*Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for the advanced copy for my honest review*

Well this was definitely an interesting read. I’ve read Kids of Appetite from David Arnold and enjoyed it and have heard nothing must great things for Mosquitoland, so it wasn’t really a shock enjoying this story.

We follow 18 year old Nico and her dog Harry on an adventure after the world is taken over by a deadly fly flu. We also follow 12 year old Kit, who lives in an abandoned cinema, and only knows the world as is after the flu spread. We also follow a character called “the deliver” who has lived life after life trying to change the source of outcomes. This rag tag group of survivalist set out, while Nico sets out to find this mythical portal her father has talked about, these characters intersect in ways.

The story is told in third person by three perspectives, set in rural New Hampshire. Post-apocalyptic has made the world overgrown and stark and having to travel by woods feel more consuming and dangerous. There’s also the elements of being lost, dehydration, and enemy fly swarms that come along and make this journey more treacherous.

I really loved the concept of this book. Survival is what we do day to day but never have had it thrown to us in the way so many imagine; post-apocalypse. The journey of survival is a story that makes you cling to hope. And David had a way of making you believe in these missions of the characters. My only complaint is that the story starts with a crash and come characters and then throws you into this journey. I was bit confused and like wait what’s happening, where are the former characters. But it all builds to a story, so just keep that in mind if you get lost like I did!

This eARC was really difficult to read due to font issues. Also though, I couldn’t get into this book. The characters were very shallowly built and the predictable dystopian recipe for what happens was really boring. I tried skimming ahead to see if it gets more interesting but it does not. Suffice it to say, this one wasn’t for me.

DNF at 20%
This book just wasn't for me. There was nothing inherently wrong with it. The writing felt too philosophical and the entire Flu Fly concept really creeped me out. If there had been a really capturing plot or writing style, I probably could have carried on, but there wasn't enough of anything special to convince me to keep reading through the creepiness.

Okay so, I was hesitant to read this when I read the synopsis because we are currently going through a pandemic ourselves. But I'm so happy I did pick this up because WOW.

Finally, a book that not only expands a new world in an interesting way BUT ALSO DOESN'T LET THEIR CHARACTERS FALL TO THE WAYSIDE!! I have a character-driven story preference and this did not let me down.

This was WEIRD but I couldn't stop. Essentially, we're shown this world where the deadly "Fly Flu" has ravaged the people. This story is told in different points of view but not complicated to follow at all.

I've seen comparisons to Station Eleven and YES I agree, it's just as emotional and powerful in my opinion.

I can't wait to get my own copy!

Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me a copy (obligated to say this an unbiased review.)

thank you to penguinteen and netgallery for the arc!

my initial thoughts after finishing this book were “...what the fuck” and i think that is a beautiful metaphor for the entire book

this was some weird shit and i loved it. it seems like one of those books that is just BEGGING to be reread because of all the easter eggs and clues you would pick up on that you hadn’t before. the whole thing is incredibly confusing but in that good way in which you know you’re gonna watch everything unfold beautifully right before your eyes.

and kit... oh man. what a character. my heart...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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So like.... where do I even begin?! The newest from David Arnold is a post-apocalyptic nesting doll-like tale. This novel takes place after an experiment between honey bees and a virus goes horribly wrong and in its wake, Flu Flies are born. These Flu Flies ravage the world and kill off a giant portion of the population, sending the world back into the Dark Ages without power and having to survive on instinct. I know what you are thinking, kind of a scary topic considering the world's current situation. And honestly, I think it makes this book even better. It leaves your stomach in knots and pulls such intense emotions out of you that I don't think would happen without our current climate. This book is timely, it is gut wrenching, compassionate, inventive, and ambitious. It sends your brain stumbling along the way, as it realizes there are parts of the story that you need, but just can't reach.
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"When a deadly Fly Flu sweeps the globe, it leaves a shell of the world that once was. Among the survivors are eighteen-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico's father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and light in a world gone dark."
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I was super excited to read The Electric Kingdom, but honestly, I was lost for the majority of the book. The narration style was so detached from the writing and characters that the plot seemed a little all over the place. The story is character driven, but I wasn't totally invested in the characters. Furthermore, the ending seemed really rushed. I understood what was happening, but I never fully understood why. I really loved the premise of the novel and think there was a lot of potential. The characters also seemed older than YA. That could've been the case given the post-apocalyptic world the book takes place in, but it would've been nice to see them have a little more personality.

Thank you Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an eARC of this book!

David Arnold's The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik is one of my all-time favorite books, and was so "good weird" (a genre I coined and very on-brand for me) that I vowed to read all of his future books. The Electric Kingdom did not disappoint in the "good weird" category. I'm actually not completely sure how to review TEK, because the less said, the better when diving into it!

I loved the way the stage was set in the beginning—even though the characters we are first introduced to are not in the rest of the story, their lives and actions have a profound influence on the characters we do follow. Of course, that's not immediately obvious—nothing is in this book, which is just another reason it was so gripping. I enjoyed seeing how every character, every setting, every choice affected the larger picture, and we're following these breadcrumbs until the last bit is revealed.

I was happy to find that I liked Nico, Kit and the Deliverer's POVs. There was never a point where I was annoyed or fed up with someone and just wanted to get back to someone else's part of the story. But I will admit Kit is something special, and I wouldn't have minded sticking with him and his unleashed psyche always.

The big thing that I wish Arnold had not included/changed before publishing was the Harry Potter dialogue. HP was used as banter, as well as a way to compare things, and all of these instances could have been removed without changing the story. I loved the part where the characters stayed overnight in a Books-A-Million... until HP was involved. It really tarnished the scene for me, so I can only imagine how it will affect trans readers, and I want to make sure to point this out as a major CW.

Other CWs: death (strangers, parents, friends), suicide (spoken, not shown), gore, disease

I've always been drawn to the idea of an apocalyptic world, but even more so with all the events from the past year. So, naturally, I wanted to read The Electric Kingdom and was instantly captivated by the writing style and insights into the characters. So much of the book was thought-provoking and some of the lines so beautiful that I frequently had to stop and reread a certain passage. I felt all the characters were well-written and the storyline was full of action, even if the story was more character-driven. This is a beautiful story and I am grateful for the opportunity to read it.

When the catastrophic Fly Flu leaves the world in shambles, few survivors remain. Among the remaining, is eighteen-year-old Nico and her father in an old farmhouse in rural Northern New Hampshire. As Nico’s father’s mental state declines, he sends her and her dog Harry on a journey through the woods to Manchester to find and open a mythical portal. Nearby the farmhouse is someone known only as "the Deliverer" who has lived Life after Life in pursuit of changing the course of events that led to now. In another town, twelve-year-old Kit is raised in an abandoned cinema, having only known the world after the flies. As Nico sets out on her journey, the lives of the three intersect in unexpected ways.

The Electric Kingdom is told in the third person from three unique perspectives: Nico, a teenager traveling alone in the woods with her dog Harry, Kit, a twelve-year-old who has only ever known a time after the flies, and the elusive Deliverer. It imagines a rural post-apocalyptic New Hampshire as a stark and dangerous place. The few remaining are constantly tested by the elements, risk of starvation and dehydration, and large swarms of Flu Flies, carnivorous insects that consume all flesh they come across. But by the same merit, it highlights the intrinsic beauty of a quiet world where simple pleasures like a good book or a comforting meal are all one needs.

Originally I wanted to read The Electric Kingdom because it was compared to Station Eleven, a favorite of mine. While this is an accurate comparison, I feel like it does not do The Electric Kingdom justice. The Electric Kingdom is a character-driven novel that celebrates the human need for interpersonal relationships and the struggle to survive in a broken world. It has just the right amount of science fiction, carefully mixed with atmospheric winter scenery. At first, I found the science fiction/fantasy elements a bit frustrating and bizarre. But after a bit, they seamlessly integrate into the narrative until they delicately wrap the story in a neat bow. I will be haunted by the ending of The Electric Kingdom long after finishing the book.

I highly recommend The Electric Kingdom for fans of realistic science fiction, especially apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction.

Thank you to BookishFirst and Penguin Teen for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

My full review is forthcoming, but for now, I will just say that this book is complicated (in an excellent way) and lovely and dark and somehow still full of so much hope. It is thick with gorgeous descriptions of landscape and perfect phrasings for unexpected feelings. The friendships and love found in this post-apocalyptic world will keep readers convinced of the good even as they face the uncertainty of a decimated earth and an uncertain future.

David Arnold is one of those authors who is never afraid to write smart books for teen readers, trusting them completely. That trust shines through in every page, and this is yet another example from Arnold of the best of writing for Young Adults.

Five brilliant stars for this absolutely amazing book. Honestly, I don’t know how Arnold continues to write such fascinating books but he did it again. The Electric Kingdom takes place post-apocalypse where swarms of flies killed off almost everyone and everything. Nico and her dog have set out to find a place called Manchester and maybe a secret portal. Nico on her journey finds more survivors, one of them being Kit and they team up to find this portal and what is left of the world. Another mysterious character we see is The Deliverer, I don’t want to say much about this entity but it made this book somehow even better than it was.

I knew going into this book that it was going to be weird (based off all of Arnold’s other books). This completely went above and beyond the hype and I was captivated from the very first chapter. I thought this was such a timely book to read as we are going through a pandemic in the world right now, it did make this book quite realistic and a little scary. I loved how Arnold starts off the book slowly and we get to discover what is going on in the world. The main characters are just kids, but they have had to grow up real fast and learn to survive in a lifeless world. They have seen flies completely kill off their loved ones in a matter of minutes and then carry them off into the unknown. I really loved how this was much deeper than just what the synopsis tells you.

I’m pretty sure that the author knows more about this world than we do because every time I read a book by him; I am so mind blown that it takes me days to even figure out what I read. I mean that all in a good way. The Electric Kingdom was honestly spectacular and by the end I was in tears. Even though this was quite dark and set in a near future it was full of messages that will have me thinking about this book for a long time. The world may seem dark and bitter, but finding the beauty, love, and the meaning to life is what matters. If this wasn’t already on your radar, I hope it is now.

Such a hard book to review. The premise and the idea behind the story was topnotch. Such a (pardon my language) mindf*ck. As I was finally understanding of where this is going, I wished I paid more attention to all the characters' movements and see if I could have figured this out earlier.

The story follows a group of kids in a apocalyptic world, where Fly Flu has devastated the human population, and the modern world as we know it, doesn't exist. The main character, Nico has been living with her mom and dad in a cabin in a forest, and surviving. She grew up with stories of how things used to be, but also with this magical story of portals. One day, after the flu takes her mom, she is told by her dad she needs to go and find this magical portal. Now that's the thing, she knows she hasn't been told the whole story of what has really been happening, and she knows (how kids sometimes do) that her dad knows a lot more about this flu than she has been told. So off she goes. A bit hesitant, but still determined to try and achieve this thing for her dad.

Now the characters. So many! But I liked the focus on them. I liked how this dystopian tale wasn't just about the adventure, and the survival in the wild world that has become. It is a story of family, whatever it might be, loneliness, and love. This became a reminder of what we have, and what could be taken away so easily and so fast. And that in even in the worst of times we always seek out companionship, friendship and love.

There are glimpses of how cruel and brutal the world has become. How some of the old prejudices of the world still exist and never disappear. As with most apocalyptic stories, it is not just about the virus (or in this case the flies) it is about the humans, and how ugly they can get. I appreciated the world building, even if it was very much focused on this tiny group of kids.

This was a cool puzzle of a book. Character focused, filled with feelings and compassion. In the end it made me think, and wonder of how lonesome such a journey is. Especially with The Deliverer's job (no spoilers).

There are times when we come across a novel that fills us with the need to invite the author out for coffee and pastries because only an expert can calm the maelstrom in our head. And when I say maelstrom, I mean maelstrom. Arnold takes hold of your reader hand and guides you through a chaos of emotion and plot-altering twists only to pat that hand gently at the end so you can sit and think about what he just did.

Where do I start? How do I articulate what I just read in enough coherent words to express my enjoyment and yet utterly quizzical feelings at this novel? Reader, you will be confused. You will have your heart punched. You will see hope and love and beauty all in the last scraps of humanity. You'll question everything you read and wonder aloud your 'buts' and 'what ifs' and even your 'what the hells.' There are slower areas of thoughts and inner monologues but this isn't a book you can skim. Every detail means something. Every detail affects something. Soak it all in and don't rush it. This is one to be sipped lightly.

This is a post-apocalyptic book where "flies" swarm and devour. Those not devoured get infected by the Fly Flu and also die. The human population has been wiped out and few are left. It's science fiction portals and dystopian survival skills wrapped up in old red leather and wound together in black cord. You should go in blind. You will not be dissapointed but bring a friend, because you're gonna need someone to talk to when it's all over.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the opportunity to wrap my mind around this gifted advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) This definitely deserves the mind-blowing emoji.

This is delightfully bizarre and oddly beautiful. The story is fascinating and unique from the start and easily carried me throughout. It dropped bits of info for me here and there and made my mind spin with possibilities.

I did not see the twist coming. Oh, but how I loved it and all that it entailed. How did I not see it? It just makes so much sense now.

The writing is lush and poetic. I was lost in the words way before I was lost in the story. Arnold has talent for deep, insightful writing that brings emotion to the surface while making you contemplate each meaning.

The psychology of post apocalyptic worlds is utterly fascinating to me. I love seeing how people view what would cause a downfall and how humankind would react. The world created is usually mind numbing and sad but always a bit hopeful. Arnold was able to do this but threw in an extra twist for reflection.

I’m impressed and I will be looking for more of his works in the future.

Content summary: Excessive F words, many emotional or sensitive moments that may be hard for some to read. There is attempted rape, suicide, murder and many scary, life-threatening moments.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. This book releases February 9, 2021.

I greatly enjoyed this novel. Especially within the world's current situation with the pandemic, I found this book to be an amazing escape from the outside world, whilst still being tied to it. The post-apocalyptic world created within the book was extremely inviting and hooked me within the first couple of chapters. Once I really delved into this book, I instantly became attached and fell in love with the characters. I loved each character's specific take on the world, and especially enjoyed every relationship developed within it. The bonds of trust developed between the many characters made me enjoy it even more. I was kept guessing at the mystery (which I probably should have guessed) but that made me keep wanting to pick up this book to keep reading. However, the pacing in this book felt slightly uneven to me, which left me bored at certain moments. Overall I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for an excellent post-apocalyptic book.

First, I wish the entire book were as amazing as the last third. This brilliantly constructed world filled with devastation and hope is eerie and complex. The Fly Flu bring destruction to humanity and the world seems to be close to its end. And while there is violence and terror, it is matched with characters who truly love and learn from each other. I found Nico’s story to be the most interesting to read but came understand the value of Kits at the end. The quest across New England took a little long and there were parts that dragged a little. The entire book is a love letter to literature and the allusions and references are a reader’s dream. It’s like David Arnold is standing on the shoulders of these texts crafting a new and interesting exciting to join their voices.

The set up for how Nico, Kit, and the Deliverer are connected took awhile to come together, but when it does the author beautifully crafts chapters that shift from first to third person. We get to see the world differently and feel like we wished we had information from the beginning because it changes the way you read and think about events. You see the threads come together and reflect on the importance of time, history, and travel. The secondary characters demonstrate the importance of family and friendship in times of struggle. Overall, this book is an exciting read because of the ending. Push through the slower parts knowing it all comes together and the story was constructed very intentionally.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.25 stars and I am not happy about it…

In a world ravaged by swarms of Flu Flies that kill without abandon, a young woman travels in search of a portal her father told her about through her favorite childhood story, meeting a handful of people who become influential and important to her along the way. I loved the dystopian setting and the science behind these flies. I thought that was so interesting. The method that these swarms kill in was so intriguing. The characters on the other hand, I found I could not connect with. The parallel of this devastation these characters are living through and the search for this portal felt really disconnected.

Honestly, I would have loved it if this were one or the other. I would have loved the science fiction tale about a girl in search of this magical portal and learning all of the things her father told her about it. And I would have also loved a story about how people try to survive in a world where an apocalyptic insect has totally taken over and changed everything humankind knows. But I found that I was not able to engage in the combination of the two.

This is told in three perspectives. Nico is the girl searching for her magical portal, along with her incredible doggy companion. Kit is a young boy who only knows of life before the Flu Flies from what his mother told him. And then we have The Deliverer, who is this unknown entity who lives life after life trying to rectify the world.

I respected each perspective in their own way, with Kit being the least. I did not like how he saw the world, or more so, how his mother taught him. He used strange words for things that she could have easily explained.

I feel like I am being nit-picky at this point and that is absolutely not my intention. I am so disappointed that I was unable to enjoy this book as much as I had like. I can definitely see why it has such high praise and there were so many elements that were really interesting. But for me, it just did not work.

Finally, the reveal at the end did go a long way for increasing my overall enjoyment experience of this book. Although, I was still left slightly dumbfounded as to what the correlation of the flies and the other aspects of the book were. I just felt like I was always missing a piece and it left me feeling confused and sort of bored.

If you’ve read David’s other stories, you know the characters come first and the plot next. And by characters I mean the the people and the world building, which plays a critical role in The Electric Kingdom. While most YA stories drop you in the middle of the action, The Electric Kingdom slowly unrolls the world through a variety of experiences.

You have the adults, who lived in the before. Before a deadly pandemic swept the world. The world we currently live in. You have the youth, Nico and Kit, who live in a lonely world without the social constructs we are so accustomed to.

And then you have The Deliverer, a mysterious entity that reminds you this isn’t your typical apocalyptic book. This isn’t the apocalypse story of the early 2010s, where teens are trying to save the world. These youth are trying to save their humanity and understand the world they live in - and shifting it into the future, rather than changing back to the before. I’ll just leave it at that.

The scary part of this book is that it takes place in a not too distance future, primarily in the 2040s but beginning in 2025. As a person living through a current pandemic, a fictional pandemic that is started by humanity trying to genetically engineer an actual problem hits a little different. David, is there something we need to know?

The world is brutal and David does not shy away from describing it that way. These kids have had to grow up far too fast, running for their lives as swarms of deadly flies literally carry off their loved ones, never to be seen again. Through Nico and Kit’s eyes, we see the world and their motivations. The ending left me in tears and wanting more, satisfied and uplifted…needless to say, I felt a lot of things.

And yes, the dog makes it in the end. 

tw: pandemic, suicide, murder, and a bunch of unnecessary HP references.

A beautiful journey of survival in a post-apocalyptic world where art and love and family are the only elements that can sustain humanity. Stay for the quality dad jokes, plus, my true fantasy, a scene where they spend the night in an abandoned bookstore. A heart-warming apocalypse story? Sure. In David Arnold's capable hands anything is possible.