Cover design: Theresa Evangelista // Illustrations: Andrew Fairclough
After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the “wastelands” of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland. So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.
Named one of the best books of the year by NPR, Amazon, Booklist, Buzzfeed, BookPage, Bustle, Paste, & Hudson Booksellers
“It's a breath of fresh air when a novel like David Arnold's Mosquitoland bucks the usual classifications and stands defiantly alone. . . like any odyssey worth embarking on, what the heroine—and the reader—finds along the way is far more interesting than we ever could have expected.” —Entertainment Weekly
"Memorable" —People
"A sparkling, startling, laugh-out-loud debut." —Wall Street Journal
Winner of the Southern Book Prize, the Great Lakes Book Award, and the Friends of American Writers young people's literature award
"Arnold proves his worth as a top-notch storyteller on his first literary go-round, which is reminiscent of Ferris Bueller's Day Off if done by John Hughes with Jack Kerouac. . . Mosquitoland stings in all the right places." —USA Today (4/4 stars)
"One of the most talked about books of the year" —Teen Vogue
"David Arnold combines brio with compassion in this captivating first novel, which holds surprises, big and small, right to the end... Illuminating" —Washington Post
A Publishers Weekly Flying Start (Spring 2015), an Indie Next List TOP TEN Pick, a Junior Library Guild selection, a Kirkus Unforgettable Debut, & an ABA Indies Introduce Debut Authors title
"In Mosquitoland, David Arnold has created one of the most unique narrative voices to show up in the world of young adult fiction. I don't remember life before Mim, and I don't want to. Mosquitoland is equal parts sharp, sad, and surreal. This book is genius." —John Corey Whaley, National Book Award Finalist and Printz-winning author of Where Things Come Back and Noggin
“David Arnold’s writing is both heartfelt and hilarious. You will fall in love with Mim, even as her grand journey will keep you guessing.” —Ruta Sepetys, New York Times bestselling author of Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea
★ "Wholly enjoyable... There is no shortage of humor in Mim’s musings, interspersed with tender scenes and a few heart-pounding surprises. Mim’s triumphant evolution is well worth the journey." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ "Arnold pens a stunning debut, showcasing a cast of dynamic characters... Mesmerizing." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ "Arnold boldly tackles mental illness and despair, and sexual assault and sexual identity, without ever once losing the bigheartedness of the story. . . In the words of one of Mim's Greyhound seatmates, Mosquitoland has pizzazz— lots and lots of it." —Booklist (starred review)
★ "Arnold’s characters are captivating and believable. . . This is a very engaging and compelling story about individuals who succeed or fail to manage life’s challenges." —School Library Connection (starred review)
★ "Arnold skillfully sets up doubts in readers' minds about how reliable Mim's impressions are, even as her razor-sharp humor and intelligence make us want to believe her. David Arnold is a writer to watch." —Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“Singular and full of heart.” —The Horn Book
"A strong emphasis on personal alienation and the saving grace of community permeates this voice-driven novel, and the whip-smart narration is seductive and powerful." —BCCB
“This book makes me wish I were a school librarian, just so I could buy ten copies for my collection.” —Barnes & Noble Teen Blog
“First-time novelist David Arnold has uncannily captured the voice of a 16-year-old girl with beauty and style in Mosquitoland. . . Arnold’s prose is delicious as he peels back each of Mim’s layers on her long ride.” —BookPage
“A classic road trip narrative... written with tenderness” —National Post (Canada)
“Packed full of quotable moments that will likely end up being literary tattoos in the future... Hilarious and heart-wrenching” —The Huffington Post
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