Blog Tour Review: KIDS OF APPETITE by David Arnold
Victor Benucci and Madeline Falco have a story to tell.
It begins with the death of Vic’s father.
It ends with the murder of Mad’s uncle.
The Hackensack Police Department would very much like to hear it.
But in order to tell their story, Vic and Mad must focus on all the chapters in between.
This is a story about:
1. A coded mission to scatter ashes across New Jersey.
2. The momentous nature of the Palisades in winter.
3. One dormant submarine.
4. Two songs about flowers.
5. Being cool in the traditional sense.
6. Sunsets & ice cream & orchards & graveyards.
7. Simultaneous extreme opposites.
8. A narrow escape from a war-torn country.
9. A story collector.
10. How to listen to someone who does not talk.
11. Falling in love with a painting.
12. Falling in love with a song.
13. Falling in love.
You know when you finish a book and you are at a loss for words
because it was just THAT good? Well this was me with Kids
of Appetite.
I'm gonna keep this review short and sweet because it only takes
a few sentences to tell you that David Arnold drove this one home!
I am a big fan of Mosquitoland, I took it on the road with me
last summer and what a ride it was, I took KOA with me on my summer travels and
well it didn't disappoint.
Vic is on a mission to fulfill his dad's last wishes, written in
a letter full of clues.
People deal with grief and change in so many different ways and
this was how Vic was dealing with his grief and the changes in his and his
mom's life after the loss of his Dad.
When he rushes out of his house that night with nothing but his
backpack and the urn with his dad's ashes he has no plan, but then he runs into
this group of kids, some young some not so much, they weren't just a group that
stuck together but more like a family that took care of each other when they
found themselves with no other place to go to. Vic, like the others, is
welcomes into their tight little group with the promise of helping him in this
mission of his and scatter his dad's ashes in every single place his dad
mentioned in his letter.
Baz, Zuz, Mad and Coco are some of the funniest characters ever!
They all have a story and a past and you just can't help but love all of
them.
Kids of Appetite makes you feel like you are right along with
them in this adventure. I legit had this Goonies type of feel from beginning to
end.
It's a story full of life lessons, and if there was one that
stuck with me one Baz teaches us towards the end one his mom taught him. We are
all part of a story, and even though we don't get to pick the plot and the
setting we do get to pick what kind of character we want to be.
More than ever now I definitely see that in a world full of
sideway hugs and green bean casseroles, what really matters are those few
people that will be part of your life who make you a better person just by
liking you the way you are with no judgement.
KOA was by far one of my favorite books this year and I really
hope everyone reads it because trust me, if you don't you are missing out!
Signed and personalized at Parnassus Books
David
Arnold lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his (lovely) wife and (boisterous)
son. He is the critically-acclaimed author of Kids of Appetite and
Mosquitoland, which has been translated into over a dozen languages. Previous
jobs include freelance musician, stay-at-home dad, and preschool teacher. He is
a fierce believer in the power of kindness and community. Also pesto. He
believes fiercely in pesto. Learn more at davidarnoldbooks.com, find him on
Twitter @roofbeam, and on Instagram @iamdavidarnold.
No comments: