Mosquitoland by David Arnold is an incredible, well-written book. This clever and fast-paced story will keep you turning pages. It is a must-read for those who enjoy road trip books.
Author: David Arnold
Also by this author: The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Rating:
I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neurons and electrons: my heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange.
After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the "wastelands" of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.
So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.
Told in an unforgettable, kaleidoscopic voice, Mosquitoland is a modern American odyssey, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Mosquitoland by David Arnold
❀ Cleverly Wrtitten
First of all, this book is so cleverly written. I mean, actually clever. It is filled with logic and facts. I can tell that the author did his research. It must have taken a while to write this book. One thing that is interesting is the main character’s name, or should I say “acroname”. Mary Iris Malone, Mim. Genius! Mim is also very intelligent, outsmarting every victim that approaches her with her smarts and sarcasm. I definitely learned a lot from this book.
❀ A Quick Read
Surprisingly, this novel is such a quick read. Once you get into it, the pages just fly by! This was kind of sad for me though, the book was so good that I wanted to keep reading it long after I turned the last page.
❀ A Satisfying Ending
I was pretty satisfied with the ending that David Arnold wrote. It tied up (most of) the loose ends and wasn’t too cheesy. The man character, Mim, mentions that she doesn’t like predictable endings in books. This was pretty cool, since the ending in Mosquitoland was not predictable at all! Well played, David.
❀ Entertaining to Read
Mosquitoland by David Arnold is so entertaining to read and totally deserving of a 5 star review. Also, for fans of Adi Alsiad’s Let’s Get Lost, this is another road trip book! I personally enjoyed this book a lot, and you probably will too!
About David Arnold
David Arnold lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his (lovely) wife and (boisterous) son. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland, Kids of Appetite, and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik; his books have been translated into over a dozen languages
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.