Mosquitoland by David Arnold

SYNOPSIS:

Mim's father has recently divorced her mother and married Kathy, a waitress at Denny's whom he met shortly after separating from his wife. Therefore Mim's mother has moved to Cleveland. The relationship between Mim and her father is not the best, she is much closer to her mother who is half Cherokee and more of the free spirit in the relationship. Mim's father is set on medicating Mim as she shows signs of being manic depressive like her mothers sister Isabel who committed suicide. But then it will be revealed to us that the letters are adressed to Mim's unbourn half sister. Kathy is pregnant. Recently Mim has been prescribed Abilify but does not want to take the medication.

The entire book will be told to us through a compilation of letters addressed to Isabel ( who we assume is Mims Mothers sister Isabel) As we get to know our 16 year old heroine Mim (Mary Iris Malone) who will jump on a Greyhound bus after over hearing a conversation in the principals office between the principal, her father and her step mother (of whom Mim is not precisely fond of) in which Mim understands her mother is sick. Without giving it a second thought Mim decides she must get to her mother who lives in Cleveland, before or on Memorial Day (as this was their special day).

With a fearless tunnel vision Mim gets on a Greyhound bus headed to Cleveland to find her mother.
Mim has to dodge Poncho Man as she calls him. There is something shady about this man. He keeps on hidding on Mim and making her uncomfortable. Then Mim meets Arlene, an elderly woman sitting next to her holding on to a little wooden box. Arlene and Mim talk even though Mim is not a fan of talking to strangers, theres something about Arlene that is different. In Mim's own wo...

... middle of paper ...

...walks in.

Mim is busted. Kathy explains to her how worried her and her father have been. And that she loves her. Mim is still not having it.

Kathy agrees to let Mim go to see her mother as long as she drives them.

A very pregnant Kathy drives Mim, Beck and Walt to what isn't a hospital but a rehab center. Mim slowly starts putting the pieces together. Her mother doesn't have a terminal illness as she thought, her mother is an alcoholic who didn't want to see her which is why her father and Kathy moved her away.

The reencounter between mother and daughter is a let down to Mim. Her mother is only a ghost of who she used to be.

As Kathy and Mim walk out it is clear that Mim will give Kathy a chance and that this trip as made her a new Mim. Once outside Mim finds a note from Beck and Walt letting her now that they had to go but that they shall meet again soon.