A review by emleemay
Mosquitoland by David Arnold

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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