Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Written by Dusti Bowling

Narrated by Karissa Vacker

The audio edition of the bestselling middle grade novel about a spunky girl born without arms and a boy with Tourette syndrome navigating the challenges of middle school, disability, and friendship—all while solving a mystery in a western theme park.



Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is that she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she'll have to answer the question over and over again.



Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It's hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven's about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781977345691

[Jennifer Hindman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book that has a little mystery and a lot of comedy and reality that is the life of middle schoolers. Good clean read for those looking for that.

[Kate Packer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a unique perspective and an interesting story. I listened to it in one sitting - learning and being entertained at the same time.

[Kristen Shook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love it it is the best book ever !

[cold sprouts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!! The three best friends!! Aven, Connor, and Zion my precious babies oh my god i wanna hug them tight

[j · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love Aven and her spirit is contagious! Thrilled to have read this book along side my 10 year old daughter

[Kathleen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

that it was about a girl that had no arm and had to get throw life and had to just ignore peoples stares

[RyanShelby Collings · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s a very good book and is one of my favorites! Even is super funny, and also very descriptive. She paints a perfect (but not exactly pretty) picture of her struggles. I would definitely want to be her friend.

[Jennifer Lawlor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Omg i love this s book it brings me joy wish I could give it 100000 stars

[Natalia Selezneva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You know the saying “ I can’t feel my arms “ ? Aven Green is the person you want to ask . Friends , no problem, simple task , give me 15 minutes. But no pity treatment. Moving to the surface of the sun , uh - oh new school , the looks.

[Julia Greco · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book because it was so wholesome and I can listen to it 1000 times and never get sick of it.

[Katelyn Hildebrant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great sweet and heartfelt book. Recommended!

[howifeelaboutbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved the character of Aven in this book. She was born without arms, but is so capable and talented and kind. She is in middle school, but the story skewed a bit younger for me, and I think I will recommend it to a lot of my 4th and 5th grade students.

[Christina Davis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was so good and how Any person can be anything no matter what your disability is

[Andrew Silmser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVE this book. It has heartbreak, mystery, discovery, and more. It brings the reader on an extraordinary journey into the life of Aven. As a middle schooler trying to get her reading points in, it definitely made my responsibilities a lot more fun.

[nadia.masood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book does such a great job of helping both children and adults understand disabilities so much better! It’s one of those stories that makes you laugh and learn at the same time.

The story revolves around Aven, a girl born without arms, and the author does a brilliant job of sharing Aven’s experiences in a way that’s informative and approachable.

Aven's friends include Connor, who has Tourette’s Syndrome, and Zion, who is an overweight kid (and a bit of a super-nerd). Together, they form a bond that’s heartwarming, hilarious, and just so real. You’ll find yourself rooting for this trio as they tackle life’s challenges and support each other through thick and thin!

I love how with Connor, readers get a glimpse into what it’s like living with Tourette’s. His character just feels so authentic, and you can’t help but admire his bravery. I would’ve loved to see the story told from Connor’s perspective as well!

I also really appreciate Aven’s relationship with her parents. They’re caring, honest, and supportive without being overbearing.

The mystery element involves Aven’s family history and a quirky theme park. However, it didn’t grab me as much as the friendships did. Also, the adoption angle could’ve been handled with a bit more depth.

Overall, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is an inspiring, laugh-out-loud, and eye-opening read. If you’re looking for a story that celebrates diversity and friendship while also teaching you something new, this one’s a must-read. The audiobook is fantastic, by the way.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As I was finishing this up, I saw a post reminding me that July is Disability Pride Month. How fitting that I found a copy at Bookman's and was in the mood for realistic fiction to balance out the other two fantasy-horror books I'm reading -- it's rare that I buy a book and read it in the same month. This one has been on my radar for a few years because it takes place in the Phoenix metro area and is based on a Western theme park that I visited on my first trip to AZ when I was 14. One of the young cowboy actors flirted with teen me (as part of the show) and my brother-in-law teased me for days. That location, Rawhide in Scottsdale, closed in 2005 and moved to Chandler. The land around Scottsdale was simply worth too much not to sell. It's always fun to know the setting of a book, like KNOW it because you live there. Since the author grew up in Scottsdale, she is spot-on with her depiction of living in the desert.

Aven Green moves to the fictional Stagecoach Pass the summer before 8th Grade - can you imagine moving to a new place in middle school and you also don't have arms?! (Aven's stories about why she doesn't have arms are HILARIOUS.) Aven makes friends with a couple of other kids who have their own issues fitting in to the middle school scene. Since I am not missing arms, nor have Tourette's, I can't say if this book accurately reflects life with those disabilities, but as a reader, the characters felt authentic. This book does not sugarcoat life with a disability, the characters struggle, they have real problems (Connor's dad is the biggest POS). It also doesn't make disability a death sentence and the characters grow across the book, opening themselves up, facing fears. There's even a little mystery Aven and her Scooby Gang attempt to solve when she finds a locked door with loads of files.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved the characters and the fairly light tone. Loved that, though the character is sharp and insightful, she's still a believable kid. Liked the book quite a bit more than Wonder. Happy to learn there's a sequel; I'll have to investigate.

"I frowned as hard as I could beside him. I wasn't going to let him destroy my terrible mood."

[stephanie yost · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was truly an inspiration for all kids who feel different. It has been a comfort book ever since I first read it all the way until now. Aven can make anything, and I mean ANYTHING, a joke. I still want to know how she wipes her butt, though.

[dougcornelius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge 2025 #20: Read the first book in a completed young adult or middle grade duology.

A delightful story

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book -- really good read, with a lot of heart, and characters that are dealing with some incredible challenges. I love the positivity, the realism (sometimes it's just hard to be a kid), the kindness and humor that the people in it have for each other, and the interesting setting. It's a very neat ending -- that's the one part that's a bit hard to believe in -- that the grandmother who gave her up for adoption in order to make sure she was cared for would track her down and become part of her life again, and then leave the whole theme park to her... well, it's more wish fulfillment than anything else, but I'm glad to see that wish come true.

[lindsay_w_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great middle-grade empathy builder on the topics of physical differences, adoption, Tourette syndrome, single parenting, dementia, and moving at a critical time in friendships. Informative but doesn’t stray into didacticism. This story would make a great lead in for a discussion on perspective taking.

[sammusher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s a sweet, touching, funny book (with a totally fairy-tale ending), that felt a little lightweight ultimately. I’m also cautious to recommend it to kids without knowing what the author’s research process was about living with no arms or with Tourette’s, and whether she employed sensitivity readers. She mentions nothing in her acknowledgments.

[librolindsay · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Oof. I can say two good things about this. 1) I liked Conner and thought it was great to see (what I assume to be) a well-written MG character with Tourette's. I know next-to-nothing about TS and appreciated the introduction. 2) Reading this made me miss my old MG book club I led when I was a children's librarian. Some of our best discussions and activities surrounded books that highlighted disability, and I think my kiddos would have really gotten into this book.

I am a fan of middle grade fiction and am used to zany plots--even in realistic fiction--that require me to suspend belief for a spell. That said, I found a few really troubling things happening in this book. First, there was a lot of super binary and regressive language being thrown around. It slapped me in the face first when Aven said that, in her parents insistence on her figuring out how to use her feet, they told her she had to "be a man." This kept popping up in places throughout the book--nothing that steered the plot off-course, but enough to be jarring in the age of We Need Diverse Books.

I also found the lack of consent incredibly disturbing. It happened so frequently in major, major ways. Aven's mom suggesting she take Conner and Aven to a TS support group without telling his mother. Surprising Conner with a trip to the movie theater which was very obviously a major source of trauma for him. Oh haha, but it's all good because Aven's mom was a psych major in college and knows what's fundamentally best for a child she's barely spent any time with and certainly not in any therapeutic capacity. We live in a world that largely does not understand consent, disability, or mental health; it is so common for vulnerable populations are frequently taken advantage of in these do-gooder ways; and these instances perpetuate some very damaging notions. I'll also add that Aven appeared to be more interested in attending the support group than Conner did for her own selfish purposes, all of which seemed to really contribute to her taking on a savior complex like her mother.

Lastly, I found the whole adoption scenario troubling. I do not have first-hand experience with adoption, but I do have some friends who were adopted and other friends who have given up their children for adoption. None of that story rang true to how adoption actually works, and the fact that Josephine went to such extreme lengths as she did not only seems entirely improbable, but it is a jaw-droppingly horrendous invasion of privacy and a level of gas-lighting I do not find cute or sweet. If I were Aven's parents, I'd get the heck out of Dodge Stagecoach Whatever ASAP and maybe consider a restraining order. That's some creepy stuff there.

I had some other quibbles, many of which other reviewers have mentioned, but these were the most striking. I only kept on with it because I held out hope that at least some of it would be addressed in the end. Nope. The way this book was presented felt more like a way to capitalize on the growing representation of people with disabilities in children's literature than an earnest, healthy way of exploring disability. As I mentioned at the beginning, I would have loved to discuss this with my old book club, but I would have tried to help readers understand how much of what happened in this book was inappropriate.

[librarianryan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For a few years now I have read letter after letter to the author of this book for a local program. Now that I have read it for myself I can see why. This book is adorable. Aven is just a girl who was born without arms and put up for adoption. She has had a great family life. But now it’s 8th grade and time to move for her dad’s job. The move to Arizona to run a small amusement park. A new life would be hard for anyone, let alone someone who is visibly different from her classmates. But Aven is a sweetheart and makes friends, maybe not with everyone, but her friendships are deep and helpful for each of them. Part of this story is what happened to the owner of the park, and why was Aven given up for adoption. It all works out in the end and it was just perfect. There is a second book in the series and I think I need to check it out too.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

read in print, 2017: children's middlegrade fiction (realistic school stories; girl who was born without arms moves to a new school for 8th grade and makes friends with boy with Tourette's in Arizona). What a funny and spunky narrator--I loved this story and originally gave it 4 stars.

rereading, digital audiobook (~5 hours) 2022: I'd forgotten that I'd already read this, but did remember that it had been recommended to me by another youth services librarian. It is familiar, yet the voice of the narrator is still fresh and funny.

[narshkite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sweet middle-grade story about a band of outsiders led by the delightful Aven. Aven mostly considers being born without arms an inconvenience. There is a bit of a mystery at the heart of the book. I don't read middle grade unless my reading challenge requires. This year (I am reading for 2021 now) there are two middle grade prompts, I was looking at both of them as something to be gotten through, but it turns out I may just enjoy those prompts (this prompt was a middle grade book with an MC with a disability, but where the story is not focused on the disability.)

Aven has just started 8th grade when her world is turned upside down. Her unemployed father is offered a job in Arizona. Why did the employer (and old fashioned roadside old west theme park) reach out to her father, and what is up with the the secretive owner? How do you find tor place in middle school when you eat lunch with your feet? Those and other questions are answered.

[lydia1879 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

great book! lovely voice and character-focused narrative. i'm picky about the theme of adoption but she's a disabled, ginger, adopted baby so basically me, wow.

v. easy to read. 3 stars!

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Aven's family moves to Arizona when her parents get jobs managing an amusement park and restaurant. Aven was born without arms but her parents have encouraged her to figure it out and do things for herself. It's hard to start a new school where people don't know her and stare. She becomes friends with Zion and Connor, who decide to help her figure out a mystery maybe murder. And they do turn up some unexpected truths. A touching novel with a super spunky lead character.

[sophroniaborgia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A cute, fun kids' book with an engaging narrator and a breezy plot that deftly handles some important issues without becoming heavy or pedantic. Aven is a great character, an adopted girl who was born without arms but talks about her differences with humor and matter-of-factness that bring home the point that she is very much a typical young girl. When her parents move to a withering theme park/ghost town in Arizona, she faces the challenges of her new life, makes new friends, and helps solve a mystery. The setting is well-realized (and recognizable to anyone who lives in the area). Probably the book would be most appealing to kids who are slightly younger than its middle-school protagonists.

[mrsdruffel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Aven was adopted by a wonderful family when she was two years old. Is is a normal kid in every way...except one. She was born without arms. After moving to Arizona for her fathers job opportunity, Aven befriends a boy with Tourette's in her new middle school. Together they help each other in ways they never would have imagined.

I feel in love with Aven's personality right away. I wish I could be like Aven. She is an inspiring character any parent would want their child to look up to. A must have for your home, classroom, or school library. Recommended for grades four and up.