Title: Mosquitoland
Author: David Arnold
Edition: Headline, 2015
Rating: ★★★★
Review
For the first few chapters I wasn't sure I was going to like this one. I persevered because I'd seen it all over the internet and I'm so glad I did. By the time I was halfway through, I was loving it. And here's why:
I loved the narration in Mosquitoland. Not only was the main plot (the generic, character-telling-a-story part) written in a unique voice, the letters were too, but the voice was slightly different. As an aspiring writer, it was incredible to read Mim's story and how she told it with such a strong, fun voice, then to read the letters, which were a different voice but still, without a doubt, Mim's. The balance between the letters and her journey was just right, the letters didn't interrupt for too long and weren't too frequent; they were frequent enough to not forget them or count them as a minor sub plot. Plus, I loved the way they tied up at the end.
I also really liked the way Mim signed all the letters differently, giving herself titles like, 'Friend by Default' and 'Crazy and Good'. It was such a subtle way of showing how Mim was exploring her identity, and how it's okay to be a million different things; no-one can be defined in just one way. It fit so well with her journey and how it wasn't just about getting to her mother but also to discover herself.
David Arnold does an amazing job with his characters. They're all so unique but, for the most part, they interact and complement each other perfectly. Mim felt incredibly real and I thought she really came into her own when she began to form friendships with Walt and Beck.
I have to admit, when Walt was first introduced—and subsequently taken under Mim's wing—I found it a little bit strange. I didn't really understand what his situation was and didn't think it was a good idea for Mim to suddenly be taking him along with her. Once they became friends, especially once Beck also came on the scene, I sort of forgot about that and ended up really enjoying their relationship as a trio.
I loved the way their conversations came back around, that they shared little inside jokes, repeating lines that nobody would understand because they hadn't been there when it was first said. I also loved the way that by the end of the book the three of them seemed like a natural fit even though on the surface it didn't really look like it.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was Poncho Man. I hated him so much. Not because he was badly written. Because he was written bad so well. Every time he reappeared I felt really uncomfortable. I assume that was the idea, and David Arnold did it really well. It still makes me cringe and shiver just thinking about it.
One of my favourite things about Mosquitoland was the way Mim observed the world around her. She described people that happened to walk by, people who were only in her life for a split second, with such imagination and insight. I have a bit of a thing about the fact that all the background characters in our own lives have stories of their own yet we have no idea: most of the time we don't even give it a thought.
I've given Mosquitoland four stars because of the characters and their dialogue and Mim's interesting view of the world. It took me a while to love it and I would have loved it even more if it had more than just the occasional doodle; I really liked those.
Favourite Quote
"It's deep and real and fucking old-school. It's a fortress of passion, a crash—a fatal collision of neutrons and electrons and fibers, my circus of oddities coming together as one, imploding in a fiery blaze. It's...I-don't-know-what...my collection of shiny."
Author: David Arnold
Edition: Headline, 2015
Rating: ★★★★
Review
For the first few chapters I wasn't sure I was going to like this one. I persevered because I'd seen it all over the internet and I'm so glad I did. By the time I was halfway through, I was loving it. And here's why:
I loved the narration in Mosquitoland. Not only was the main plot (the generic, character-telling-a-story part) written in a unique voice, the letters were too, but the voice was slightly different. As an aspiring writer, it was incredible to read Mim's story and how she told it with such a strong, fun voice, then to read the letters, which were a different voice but still, without a doubt, Mim's. The balance between the letters and her journey was just right, the letters didn't interrupt for too long and weren't too frequent; they were frequent enough to not forget them or count them as a minor sub plot. Plus, I loved the way they tied up at the end.
I also really liked the way Mim signed all the letters differently, giving herself titles like, 'Friend by Default' and 'Crazy and Good'. It was such a subtle way of showing how Mim was exploring her identity, and how it's okay to be a million different things; no-one can be defined in just one way. It fit so well with her journey and how it wasn't just about getting to her mother but also to discover herself.
David Arnold does an amazing job with his characters. They're all so unique but, for the most part, they interact and complement each other perfectly. Mim felt incredibly real and I thought she really came into her own when she began to form friendships with Walt and Beck.
I have to admit, when Walt was first introduced—and subsequently taken under Mim's wing—I found it a little bit strange. I didn't really understand what his situation was and didn't think it was a good idea for Mim to suddenly be taking him along with her. Once they became friends, especially once Beck also came on the scene, I sort of forgot about that and ended up really enjoying their relationship as a trio.
I loved the way their conversations came back around, that they shared little inside jokes, repeating lines that nobody would understand because they hadn't been there when it was first said. I also loved the way that by the end of the book the three of them seemed like a natural fit even though on the surface it didn't really look like it.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was Poncho Man. I hated him so much. Not because he was badly written. Because he was written bad so well. Every time he reappeared I felt really uncomfortable. I assume that was the idea, and David Arnold did it really well. It still makes me cringe and shiver just thinking about it.
One of my favourite things about Mosquitoland was the way Mim observed the world around her. She described people that happened to walk by, people who were only in her life for a split second, with such imagination and insight. I have a bit of a thing about the fact that all the background characters in our own lives have stories of their own yet we have no idea: most of the time we don't even give it a thought.
I've given Mosquitoland four stars because of the characters and their dialogue and Mim's interesting view of the world. It took me a while to love it and I would have loved it even more if it had more than just the occasional doodle; I really liked those.
Favourite Quote
"It's deep and real and fucking old-school. It's a fortress of passion, a crash—a fatal collision of neutrons and electrons and fibers, my circus of oddities coming together as one, imploding in a fiery blaze. It's...I-don't-know-what...my collection of shiny."
No comments:
Post a Comment