Book Review: Rules for Camouflage by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Publisher’s description

Atypical meets Every Last Wordin this relatable and heartfelt coming of age story about a neurodivergent teen navigating school, friendships and first love.
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Evvie Chambers is doing her best to skate through the last month of high school to graduation. The only thing standing in her way is a biology report on foxes—and her teacher, Mrs. Audrey Dearborn. The same Mrs. Dearborn who’s been a thorn in Evvie’s side for years, refusing to acknowledge or accommodate her neurodiversity. Evvie would much rather be doing her report on Aretha, the octopus she cares for when she volunteers at the Minnesota Zoo but deviating from the exact assignment isn’t allowed—and Mrs. Dearborn isn’t going to make following the rules easy. 
 
Evvie’s only escape from high school hell is the Lair: a safe haven for kids whose brains need some time away. But when Mrs. Dearborn refuses Evvie’s pleas to finesse the final report assignment to her strengths, and persistent bully Vandal McDaniel directs his harassment toward Lair members, Evvie finds herself more desperate than ever for stability and support.
 
When a shocking act of violence pushes the whole mess over the edge, Evvie, with the help of her friends and the others who love her, will have to figure out how to find her place in the wide world, while remaining true to herself.

Amanda’s thoughts

Brains are a lot. My brain is full of depression and anxiety. My kid’s brain got those traits plus also ADHD. My husband’s brain is pretty much made up of computer code. And I’m so glad we’re seeing more and more kinds of brains in books for children and teens. Neurodivergence was not a word we had when I was young (or if it was, I certainly never heard it). Open conversations about our different brains, and celebrations and acceptance/support of those different brains, was not a thing. The longer I work in schools, the more I see allll kinds of neurodivergence AND see how bad of a fit traditional school really is for most brains. That’s certainly the case for Evvie in this book. Her galaxy brain is just not made for traditional school. She missed much of sophomore year, and tried to find better fits for her education that year, and now, as a senior, is making up the last of her missed classes. She takes solace in the Lair, a storage space off the band room where certain kids go to regroup/take a break/let down their masks. All she really likes about senior year is volunteering at the Minnesota Zoo and working with Aretha, an octopus. Her best friend, Ken (a girl), has recently moved away and is partying a lot. Their friendship is not the same as it was. New friend, and possibly something more, Blue, who has his own brain issues going on, also works at the zoo. As they get closer, they share about their brains and challenges, learning more about each other’s ways of thinking, feeling, and processing. 

A great thing about this book is that Evvie has such a supportive mom (who’s dealing with her own recent diagnosis). Her mother knows how challenging various things can be for Evvie and totally supports her. She also has the band teacher, and unofficial keeper of the Lair, who is so supportive and amazing in standing up for the kids who use her space. And then there’s kind of a secret society of people looking out for the neurodivergent kids at school. Given that some admin, teachers, and students go out of their way to be awful to Evvie and her friends, they definitely need people who have their backs. 

I’m always grateful to see books that show that not every teen ends high school knowing exactly what they will want to do. Evvie knows she will take a gap year–at least one year. Not everyone is ready to go straight to college. Not everyone wants to (or is able) to go to college, period. There are jobs, internships, community colleges, and other programs that are options. Evvie knows she wants to work at the zoo, but beyond that, who knows what the path forward is. And that’s okay! Possibly mildly terrifying (especially for us parents), but totally okay! 

Hand this to readers ready to get high school over with or those who just need a reminder that there are people in your corner (even if your corner is wedged in a storage room behind a locked door at school).

Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the author

ISBN-13: 9780316567954
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 06/18/2024
Age Range: 14 – 18 Years

Filed under: Book Reviews