momentous events in the life of a cactus // dusti bowling

published: 2019

pages: 306

read: 10/9-10/2019

book: 58 in 2019

SYNOPSIS

Just as Aven starts to feel comfortable in Stagecoach Pass, with her friends and schoolmates accustomed to her lack of “armage,” everything changes once again. She’s about to begin high school . . . with 2,300 new kids to stare at her. And no matter how much Aven tries to play it cool, nothing prepares her for the reality. In a year filled with confusion, humiliation, fears, loss, and just maybe love, can Aven manage to stay true to herself?

MY THOUGHTS

SHORT VERSION

yes! loved it!!!

LONG VERSION

ahhh!!

talk about lucking out. 

sorta. 

i don't know why but i am a master at picking up series that i didn't even know were a series (or even trilogies) to begin with. 

luckily, i got the first in this series right as the second was being released and i was able to get both of them from the library at the same time so, WIN!

i loved this book but let's just hope this is the last one in Aven's story. 

guys!!!!

DB did it again. 

i 

loved

this 

book

so 

hard!!!!

as i wrapped it up, my thoughts were "how can i give this book all those unused stars that are just sitting there all sad not being used on all of the books I've read that are not 5 star reads!?" (did that make any sense? lol) 

in the first book we get happy, confident, got her shit together and done Aven. 

and booooy was this book well, the opposite. 

to have her end in a just "positive" note in book one would have been just great BUT this book takes all of that and makes her even more real. if she had it good in book 1, in this book she learns that she's had it easy prior to all of this but that it's ultimately in her own power to decide how its going to continue to go. 

Don't ever let anyone think you are not good enough or smart enough or talented enough or brave enough. 

of course, if you read the longer synopsis inside the jacket, you read that some kid plays a prank on her and once you start reading it, you know right away what it is as you are reading. i wont spoil it on here but if you do read it, its so painfully obvious and i honestly wasn't crazy about that part. internally, I'm still asking myself if it was worth it to even have it. but i mean, whateves. its a part of the story and its leads to well, her "downfall" sort of but it also solidifies her as a human to herself and shows her how she and only she has the power to make herself feel any type of way so i guess it makes sense. 

other than that, i loved everything else about this book and it had me emotionally everywhere and i loooved it!
i loved Trilby. she was the best! i loved that DB introduces her into the story and for all that she did with her in the story. she wasn't around a lot but when she was, she was good! (trilby works with her parents in the smoothie shop that opened at Stage Coach. she's home schooled, punk rock and doesn't take shit from the man!) 

i was sad that Connor had to move away to another school. i hated that they got broken up but i guess in order to make sure that the story solely focused on her, it makes sense. 
oh! and Milford. love that man. what a little sweetheart!!!!

overall, it was a good read. I'm glad that i read this one, I'm glad that it was written. 
I'm glad that Aven figures herself out once again. i am hoping that this is the last one in the series because i have horrible memory and while i would love to re-read it again, I'm not one to re-read so i don't want there to be more cause i don't want to go into it trying to remember what i read. ....i'm a complicated human being, i know. 

anyway, for some reason i was anti writing out the spoilers for this one. i sat down and tried and started but i wouldn't. i have no idea why. (maybe i do want to re-read this story!) so ill do my best.....but....yea. 

jump on over for spoilers!

thanks for reading!

#bookslesreads on IG 
S P O I L E R S 

In this book, Aven and Connor are split because his father wants to be in his life and his mother gets a better job so she no longer has to work multiple jobs.

so Aven's in high school with Zion only. 

the prank played on her was that Josh (i think that's his name but honestly, i have horrible memory so who knows) "liked her". they talk and whatever even though Zion tells her repeatedly that he was a complete douche to him when he was smaller and that he actually still is. ....she doesn't listen. Ms. Positivity over here. everyone deserves a second chance. 

so they're at the mall (Zion & Aven...and then Josh shows up) and he's basically getting ready to kiss her and she's all for it but at the last second, he backs out and laughs in her face while declaring to his friends who are  in the background that there is absolutely no way he can do it. he was pretending to like her on a dare. 

this crushes her. 

(but of course, you could totally tell this was what the prank was right? because i saw it a mile away and I'm horrible at predicting whats going to happen.) 

to make this short, she ends up dating Zion's brother who is a total sweetheart but of course she's kinda a bitch to him and her friends and family given that she was hurt. its understandable. (also, only Zion knew and he kept his promise and told no one until he finally told his brother i think).....eventually our girl comes around. 

another thing that is happening is Henry is getting a bit worse. 

they find him one day on the ground with a bump on his head. he has no recollection of how he got there or how long its been. 

in another part of the story, Aven is really interested in finding out who her father is so her parents get her one of those DNA kits. and she meant to use it but instead, because Henry was a foster care child and therefore doesn't have any type of known family, she uses it on him to see if she can find any siblings of his. (did not see that one coming.....see what i mean?) once he is in the hospital, his brother turns up. 

his brother wants him to go back home with him but Henry lets Aven know that his family is here (everyone at Stage Coach) so he moves into the nursing  home with Aven's Grama, Jo. who ends up dating Milford. (loved him!) 

there's a festival of some sort and Connor wants Aven to play guitar but of course because she was hurt, she doesn't want to do anything in front of anyone. He lets her know that if she doesn't play, he wont go. 

she also wants to attempt jumping with a horse. 

in the end, she does both. 

and Connor is there to see it. (he was having bad anxiety i think...that's why it was hard for him) 

im sure there is a whole lot more....but that's all i can remember. 

but either way!, read the book!!!