Reviews

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

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_funkyfrog_'s review against another edition

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1.0

Dislike it more than Robinson Crusoe.

readingwithavengeance's review against another edition

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5.0

Again, another book that has escaped my notice for SIX years! I don’t remember what made me pick this one up. Could be the cover, which I LOVE! It could also be the buzzwords that stand out to me in the synopsis: quirky, hilarious, heartbreaking. This doesn’t have the highest average rating on Goodreads, but I’m guessing it’s due to the 1-3 star reviews left by people who either criticize that the narrator sounds too world-wise to be a teenager or claim it’s racist to write how the main character uses her mother’s lipstick as warpaint whenever she gets stressed. Whatever, man. Those folks are missing the point. It’s been a hot minute since I was 16y old, but Mim, the main character, still sounds familiar. She’s a smart-ass, she’s suspicious of kindness, she’s cracked a book or two and she’s wildly loyal to her momma. The story is told from Mim’s point of view, but we get another view of her as the story is also told through what she writes in her journal. These are two slightly different viewpoints because anyone who writes in a journal knows there’s a different face we put on than the one we show the world. Mim meets a number of colorful characters on her bus ride from Mississippi to Ohio, some nice, some not so nice. Her takeaway from each of these characters is so relatable. There’s a lovely twist in this story that I did not see coming and it bumped this from a solid 4-star to a 5-star rating. Also, we get a lesson on the fine line between mental illness and just plain hormone-infused growth without it being a slap in the face. That’s not to say that genuine mental illness isn’t addressed here; it is. Whether your teenage years are far behind you or not OR you have a teenager of your own, reading this will give you a little insight to the chaotic thinking patterns and emotions that happen at that age. It left me feeling both nostalgic and relief to be past it. The writing is sharp and witty; I laughed out loud and got choked up at times. Hats off to the narrator, Phoebe Strole, who did a fantastic job on the audiobook

lovingkire's review against another edition

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3.0

I am that “someone who understands the difference between suites and concertos.”

Speaking of this book, I like Mim and Beck's (her crush) dialogue, which reflects the way I've a dialogue with my crush. Only because I can see the resemblance. The rest of this book is a bit strange, and I think in a story of this kinda odyssey many things are too rushed, or is that just the “coming of age” thing? Don't know.

kim_j_dare's review against another edition

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4.0

"My Objective, once achieved, turned out to be something else entirely." And that's Mary Iris Malone's journey in a nutshell. Quirky and wise and utterly enjoyable. Well, except for the final 10 pages, which weren't quite as utterly. They were a little too "tie everything up neatly with a bow." But. The other 320 or so pages rocked. The author has drawn some criticism for his protagonist's use of "war paint." I found Mim's defenses against the craziness of the world to be authentic and certainly not a denigration of Native Americans. Mim takes you on a truly epic road trip.

emleemay's review against another edition

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2.0

"I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neurons and electrons: my heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange."

Before anyone wants to tell me - yes, I know that John Green did not invent a new style of book. But he is well-known enough that he's good to use in comparisons.

So I'd say you would like this if you enjoy John Green's books, particularly TFiOS. This is the kind of book where the extremely philosophically-minded teen protagonist pauses at least once a paragraph to ruminate on the nature of the universe, people, and her own tumultuous emotions.

But, for me, this didn't feel like a story. It felt like a collection of thoughts and conversations that are all meant to show how smart, deep and expertly snarky the narrator is. Everything that happens to her - from nearly getting sexually assaulted to going to eat at a gas station diner - has a message behind it. And it feels like it too.

Nothing feels natural. Emotions feel like plot tools or an excuse for a dally into a pretty writing exercise. Conversations feel like another opportunity for the author to show how witty and snarky Mim is.

I've read a number of reviews since finishing this book that all say something like "I liked it but just didn't connect for some reason" or "It's well written but there's something I can't put my finger on". I felt the same way, except I'm pretty sure I know what it is.

On a technical level, the book is well-written and it deals with some serious subject matter. But I never felt any emotional connection. Mim is a flat cardboard cutout used as a mouthpiece for the author's philosophy and snark.

I said the characters in [b:The Fault in Our Stars|11870085|The Fault in Our Stars|John Green|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360206420s/11870085.jpg|16827462] didn't feel like teenagers and some people got pissy because I was implying that teens weren't smart/wise/etc., but I'm starting to think that's not what I mean anyway. It's not that these characters don't feel like teenagers, it's that they don't feel like people, period. They feel like a commentary on the world or on literature or on philosophy. Or science. They feel like an author trying too hard to be clever.

But I guess that's just me. Many people seem to love these kind of books.

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naharobed's review against another edition

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4.0

In a nutshell, this book is about one girl's journey, both physical and metaphorical, of self-discovery.
It was a fun, quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The story does deal with some heavier topics at times and I appreciated how it balanced out the quirky, lighter tone of the book.

Our main character has a very strong and unique voice and the overall cast of characters is very eccentric and interesting. The writing style of the author further enhances the story and adds another layer of whimsy.