Review- Mosquitoland

Goodreads Summary– 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.

Mim– I adore Mim as a character and it was a joy to read this novel from her perspective.  I loved being in her head and seeing her outlook on life and the people around her. There is something about her that drew me to her. I think it was her honestly and just how plain quirky she is!

The relationships– A lot of different types of relationships are explored in the novel from friendships to the relationship between Mim and her stepmom. It was interesting to see how Mim navigated these relationships and how they developed over time.  The friendship between Mim, Walt and Beck put a huge smile on my face.  There were so many touching moments between them.

Road trip– I have not read a lot of road trip novels and I am officially a huge fan of them.  It was really fun to read about all of the stops along the way.  I enjoy the idea that the character is not only going on a physical journey but an emotional and mental one as well.  It makes for a great metaphor.

The writing– I can not be the only person who gets some major John Green vibes from this book.  That being said I actually prefer David Arnold’s writing style.  The dialogue was realistic and there are so many quotable moments.

Unrealistic– Although I really enjoyed reading about Mim’s journey, a lot of what happened was unrealistic and at times a little bit too convenient.

“When you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries while you rejoice.”

“As simple as it sounds, I think understanding who you are—and who you are not—is not the most important thing of all Important Things.”

“Sometimes a thing doesn’t seem real until we say it out loud.”

I am so happy that I read this book! Alex from Coffee Loving Bookoholic told me that Kids of Appetite is really good as well so I will definitely be adding that to my wish list! I was so impressed with David Arnold’s writing so will probably read anything he writes.

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