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lilyellyn's review
5.0
I thought this was great. Of course it has the extreme emotions, somewhat unrealistic dialogue, and extreme scenarios characteristic to YA, but overall I thought it did a beautiful job of weaving together so many raw and real and honest stories.
bushraboblai's review
1.0
I had high expectations from reading Mosquitoland when I read it as a teenager (as an adult is probably not like it that much), and this book was an extreme disappointment. On one hand I’m glad I didn’t read this as a teenager because it just romanticizes trauma and mental illness, but I also did not enjoy the time spent reading this. Sigh.
hamckeon's review
5.0
I picked this book up because the author did a signing at my local Barnes and Noble earlier this fall. It sounded good based off his description, but it was even way more beautiful and heartbreaking than I thought. This is one of the most original and unique books I've read in awhile. I also like that it takes place in North Jersey.
readordi3's review
4.0
Mr. David Arnold is good at putting different meanings to words and phrases. Sometimes I don’t understand what he meant, but that’s okay. This book reads like a teenager with so much to say but little time to do so. It fits the theme of the book entirely. Grief and “chapters” are somewhat intertwined in this book, because like books grief has its chapters. Unlike books grief doesn’t end, not really.
Favorite character? Baz, hands down. He’s not only straight to the point, he’s the character you want in a book like this. The author is right, Baz is like Dallas Winston, he’s so real that he’s scary. Scary good. There’s so much life and death and “chapters” in Baz’s story that he wants to write it down. Make a book out of it. He’s the character that does a lot in little time. I adore him. That takes a lot of seeing how precious time is.
Favorite quote: “..So why not do something? People usually sit back, shrug, and watch things happen. Awful things. I know this from experience. But I’m done shrugging. I’m done doing nothing.”
Favorite character? Baz, hands down. He’s not only straight to the point, he’s the character you want in a book like this. The author is right, Baz is like Dallas Winston, he’s so real that he’s scary. Scary good. There’s so much life and death and “chapters” in Baz’s story that he wants to write it down. Make a book out of it. He’s the character that does a lot in little time. I adore him. That takes a lot of seeing how precious time is.
Favorite quote: “..So why not do something? People usually sit back, shrug, and watch things happen. Awful things. I know this from experience. But I’m done shrugging. I’m done doing nothing.”
maryehavens's review
1.0
I started losing interest when it seemed like the plot was going to take a very roundabout way to get to the actual murder or whatever was going on that brought the kids to the police station.
Then this line happened: “her body was like a map and I was Magellan.” I just....can’t. Sure, it’s definitely something a young adult male would say but I have way too much I want to read to put up with that.
Then this line happened: “her body was like a map and I was Magellan.” I just....can’t. Sure, it’s definitely something a young adult male would say but I have way too much I want to read to put up with that.
priscillvrooij's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
michael_martinez's review
3.0
I picked up this book because David Arnold's Mosquitoland was one of my favorite books of last year. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one as much. For me the first half of the book was just really slow and a tad boring. I didn't start to get invested in the story and the characters until the later half, but when I did I couldn't put it down.
dolnick's review
4.0
This book is hard for me to properly define. It's very similar to Mosquitoland (namely in its uniqueness), yet very different. It is a compelling love story between two teenagers, while - alternatively - being a very heartbreaking tale about learning to let go after someone beloved does. There is something about the book (though I cannot place what exactly that "something" is) that made it not completely live up to my expectations, while there is also something about the book that made it incredibly hard to put down. The main character of the book, Vic, is very interested in "simultaneous extreme opposites," which is very fitting, given my feelings for the book. In the end, it is definitely a worthwhile read, though not my favorite book from 2016.