“Mim Malone is not okay,” a wise author once wrote in regards to an angst-ridden teenage girl.

Just like book characters and teenagers alike, David Arnold’s Mosquitoland can relate to those who also describe themselves as “not okay.”

Malone is a young, daring girl living in an otherwise “deadbeat town.” Upon finding out about her mother’s ambiguous sickness, she then decides to flee the town, wreaking havoc in her wake.

What’s unique about this teen novel, however, is undeniably the depth of both the character and her thoughts, that very much emphasize human error within young people. Despite her not-so-wise choices, this does not make her widely disliked, or even disliked at all.  Malone has a mental illness; her thought process is not the best, she feels more than she thinks, and most prominently: she has a strong tendency to overreact in the most trivial of situations.

She labels people, including herself. Yet, despite a few choice decisions that the readers frown upon, Malone is such an amazing character simply because she is relatable. She is human, and a carte blanche one at that. If Malone isn’t who we are, she is who we want to be. Not only is there a strong heroine, but there are supporting characters that acutely fulfill their position.

Walt, an open-minded and positive supporting character is one of the two who accompanies Malone, who seems to have nowhere else to go. Aside from this, the character continuously acts as someone who lightens the otherwise melancholy mood of their journey.

Bec Van Buren, however, isn’t quite like Walt. With a sharp mind and even sharper jawline, he acts both as Malone’s subject of romantic interest and an active problem solver.

Now, I’m not explicitly claiming that Mosquitoland is one of the most admirable books of all time, but both the plot and the lovable characters are coming very close to acquiring that title. Dangerously close, even.

With this, I come to say that Mosquitoland is underrated and underpublicized. In fact, I’m certain that if this diamond in the rough book was given enough publicity, it could easily work its way up the ranks.

Arnold’s debut novel absolutely blows my teen fiction standards out of the water with his impeccable understanding of both teen and adult minds alike. When I first picked up this book, I had no clue what to expect, as my previous expectations for books like these were low. Gradually, however, as I read this book with all my throbbing curiosity, I found myself putting myself in the protagonist’s shoes, and overall rooting for her. This, precisely, was the turning point for my otherwise low expectations.

For avid teen fiction fans who haven’t read Arnold’s Mosquitoland, I highly recommend you do.