Zoey doesn’t have time to finish her schoolwork. It’s not that she doesn’t care – she does. It’s not that she isn’t smart – she is. But being responsible for the care of her three preschool siblings while mom’s working means she doesn’t have time for things that other kids have time for. It would be easier for Zoey, she thinks, if she was an octopus. Eight legs to juggle her siblings and help around the house. The ability to camouflage when her teacher eyes her for her homework. Powerful defense abilities when her classmates start making fun of her odor on weeks Mom can’t afford laundry. And maybe she wouldn’t feel like she is drowning, since underwater is right where an octopus wants to be.
This book is an emotional look at poverty, emotional abuse, and the power of finding one’s voice. Zoey is a very sweet narrator with a dry humor, and her story really makes a person face one’s own privilege. The experiences of her friends and family are woven in as well and are interesting and heart-breaking. One best friend, Fuscia, has bounced around foster care and hides what’s going on at home in fear of going back. One friend, Silas, has escaped into mutism at school due to being bullied for his sensitive nature.
An unexpected aspect that I had a tough time dealing with is the gun rights issues in the book. Silas is from a hunting family, so guns come up in conversation early on, and hunting is a natural and beloved hobby for Silas that Zoey wants to participate in. Later, a shooting by the school forces the students and faculty into lockdown, and the debate club teacher (who has taken a shine to Zoey and pulled her into the program) decides they should address gun control as their next topic. The author does a good job of balancing the two points of view, as much as I tend to want a real liberal pushback on this topic, ha! Zoey gets pegged as pro-gun violent hick when she defends Silas’ rights after her classmates (primarily liberal at her Vermont school) frame Silas as a monster and the probable person behind the school shootout. But Zoey herself fears the recent shooting as she learns more about who was behind it and what that could mean. In some ways it felt like a lot to cram into one book, but I think any debate club setting would have a hard time not feeling a little didactic.
My favorite aspect of the book was how it dealt with emotional abuse. Zoey’s mother is dating a man named Lenny who seems to be a “good guy” and he puts them up in his trailer and covers big expenses for the family. But the price of that is how cruelly he belittles and manipulates Zoey’s mother, who fiercely defends her boyfriend even as he crushes her under his thumb. As Zoey finds her voice in class, she is encouraged to use that voice towards protecting her family and friends.
This was an awesome book. It ties up a little neatly at the end but frankly you want some good to happen at that point after all Zoey’s family and friends go through. Highly recommended!