A review by hickorynut
Rules for Camouflage by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Evvie is an autistic senior who volunteers with a local aquarium and develops an intense bond with an octopus named Aretha. This book follows Evvie as she navigates her last year of high school, deals with abelist and vindictive adults, finds solace and company in friends from the aquarium, tries to balance long distance friendships and a budding romance with someone who also has their own mental health struggles, and advocates for students like herself. This book was full of moments of fondness, found and created family, nostalgia, irony and sarcasm, growth, empowerment, and confidence.

As a person who was diagnosed with ADHD and autism in their mid 20s, this book was a warm hug of acceptance that I wish I had experienced myself in high school. Though I had some friends who helped me through, the big difference in this book was the presence of adults that also see and understand and protect the neurodivergent kids.