Mosquitoland by David Arnold

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.

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 bus 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.

Told in an unforgettable, kaleidoscopic voice, Mosquitoland is a modern American odyssey, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. (www.amazon.com)

Wow, guys. Wow. This was such an incredible book. However, I'm doing cons first, as always.

Language. Wowzers does this book have profanity. There's an f-bomb on nearly every or every other page. It got ridiculous and annoying, especially since I can't recommend this book to my younger friends.
Sensuality. There are thinly veiled references to sex and the like, with one blatant attack from a pedophile/pervert.
Teen rebellion. I feel like I only have to mention the rebellion in case parents are reading this post and don't want to encourage similar behavior in their children. However, I hafta say, if you're worried that much about your kids, you shouldn't let them read this book anyway because of the profanity.
Mental illness. To me, this isn't a con. I like learning about mental illnesses so I know how to help those around me with them (I am aware fiction isn't the best source of reliable information) but many parents might be concerned for their kids and this book might be a trigger for some.

Now, for the pros!
Ermagersh, guys. This book is so good. I'm seriously fangirling. It's the kind of book that makes you think.
Really think.
Do you know who you are? Maybe, maybe not. But you will be compelled to find out after reading Mosquitoland. I love the way topics are presented and the way the narrator thinks. There are so many lines I wanted to underline (but refrained - you're welcome, library).
Maybe this book meant so much to me because I have intimate experience with mental illnesses, being on the other side of crazy, and find great pleasure in the extraordinary.
For whatever reason, I believe this book will touch a corner of everyone's heart in some way or another.
Bravo, David Arnold. Bravo.

Happy reading!
Hannah

P.S. For all your bravos, David, you really need to talk to women more. We don't think about sex all the time, as you seem to assume.