative but never named. This approach allows readers to go beyond labels to see the unique mix of abilities and vulnerabilities in each person. Ultimately Evvie does successfully, even joyously, weather both emotional and academic challenges. On the way to a buoyant ending, the author splices in rich veins of encouragement as well as useful coping strategies, and at the very end, Aretha slithers onstage to deliver a heartening, informative, informational pep talk. Most of the cast registers as white. Intense and sometimes scary, but chock-full of heart and heady affirmation. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
