Mosquitoland / David Arnold

3/5

Mosquitoland by David Arnold is a novel about self-discovery and growth, set against the physical journey of bussing from Mississippi, aka Mosquitoland, to Ohio. This is the story of Mim, short for Mary Iris Malone, and how she fumbles her way through the avalanche of disasters that is her life.

Mim is an unreliable narrator and Arnold's capturing of her character, though from first person, never lets you forget it. I greatly enjoyed reading the wild tangents Mim's imagination would bring her to, and loved her fun exaggeration because it made me question the events of the novel. Arnold portrays a beautiful coming-of-age story in an original way not only through Mim's unreliability but also through journal entries, and I loved the multiple modes of storytelling. Mim's voice was always honest and easy to read, and her vulnerability and strength kept me engaged throughout the novel. 

I am not a huge fan of novels that focus solely on personal growth at the expense of believability. The book didn't seem to have much of a purpose other than looking at Mim's journey. Although it was a great journey, I prefer to have a strong sense of purpose running throughout the entire novel. The events of Mosquitoland felt more like loose wandering, with the only consistent being Mim and what these events taught her while the events themselves were not particularly interesting or special. 

I recommend Mosquitoland to fans of John Green and Sarah Dessen. Mosquitoland is perfect for those who love a coming-of-age novel that is narrated with a raw, honest, witty voice, and doesn't shy away from the grittiness of growth.