Unsinkable Cayenne

Written by Jessica Vitalis

This novel-in-verse features seventh grader Cayenne. Until now, she’s lived a nomadic life in a van with her parents and baby twin siblings. She’s hoping to settle in and make friends, but she struggles with fitting in. Cayenne’s class learns about the Titanic and she recognizes similarities between the social levels on the ship and the social levels of junior high. She feels embarrassed about her ramshackle house with chickens in the front yard. Plus, she has to share a room with the babies. She can’t decide if a boy’s flirtations are genuine or just a set-up for a joke, and Cayenne continually tries to break in with the popular girls. This story doesn’t conclude with a Hollywood ending.

Cayenne is a birder, and she frequently compares situations to characteristics of various birds. Most pages feature tiny, sweet illustrations of birds. The book is set in 1985, with plenty of details to appreciate for those of us who also lived in the ’80s. Her dad, a Vietnam vet, smokes pot as a way to cope with his struggles, so note that there are several marijuana references, as well as a few mentions of their hippie lifestyle (naked babies and no bra). Junior high boy behavior is also a part of the story-unwanted butt pinches. This is a good fit for 5th grade+.

Reviewed by Kim Winterton, Librarian, Upland Terrace Elementary School
Review shared in November 2024
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 5-7

Unsinkable Cayenne
Written by Jessica Vitalis
Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
293 pages
Release Date: October 29, 2024
ISBN: 9780063314450
A review copy was provided by the publisher.