MOSQUITOLAND by David Arnold. New York: Viking Books for Young Readers, 2015.  352p.  ISBN 978-0451470775 hc. $17.99     Gr. 9-12    YA FIC

Mary Iris Malone, who uses the pseudonym MIM, has just been displaced from her home in Ohio to the mosquito infested state of Mississippi with her father and brand new stepmother, prompting her to run away and hop a bus back to Cleveland to tie up loose ends with her mother who now resides in a rehabilitation facility.  Lucky for her, she sits next to a grandmotherly woman, who ignores Mim's teenaged flippancy and penchant for being impulsive, allowing a chance to share their quests with each other - their reasons for being on the bus.  Mim is also unlucky enough to meet up with "pancho man" and deals with the moral dilemma of doing the right thing by reporting his activity, which would also blow her anonymity and reveal her as a runaway.  On the next phase of the journey, Mim tries hitchhiking and meets her next two traveling buddies, the handsome Beck and the charming, childlike Walt who bring humor and goodness into the adventure.    Throughout the story, Mim reflects back in time to analyze her mother's mental illness and her father's over-reaction to any hint of odd behavior she displays.  Will a family history of mental illness affect her also or can she hope to live normally and unmedicated? This coming-of-age novel truly depicts the growth of the main character who learns a little bit about herself from each of the quirky characters she meets along the way.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI