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Mosquitoland by David Arnold


Publication Date: 3rd March 2015
Genre: Young Adult
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5
Source: Borrowed

Hey guys- I'm back with another review of an amazing book! I read "Mosquitoland" by David Arnold early last year, and found out that I never shared it with you guys! I rated this book five stars on Goodreads- and would have given it ten if I could.

 Mim Malone, who has been residing with her mother in Northern Ohio since the whirlwind of her parents' divorce, is suddenly sent to the "wastelands" of Mississippi to live with her father and step-mother. Before she has time to process what happened, she learns that her mother is sick back in Cleveland, so she packs her bag and boards a bus to travel back home.
  She meets various interesting characters along the way, who become as much a part of her story as the final journey of meeting her mother one last time. Among these characters is young Walt, a homeless teenager suffering from Down's Syndrome, who becomes a sort of brother to Mim.

The story is told from first-person point-of-view as Mim talks to the readers, and writes letters to a character named Isabel- her supposedly crazy aunt. This is a very important part of the novel. As Mim strengthens her relations with her father and step-mother, she discovers yet another life-changing secret that changes the recipient of her letters.
  She describes grungy bars and motel-rooms that she shares with her friends, awkward situations with drunk groups of people, broken-down buses and run-down stations. She scrapes all of her money together in a desperate attempt to reach home and be with her mother.

As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely LOVED this novel. It's written in a colloquial style that really blends in with Mim's "Don't mess with me" attitude. The letters showcase a little more sensitivity, but still majorly keep with the characterization.
 The unique title has to do with Mim's perspective on her new home, and is accentuated by frequent unique revelations, characters and settings. I'd encourage you to try out this book if you enjoy young adult fiction, stories about self-discovery, and travel journeys.
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Comments

  1. UnknownApril 21, 2017 at 5:52 AM

    I like trip stories and I like colloquial writing and sassy attitude. I think I'd like this one :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vedika @ Poems and PoetsApril 26, 2017 at 5:49 PM

      I definitely think you would- if it isn't on your TBR list yet, make sure you add it!

      Delete
  2. Lisa MandinaApril 22, 2017 at 1:06 AM

    This is a book I've seen, and heard great things about, but never really knew quite what it was about. Your review makes me want to go ahead and add it to my TBR list. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vedika @ Poems and PoetsApril 26, 2017 at 5:53 PM

      Thanks Lisa! You should definitely add it to your TBR- it doesn't seem like the type of book you might usually read, but you'll enjoy it!

      Delete
  3. Sue JacksonApril 22, 2017 at 9:11 PM

    Great review! I loved this novel, too :) I listened to it on audio and loved all the strange characters Mim meets on her journey but also the emotion of the situation with her mother.

    Glad you enjoyed it so much, too!

    Sue

    Book By Book

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vedika @ Poems and PoetsApril 26, 2017 at 5:51 PM

      Your blog was where I initially heard of Mosquitoland! Thank you so much for the recommendation- it made a huge impact on most of my friends as well!

      Delete

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