Mosquitoland
Ratings20
Average rating3.5
*2.5. I really wanted to like this book..and I didn't (that's probably why it took me so long to really like? it even a little). I would say it was decent but idk. There was just a lot going on, which I didn't like.
This book was a very nice adventure, though there are some tough spots and some themes that hit hard. The main character is very relatable and all the characters she meets are charming. I really liked the boys she traveled with.
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Little bit of a spoiler.
The only thing that had me wondering was how they didn't find her sooner. Like what are these police for?
I really really enjoyed this!! This has been on my list since I read “The Strange Fascinations Of Noah Hypnotik” a little less than a year ago. One of my favorite things about David Arnold's books is that the characters are always crazy and wild and insanely memorable. I also love how there's always a bit a fantastical element to his stories. Not in the sense of magical realism but more to the effect of “That wouldn't really happen in real life, but I'm going to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the fact that I WISH it would happen in real life”, ya know?? I absolutely adore Arnold's writing style and the way he crafts his characters.
This 100% would've gotten 5-stars if it weren't for a few key things:
1) There were a few pretty fatphobic remarks from our main character. They weren't necessarily direct but more internalized. Mim also didn't learn or grow out of that behavior. It just didn't sit right with me.
2) There was a scene that was straight out of r/thathappened. I genuinely had to set the book down and take a break for a little while after I read it. It was something to the effect of:
Bad person: being bad
Mim: says something to that person
Everyone: CLAPS
I understand that this book was written in 2014 but it definitely shows. (Also the same thing happened in “The Fault In Our Stars” and that's not forgivable either. Just ugh)
3) I wasn't a huge fan of the last line. The ending as a whole was pretty great. It had just the right mix of ambiguity and closure, something I'm realizing David Arnold does really well. However, the very last two lines just didn't fit for me. This alone wouldn't have docked it a star, but combined with my other two points, it really just solidified its place at 4 stars.
Overall, it's a really great book and I feel it definitely deserves a read.
Surprisingly delightful tale of a teen wrestling with changes in her life and shadows from her past. Not quite a total cryfest but definitely on the cusp.