Unsinkable Cayenne

Gr 4-8–An intensely readable novel in free verse, Vitalis’s latest introduces Cayenne, 12, in her 1985 world of trying to fit in after a life lived on the road. Cayenne and her family have been traveling the country in their van, and she aches for a normal life where she doesn’t have to compete with her six-month-old twin siblings for her mother’s attention, or with depression and marijuana for her father’s. When they settle into an old house in Montana for a fresh start, Cayenne finally gets to attend a mainstream middle school. However, fitting in is not easy, and the town’s class and wealth disparities are very apparent. The story of the Titanic is woven throughout after Cayenne’s teacher excitedly informs the class that the wreckage of the ship has been found, and the students are tasked with learning about the passengers aboard that fateful voyage. Vitalis expertly ties Cayenne’s ponderings on class and wealth with the differences in survival rates of the passengers on the ship. The friendship and burgeoning romantic storylines are woven around Cayenne’s complicated feelings regarding her unique family and their financial struggles, and readers will be exposed to thoughtful meditations on whether standing out or fitting in is the best option for middle schoolers.