I wanted to love this novel as much as the first, but Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus fell flat. I found Zion to be so intensely dislikable as a side character that many of his interactions with Aven were hard for me to read. I guess that's the reality of writing middle school and high school characters; sometimes they aren't the best versions of themselves!

This novel is a great starting point for discussions about bullying, and it could be a powerful read for many kids!