The Beat I Drum (Life of a Cactus #3)
Dusti Bowling
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
4.50
· 8 ratings · 272 pages · Published: 01 Apr 2025
Connor Bradley is dreading the first day of high school. Not just because he is new, or because he misses his best friends, but because he knows the other kids won’t understand his barking and tics. Connor has Tourette Syndrome, and every day has been a challenge—from the mimicking to the laughing, the questions, and the stares. It turns out school isn’t quite as bad as he expected. Connor forms a fast friendship with a girl who also has Tourette’s and is welcomed into her accepting circle of friends. He also meets a special music teacher who encourages him to take up the drums to manage his stress, and maybe get a break from his tics.
But Connor’s world is turned upside down when his absent father reappears and a bully starts to escalate at school. All these problems—with family, with friends, and even with himself—build and build until Connor feels ready to explode. Will a surprising revelation save him and help him find his beat again?
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The 'Life of a Cactus' series
4.35 · 54 ratings
family · friendship · audiobook · bullying · disability · fiction · humor · middle-grade · children · contemporary · realistic · young-adult · usa · arizona · children-books · mystery · coming-of-age · book · north-america
Life of a Cactus reading order and complete book list ❯