Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

Kids of Appetite
David Arnold
projected publication date 9/20/16
5/5 stars

Kids of Appetite is a difficult book to describe without spoiling the book by sharing too much.  The story starts with teenaged Vic still reeling from his dad's death, two years later.  His mom has moved on, and Vic can't accept this, and runs away from home.  Having Moebius syndrome has made him an outcast with his peers, but just when he needs a friend the most, his path crosses that of Mad.  She and her group of fellow outsiders accept and support Vic on his quest to scatter his dad's ashes in special places.  Then, Mad's abusive uncle is murdered, one of their group is arrested for the crime, and Mad and Vic find themselves sharing their story with the Hackensack police.

Kids of Appetite is a stunning book.  The story is deep, exploring love, pain, what it means to be a family, how to listen, simultaneous extreme opposites, and how far one will go for a friend.   It's also amusing, encouraging, and moving.  The prose is breath taking at times, yet still accessible.  Arnold reveals the plot slowly, in pieces, by skillfully alternating between the past and present, and between Mad and Vic as narrator.  This engaging book will appeal to both the targeted YA audience, and adults as well.