Book Review: The Kids of Appetite

Title: Kids of Appetite
Author: David Arnold
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Teen Reviewer: Se Choi

Synopsis: When Victor’s dad dies, he and his mother are deeply saddened. But after a while his mother moves on and finds a boyfriend named Frank. But Victor himself does not move on and constantly thinks of his father and listens to songs his dad used to listen to. Still not used to his father’s absence, he loathes Frank and would never accept him. Because of this, he was extremely upset when Frank asks his mom if they could marry. That is why he rushed out of his house screaming with a backpack and his father’s urn. He runs out into the cold night and meets a girl named Mad. Mad brings Victor to a greenhouse were her friends Coco, Baz and Zuz are. They all agree to let them stay with them and to call him a chapter. He was called a chapter because he would be part of a book that Baz was writing. In the next following days, the group name each other the “Kids of Appetite” and became very acquainted with Victor. Victor tells them about a rare disease he has called Moebius syndrome when he cannot blink or move his jaws much. In return, the Kids of Appetite share their stories and help Victor find the places his father liked most and spread his ashes there. Then, one night Victor found out about Mad’s abusive uncle when she was at her grandma’s house and injured him. But then Zuz came from nowhere and fought him until Mad’s uncle accidently got stabbed by a pair of antlers in the room. But the police was convinced that Baz was the one guilty of Mad’s Uncle’s murder. But Mad and Victor slowly convinced the police with stories that Baz was not guilty. When they were done telling their stories, he found out that his mom went missing, so Victor went to the one place that he did not have time to go to, the Empire State Building. And surely, his mom was there waiting for him. Together they spread the last of his ashes from the top of the building.

Review: Kids of Appetite shows very realistic emotion for each character and the chapters always start in the present and then goes back to the past. I think this is very unique and special. That shows that the book is filled with thought and well thought out. This novel is truly a work of art and makes the reader think of why the characters think this way or what the writer was thinking while he made this book.

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