Mosquitoland
From the New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite comes a “top-notch” (USA Today) story of a spirited teenager who musters the courage to embark on an unforgettable road trip after learning about her mother’s illness.
“Illuminating.”—The Washington Post
“Equal parts sharp, sad, and surreal. This book is genius, war paint and all.”—John Corey Whaley, Printz Award–winning author of Where Things Come Back
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
“Illuminating.”—The Washington Post
“Equal parts sharp, sad, and surreal. This book is genius, war paint and all.”—John Corey Whaley, Printz Award–winning author of Where Things Come Back
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
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
For 16-year old Mim, life is anything but normal. In fact, the first chapter simply states, “I am Mary Iris Malone, and I am not okay.” Mim’s father and stepmother Kathy have uprooted her from her home in Ohio with her mother to Jackson, Mississippi (aka “Mosquitoland”). If that weren’t enough, Mim overhears her dad discussing her mother’s “disease.” She steals a can of cash from her “evil stepmother,” hops on a Greyhound bus, and embarks on a bizarre 947-mile odyssey to save her mother. Mim is joined by Walt, a homeless boy with Down’s Syndrome, and Beck, the “god of Devastating Attractiveness” as they drive to Cleveland in a truck named “Phil.” Teens will be able to identify with Mim as she tackles issues of divorce, mental illness, insecurity, and sexual assault. There are, however, a few cultural references that may be off-putting to some readers. Several times throughout the novel, Mim uses her mother’s lipstick to paint her face with “warpaint” as a coping mechanism when she’s upset. Another touchy subject is that of the treatment of Walt’s character, who reminds me of a cross between Steinbeck’s Lenny and Warren from the movie There’s Something About Mary. At one point, Walt is in need of medical care and is treated by a veterinarian. Later, Beck and Mim joke that Walt is like their “pet.” Overall, Arnold masterfully crafts Mim’s character: a quirky, sarcastic, overly dramatic, mentally ill teen. Mim’s journey, as seen through her first-person narrative and letters to Isabel, is humorous, sad, endearing, and even frightening at times, but it’s a story that will resonate with many adolescent readers.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It is a very relate-able book. I feel that any teen who reads this book would understand what Mim is going through. I know many people read books to try and get away from their problems but, every once in awhile you like to feel like you are not alone and that somebody can understand exactly what you are dealing with. I do not recommend running away from home but, it doesn't help that Mim's father remarried a waitress he met a Denny's only 3 weeks after his divorce from Mim's mom. I listened to this on audio book and the girl that read it did a great job. I do think that I want to reread the book because sometimes with audio books I feel that I miss parts.
Great read with loads of interesting characters (Walt has my heart). Lost a star for all the fatphobia though.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.