Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

Kids of Appetite is a YA fiction novel by David Arnold. The list of accolades for this book is long, so bear with me! It was a New York Times bestseller, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016, an Amazon Book of the Year for YA, a Junior Library Guild selection, a Kids' Indie Next List "Top Ten" pick, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2017, and a Southern Living Best Book of 2016. Told in alternating perspectives and time periods, Kids of Appetite is the story of Vic, a boy who suffers from Moebius syndome, and his friends who become family.

Sex: Vic had mild fantasies about Mad (Madeline). They kiss a couple of times. Several comments are made about a waitress who "wants" Baz.

Language: Mild to strong.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Mad's uncle is drunk a lot.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Vic's father died from cancer. Vic speaks of self-harming in the past. Mad's uncle is abusive. Mad's uncle is killed and the circumstances are pretty gruesome. The Kabongo brothers are survivors of the Congo War and they share some of the things they experienced. Vic deals with bullying on a regular basis.

Final Note: First of all, the writing in this book was phenomenal. David Arnold is an excellent writer. This book was extremely unique. I learned new things about Moebius syndrome and I loved how there were multiple story lines. I also enjoyed all of the Outsiders references. This book may encourage readers to pick up a classic!

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My 2020 5 Star Reads

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