David Arnold’s second novel, Kids of Appetite provides an entertaining plot line, similar to his first book. Arnold’s debut novel, Mosquitoland, took young adult novels to a new standard, but Kids of Appetite displays the world as a more creative and intricate place. Main character Victor (Vic) Benucci deals with his father’s death in an interesting way; by going on a modern quest to fulfill his father’s last wishes. Joined by a group of teens that deem themselves “undesirable,” Vic discovers the importance of creating your own family.  

Originally, this appeared to be a typical young adult plot line. Vic and Madeline (Mad) followed a similar pattern to main characters from other books in this genre such as characters by Bryan Lee O’Malley or the Miranda from When You Reach Me. Although similar, Arnold does a good job to make his characters unique from others.

Their backstories make them stand out, but their conversations at times seem pretentious and unnatural. Interesting descriptors, including a neurological condition called Moebius syndrome and characters from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, provide diversity.

The hero’s journey is easily followed by those looking for it, and two perspectives keep the readers on their toes. There is some mild swearing and a character deals with abuse from her family which may make some readers uncomfortable but is not graphic. The book opens with characters in an interrogation room, but the audience is not told why. This mystery keeps readers interested and engaged in the actual plotline.

More creativity is found throughout this contemporary than the average novel in this genre, and references are made to many specific artists and musicians. In the middle of the novel, though, the purpose becomes rather cryptic, as characters explain their backstories and a minor love story is established.

Overall, readers can learn from the characters many positive qualities, including perseverance, looking out for others, and empathy. Vic and Mad each have a detailed background, so they are able to learn from each other’s life experiences and find out how to continue despite hardships. Other side characters also support one another through their struggles. By creating their own family in this sense, the audience can truly see that they truly care for one another.

Personally, I really looked forward to reading this, but I found myself bored because of how distant the characters felt. The premise of getting over the death of a family member proves promising but wasn’t played out well enough. If the novel was not the lengthy 352 pages and was closer to 200 pages, the growth of each character would make much more sense and be paced well.

David Arnold’s other works include Mosquitoland and a book set to come out in May of 2018, The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik.

This book can be purchased online on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

For my last book review, read Wuthering Heights. This author can be reached via email and Twitter.