Review: The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold

May 22, 2018May 22, 201814 Comments

Title: The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
Author: David Arnold
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 22, 2018

Summary (from Goodreads):

“An epic wonder”* from the bestselling author of Mosquitoland

This is Noah Oakman → sixteen, Bowie believer, concise historian, disillusioned swimmer, son, brother, friend.

Then Noah → gets hypnotized.

Now Noah → sees changes: his mother has a scar on her face that wasn’t there before; his old dog, who once walked with a limp, is suddenly lithe; his best friend, a lifelong DC Comics disciple, now rotates in the Marvel universe. Subtle behaviors, bits of history, plans for the future—everything in Noah’s world has been rewritten. Everything except his Strange Fascinations . . .

Amazon | Book Depository

❃ 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

The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold is a unique story about a boy who gets hypnotized. The main character is realistic, and the writing style is so entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book, since it is such a wild ride. Continue reading →

Waiting on Wednesday #68: Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

June 29, 2016March 7, 201813 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s book:

Title: Kids of Appetite
Author: David Arnold
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads): The bestselling author of Mosquitoland brings us another batch of unforgettable characters in this tragicomedy about first love and devastating loss.

Victor Benucci and Madeline Falco have a story to tell.
It begins with the death of Vic’s father.
It ends with the murder of Mad’s uncle.
The Hackensack Police Department would very much like to hear it.
But in order to tell their story, Vic and Mad must focus on all the chapters in between.

This is a story about:

1. A coded mission to scatter ashes across New Jersey.
2. The momentous nature of the Palisades in winter.
3. One dormant submarine.
4. Two songs about flowers.
5. Being cool in the traditional sense.
6. Sunsets & ice cream & orchards & graveyards.
7. Simultaneous extreme opposites.
8. A narrow escape from a war-torn country.
9. A story collector.
10. How to listen to someone who does not talk.
11. Falling in love with a painting.
12. Falling in love with a song.
13. Falling in love. Continue reading →

ARC Review: Mosquitoland by David Arnold

February 13, 2015February 24, 20185 Comments

Book cover for Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Title: Mosquitoland
Author: David Arnold
Publisher: Viking Children’s
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Stars: 5/5

Summary (from Goodreads): 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. Continue reading →