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Published Sep 2016
352 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
The bestselling author of Mosquitoland brings us another batch of unforgettable characters in this 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.
BookBrowse Review
Arnold's eccentric sophomore novel is heavy on heart, with moments of transcendence and hilarity, but the over saturation of characters prevents the individual voices from truly singing. Edible, even if it's not delicious.
Other Reviews
"Starred Review. Arnold writes with a Hinton-esque depth and rawness, building Mad and Vic's stories with practiced patience." - Publishers Weekly
"Bloodthirsty readers drawn to the murder element, be warned. This novel is for "heart-thinkers." Darkness and complexity swirl beneath the surface, as each KOA member copes with personal traumas. At times it feels like Arnold has too many balls in the air, but philosophical teens drawn to themes of belonging will revel in his latest." - Booklist
"The writing is lush and lovely, but those seeking a fast-paced or compelling plot should look elsewhere. An additional purchase for YA library collections. Grade 8 and up." - School Library Journal
"This tale of kids dealing with horrific situations is at times almost fantastical in its romanticism and is realized through the employ of spot-on pacing and lovely wordsmithing. Sophisticated teen readers will love this." - Kirkus
"A gorgeous, insightful, big-hearted joy of a book. Kids of Appetite made me fall in love with the world a little bit more." - Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything
"Kids of Appetite is one of the most honest, emotional, human books I have ever read. You will feel it. This one's a life-changer." - Becky Albertalli, Morris Award–winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
This information about Kids of Appetite was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
David Arnold is the New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland, I Loved You in Another Life, The Electric Kingdom, Kids of Appetite, and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik. He has won the Southern Book Prize and the Great Lakes Book Award, and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and son.
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