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A review by the_midnight_librarian
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.0
Uhm...this left me with an over all "this....isn't right" feeling. The writing style was ultimately alright, if not a little meandering. Very "next this happened, then this happened, then this" some of it I wasn't sure was actually happening until we moved on to the next thing.
What bothered me was the way that issues were glossed over and not explored and/or outed as problematic.
Using the R slur towards someone intellectually disabled. Mim is praised, by her mother, for punching someone who uses the R slur, with out understanding the meaning behind it. Not to mention the constant comparisons of the supporting character Walt (who is homeless and has Down Syndrome) to being a pet and to a child, while constantly saying little "Waltisms" (wise wisdoms) when he's not just a platform of growth and protection for Mim.
Suicide. Mim finds her aunt and we're not going to go over how much trauma that can add to her mental well being?!
Mental Health. This is a sub plot point that goes along side the main of finding Mim's mom. Mim is constantly flashing back to how her mom handled Mim's mental health vs how Mim's dad handled her mental health, and intern how Mim is currently trying to figure out how to handle her mental health...by throwing out her medication with out a second opinion from a doctor or therapist.
Cultural Appropriation. Yes, it is appropriation, I don't care how many Indigenous people you used to work with. It is not appreciation. Mim uses lipstick to create a design on her face, calling it her "war paint" and excusing the use of it because it helps her cope when life gets too hard and it's "OK" because she's part Cherokee.
....I don't get paid to educate, and thankfully Dr. Debbie Reese already put something out about how this is wrong so I'll refer you to that: https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...
Not to mention the lack of communication and understanding between Mim and her father and Mim and her new step mom. Just going to gloss over that too and assume everything is fine after the book ends?
Just thinking about this book irritates me.
What bothered me was the way that issues were glossed over and not explored and/or outed as problematic.
Using the R slur towards someone intellectually disabled. Mim is praised, by her mother, for punching someone who uses the R slur, with out understanding the meaning behind it. Not to mention the constant comparisons of the supporting character Walt (who is homeless and has Down Syndrome) to being a pet and to a child, while constantly saying little "Waltisms" (wise wisdoms) when he's not just a platform of growth and protection for Mim.
Suicide. Mim finds her aunt and we're not going to go over how much trauma that can add to her mental well being?!
Mental Health. This is a sub plot point that goes along side the main of finding Mim's mom. Mim is constantly flashing back to how her mom handled Mim's mental health vs how Mim's dad handled her mental health, and intern how Mim is currently trying to figure out how to handle her mental health...by throwing out her medication with out a second opinion from a doctor or therapist.
Cultural Appropriation. Yes, it is appropriation, I don't care how many Indigenous people you used to work with. It is not appreciation. Mim uses lipstick to create a design on her face, calling it her "war paint" and excusing the use of it because it helps her cope when life gets too hard and it's "OK" because she's part Cherokee.
....I don't get paid to educate, and thankfully Dr. Debbie Reese already put something out about how this is wrong so I'll refer you to that: https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...
Not to mention the lack of communication and understanding between Mim and her father and Mim and her new step mom. Just going to gloss over that too and assume everything is fine after the book ends?
Just thinking about this book irritates me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness