Kids of Appetite
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4.1 • 17 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"A gorgeous, insightful, big-hearted joy of a book." —Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything
The critically acclaimed author of Mosquitoland brings us another batch of unforgettable characters in this New York Times bestselling tragicomedy about first love and devastating loss.
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The misfit characters in David Arnold’s Kids of Appetite are so cool and interesting that we wanted to crawl into the book and become part of their unconventional crew. With his debut, Mosquitoland, Arnold proved he’s got a singular imagination and a keen sense of what matters to teens. His second novel weaves together a murder investigation with a story about traumatized young people who find support and family in each other. It’s creative, funny, and totally unafraid of facing down dark material.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Arnold (Mosquitoland) again showcases a memorable cast of outsiders carving out space for themselves. Bruno Victor "Vic" Benucci III, a 16-year-old Jersey kid born with a rare condition that leaves him unable to use most of his facial muscles, is reeling from his father's death two years earlier. After his mother's new boyfriend proposes to her, Vic bolts from the house with his father's ashes. Vic's destiny is changed when he meets 17-year-old Madeline "Mad" Falco, who is part of a gang of semihomeless kids who vow to help Vic decipher his father's final note, which dictates various places to spread his ashes. Told through Vic and Mad's alternating narratives, interspersed with police interviews centered around the murder of Mad's abusive uncle, the story focuses on the unbreakable bonds of these forgotten, mistreated kids who include two brothers born in the Congo and a brilliant, sharp-tongued 11-year-old as well as Vic's enduring loyalty to his father's memory. Arnold writes with a Hinton-esque depth and rawness, building Mad and Vic's stories with practiced patience. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
For the love of characters
How do you find a few words to accurately describe the complexities of a multiple thousands of words book? This book was written with the beautiful language of a John Green novel, but took the storyline much closer to home. Every teenager can relate to this tale despite the fact that not all teens have lost both parents. As shown by the story character counts the most and I must say I have fallen in love. I had to listen to both Coming Up Roses and Flower Duet after. Just as beautiful as I hope (though I was somewhat biased ;) )