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A review by eslismyjam
Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
4.0
This is a kind of lovely, quirky read with a John Green-esque tone. I didn't read[b:Mosquitoland|18718848|Mosquitoland|David Arnold|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402661616s/18718848.jpg|26584442] but it's clear that I should. Arnold creates a vibrant cast of characters. My favorite was definitely Coco with her potty-mouth and precocious attitude.
The whole thing feels like an off-beat indie movie and while there really isn't much new territory covered here, the way that Arnold writes is wholly original. I admit I was a little confused/off-put by the constant use of epilepsies in between lines of text.
The biggest strength of this book is the authenticity of the characters. With a large cast it can be difficult to get all the characters right and feeling truly alive. KOA has characters that certainly feel real. There are a myriad of issues touched on here: grief, homelessness, war refugees, abuse and disability. Somehow despite the sheer number of THINGS dealt with the story doesn't feel cobbled together or overstretched, these things help to create a more complexed, nuanced whole story.
The whole thing feels like an off-beat indie movie and while there really isn't much new territory covered here, the way that Arnold writes is wholly original. I admit I was a little confused/off-put by the constant use of epilepsies in between lines of text.
The biggest strength of this book is the authenticity of the characters. With a large cast it can be difficult to get all the characters right and feeling truly alive. KOA has characters that certainly feel real. There are a myriad of issues touched on here: grief, homelessness, war refugees, abuse and disability. Somehow despite the sheer number of THINGS dealt with the story doesn't feel cobbled together or overstretched, these things help to create a more complexed, nuanced whole story.