Kids of Appetite

It’s always a little risky, both as a writer and a reader, taking on a book told from multiple points of view. It’s hard enough to find a book with one narrator I love, let alone two or more. Throw on top of that a non-linear structure — KIDS OF APPETITE opens on a scene that actually takes place near the end of the story, with the bulk of the narrative told in flashback — and in less capable hands, you might have a recipe for literary disaster.Fortunately, David Arnold is far more than capable, and KIDS OF APPETITE is an often poignant, occasionally hilarious, surprisingly twisty delight from start to finish.The central characters of KIDS OF APPETITE are a boy, Victor “Vic” Benucci, and a girl, Madeline “Mad” Falco, who meet by chance two years after the death of Vic’s father, and wind up profoundly changing each other’s lives forever. The narrative flips between both of their POVs, and alternates between their separate interrogations in a police station, and the events that brought them there. It’s a tricky structure, but it works. Both voices are sharp and distinctive, and the skips back and forth in time flow well, and are never jarring or confusing.Vic is a boy still grieving his father’s death following a long illness. After fleeing his house during a particularly upsetting night, Vic encounters Mad and the rest of the Kids of Appetite — Baz and Zuz, refugee brothers from the Republic of the Congo, and Coco, an 11-year-old girl with a boundless imagination and a penchant for swearing. The four Kids live together in a neglected greenhouse, where they spend their time musing upon life, making grand declarations, and, every now and then, deciding to take it upon themselves to make someone else’s life better. When Vic and the Kids collide, they set out on a mission to fulfill his father’s final wish, and in doing so, bring Vic the closure he so desperately needs. But even as they are all working to help Vic, Vic is focused on Mad, who, despite her guarded exterior, he suspects could use some help of her own.As the story went on, I fell in love with each of these characters. As in David Arnold’s previous book, MOSQUITOLAND, the members of his cast are like a bunch of mismatched puzzle pieces coming together to to form a sort of Wes Anderson-ized whole, full of quirks and flaws and idiosyncrasies that may make them an odd fit anywhere else, but work perfectly with each other. David Arnold’s great strength as a writer is in painting his characters with a vivid brush, and then stepping back and allowing them to shine through their dialogue as they interact with each other, and that talent is on full display here. In both the large moments and the small, loud and quiet, it was a joy to experience life with these characters, and to watch them live and laugh and see that it was good.I want to take a moment to talk about the disability representation with Vic, who has a rare neurological disorder known as Moebius Syndrome, which is characterized by complete or partial facial paralysis. Before reading KIDS OF APPETITE, I had never even heard of Moebius Syndrome, and certainly had never met anyone who had it. It was evident in reading Vic’s point-of-view that David was very aware that this might be the first exposure many of his readers have to Moebius, as well as the first time his readers with Moebius see someone like them represented in fiction. The care and attention to detail was clear, and there is an author’s note at the end which thanks four individuals with Moebius for consulting closely on the development of Vic’s character. While I am not disabled, I am a strong proponent of increased diversity in fiction, as I believe that reading about a broad spectrum of human experiences can only serve to increase empathy. There are so few books out there with disabled protagonists, and even fewer where the author really opened themselves up to input from the community they are aiming to represent. And while KIDS OF APPETITE is definitely not a book about Moebius, I really appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into crafting Vic and making sure that the portrayal of a character with Moebius was accurate.In the end, KIDS OF APPETITE is a beautiful story of grief and healing, of friendship and found family, of first impressions and broadened horizons, and of how you can know someone so well, yet discover there are parts of them you never knew at all. It is in turns funny and heartfelt, thrilling and surprising and gutting. It is a brilliant, honest, Super Racehorse of a book, and one I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loves great stories.

Vic, Mad have a story to tell. Everything hinges on the telling. The kids of appetite, a small group of “unwanted” took Vic in when he needed them to fulfill his father’s last wishes. As they spend time together, Vic realizes that (for once) his birth defect doesn’t matter. They accept all of him and take him as family. When some of the members are in trouble, it’s Vic’s turn to repay his second family. It’s all in the telling, you see, because you have to see the big picture. The one that includes:1. A coded mission to scatter ashes across New Jersey2. A dormant submarine3. Two very different songs about flowers.4. Sunsets, orchards, and graveyards.5. The many meanings of family6. A narrow escape from a war-torn country7. The collection of stories8. How to hear someone who doesn’t talk9. Falling in love10. Super racehorsesThis book made me feel so many things. I was proud of the characters, laughed with them, celebrated and cried for them. The character development was amazing. I loved them all- from Vic, who, because of a birth defect, can’t close his eyes or really show emotion on his face but is a true heart-thinker. Mad, who lost both her parents in a wreck and now clings to her grandmother even if it puts her in a tight spot. Baz, collector of people and stories. Zuz, who never says a word but makes himself known. And then there’s Coco, the 11 year old orphan from Queens with a stunning (and sometimes hilarious) vocabulary and a big heart.The plot was great and well executed. I really loved it! Five stars, plus one for creativity- this book is a super racehorse.On the adult content scale, there’s a bit. Language, obviously, and violence, both done so as not to be over the top or gratuitous. I’d give it a four. I would give this to my niece, but there are some that would have pause.

Good book. Great concept. I loved both Vic and Mad and all the other characters. They were the kind of characters I want as my friends in real life because they're living proof that no matter how hard life gets... you don't give up.The beginning was just so captivating, interestingly strange and wonderful.Now you're probably wondering: "ah... did she accidently rate this book 2 stars? Maybe she meant 4?"Well, yes and no.Thing is, I was so sure this was a 4 stars book for me. I loved the beginning and I was sure I would love the rest of it too.And while I did enjoy the rest of the book as well, it was harder for me to read. Why? too many descriptions of memories, places, characters and sometimes even overall weirdness that didn't make much sense, to be honest. I felt like there were so many American inside jokes and references to places and food and other stuff in the U.S, that an international like me could never understand. I didn't even visit the U.S, let alone lived there. For me, those jokes and references were completely alien. Honestly? Sometimes it felt like I was reading this book in a language I didn't understand but knew exists.The good news: for those of you who live\lived\are familiar with the U.S culture, this book should be just for you (given that you enjoy a good - if strange - contemporary romance).Because despite my rating (which, if we're being technical here, is 2.5 stars), this book is a great deal of wonderful. It's unique, it's interesting and it has great characters (one of which has a rare physical disability).Wow, I don't think I ever talked so positively about a book I rated so low. This book is so not conventional that in a weird way it makes sense.Huh.

A story full of wonderful characters to root for! I loved Mosqitoland and Kids of Appetite did not disappoint. 100% recommend.