ARC Review: Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Caught Read Handed

Author: David Arnold

Genre: Young adult, contemporary

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

352 pages, hardcover

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

If anyone was silly enough to be worried that David Arnold’s second book wouldn’t live up to his wonderful debut, MOSQUITOLAND, they should rest assured that it does. KIDS OF APPETITE is brilliant, incredible, emotional, sensitive, not what I was expecting and better than I could hope for. David has a sensitivity in his writing that I haven’t seen anywhere else and his characters have an intensity and passion for life that you can really feel in his writing and that will light your soul on fire. I only hope that I can be half as brave, half as great as his characters; I only hope that I can be a Super Racehorse too. David’s books make me hungry for more of his words, and I will keep eating them up as long as he keeps writing (i.e. hopefully forever and ever, amen).

A couple of people have asked me if I liked KIDS OF APPETITE better than MOSQUITOLAND, and I honestly don’t have an answer. It’s hard to choose between two of your favorite books. But I will say that I related to Vic more than I did Mim. You guys know how much I loved Mim, but the things that Vic goes through because of his Moebius Syndrome – which I am NOT at all saying is exactly the same as my having alopecia – felt so close to home for me. The way people react to him, the horrible things people say to him, the way he sometimes feels about himself, those were things I felt deep down in my bones and soul. And, yes, I cried (like A LOT) at certain points – particularly a scene at the Rockefeller Center, which I won’t talk about but which you should experience.

The bottom line: This is a Super Racehorse of a book, and I read the whole thing in one day. But, like MOSQUITOLAND, it’ll be one I read over and over.

Waiting on Wednesday: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Caught Read Handed

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share a book that we are eagerly anticipating!

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Release date: March 8, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him…or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Why I’m excited: SHE’S MORE GUNPOWDER THAN GIRL. I mean, that alone is enough to get me interested. But I’ve been hearing AMAZING things about Rebel of the Sands EVERYWHERE online, and I’m excited to try it myself. The synopsis sounds freaking awesome – from mystical beasts to magic to “a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner” to a mythical horse. I CAN’T WAIT TO READ THIS. I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this one on Edelweiss and I can’t wait to dive in.

Book Review: Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Caught Read Handed

Author: David Arnold

Genre: Young adult, contemporary

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

352 pages, hardcover

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

Dear Mosquitoland,

Reasons are hard. Trying to put into words the reasons why I love you is hard, but I’ll try.

Reason #1: You are weird. Like, SO weird. But you’re that special kind of weird that I absolutely love. You’re unique and strange and beautiful and funny and emotional and just brilliantly weird in the best possible way.

Reason #2: David Arnold’s writing is incredible. Like, mind-blowingly incredible. I cannot believe you are his debut novel. How is that even possible? I cannot wait to see what comes from him next if YOU are his FIRST book. Parts of you felt like poetry. I was torn between racing through you and taking my time to savor David’s writing. I’ll definitely be rereading you in the future.

Reason #3: Mim. MIM! Oh my goodness. She is just an incredible character. David NAILED her voice. She’s this perfect blend of hard and vulnerable. Sassy, independent, scared, sad, smart. She is such a teenager. I can’t believe how well David wrote her. I love her so much that she’s made it onto my short list of favorite characters ever.

Reason #4: You are the definition of perfect story telling. Your characters’ voices are spot on, your writing is beautiful, but that’s not the best part. You are just a good story. Entertaining, engrossing, fascinating, exciting. I just want to list all the best adjectives to describe you.

Reason #5: This is what my book looked like when I finished. Green flags are from RachelMarie at Nerd Herd Reads; pink are from me. This is what a book looks like when you LOVED it wholeheartedly.