This middle-grade book uses illustrations and text formatting to create a truly impactful ergodic novel. Almost-thirteen-year-old Elliot embodied the curious insecurity of that time period. The imagery is mildly unsettling in a way that adds to the rundown, small town, unknown atmosphere of the foreign Point Aconti. The story touches on large themes for a middle-grade story and manages to handle them with a touch of bough gruffness and grace. Viva is a wonderful voice to have in children’s literature for both kids and adults. As a sidenote, I adore books where the children who like to read aren’t shoehorned into a mousey and bookish demeanor!