Synopses & Reviews
"Top-notch" — USA Today
"Illuminating” — Washington Post
"A breath of fresh air" — Entertainment Weekly
"Memorable" — People
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.
*Includes a discussion guide, exclusive author interview, and music lyrics written by David Arnold
Review
"Wholly enjoyable... There is no shortage of humor in Mim’s musings, interspersed with tender scenes and a few heart-pounding surprises. Mim’s triumphant evolution is well worth the journey." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"In Mosquitoland, David Arnold has created one of the most unique narrative voices to show up in the world of young adult fiction. I don’t remember life before Mim, and I don’t want to. Mosquitoland is equal parts sharp, sad, and surreal. This book is genius, war paint and all." John Corey Whaley, Printz-winning author of Where Things Come Back
Review
"David Arnold combines brio with compassion in this captivating first novel, which holds surprises, big and small, right to the end... Illuminating." The Washington Post
Review
"David Arnold’s sparkling, startling, laugh-out-loud debut. . . speaks to the sweetness of life, the courage of love and the blinkers that adolescents may need to remove to see what is truly around them." Wall Street Journal
Review
"Arnold proves his worth as a top-notch storyteller on his first literary go-round, which is reminiscent of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off if done by John Hughes with Jack Kerouac... Mosquitoland stings in all the right places, which is why it will no doubt be many teenagers’ new favorite book and win over the crustiest old-timer, too." USA Today
About the Author
David Arnold lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his (lovely) wife and (boisterous) son. He is the critically-acclaimed author of Mosquitoland, which has been translated into over a dozen languages. Previous jobs include freelance musician/producer, stay-at-home dad, and preschool teacher. He is a fierce believer in the power of kindness and community. And pesto. He believes fiercely in pesto.