Beautiful and haunting. I was immediately hooked by teh characters and the story, Simple and sparse prose lend an urgency to the story. I was able to read this in one sitting. The story stayed with me long after I finished the last page. I will definitely recommend this to my patrons. A must have in a library collection.

I have read books written in verse before, most of the time I enjoy it, half the time I struggle getting into it. This was the case for Moth. I love knowing and following her and the relationship with Sani. She is relentless and that made her character loveable. I am just not as connected to it than I should be,

This was such a captivating and beautifully written story told in verse. The characters were amazing and the story was unexpected. I definitely will be recommending people for this.

Honestly this book had really great moments for me. I loved reading about Sani and Moth's relationship. I thought that there was a lot of depths to their individual issues. However, I am not familiar with Hoodoo and roots. So some elements pertaining to that was hard to follow for me. I understand that this is novel in verse so a lot of those key points/moments are left out for the sake of time but I didn't feel like it was a fully developed story. I would have loved to know more of what they learned on their road trip together. It was like as soon as we got to the road trip I got confused. I liked the book but I didn't love it.

I dnf'd. I know this book has been getting amazing reviews but it wasn't for me, unfortunately. I could appreciate the beautiful prose but it often felt heavy handed in a way that isn't bad, necessarily, but not what I was expecting from a YA book. It read younger to me instead, like a middle grade.

Moth is a girl who has suffered a lot in her young life; she was in a car wreck that killed her parents and brother, and left her with a scar across her face. Left out of most groups because she fades into the background, Moth is befriended by Sani, a multiracial teen with a foot in two different cultures - one parent is white and the other is Native American - who is himself dealing with depression, for which he takes medication, but only erratically. The two decide to drive cross-country from Sani's mother's home to his father's, discovering themselves as the go.

This was a difficult, if highly engaging, story to read, for a couple of reasons. First, the story itself is difficult; it deals with mental illness and significant loss. Second, it is written in blank verse, which, while ultimately meaningful to demonstrating the voices of the characters, takes some getting used to as a style, and I had difficulty getting into the novel because of that - but once I did, the story grabbed my attention. Recommended for high school and up.

Me (Moth) was written in verse. I have read quite a few books written and verse and enjoyed them. This one wasn't my favorite. Moth's and Sani's stories were so tragic that writing it as a novel would have been better for me.

However, young adults and reluctant readers may appreciate this book.

I will be adding this to my English 1 Lit Circle Curriculum STAT! Chilling, amazing plot twist, immersive experience, relatable characters that grip your heart and do not let go.. this is not a novel-in-verse to sleep on!

Summary:
A debut YA novel-in-verse that is both a coming-of-age and a ghost story.

Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted.

Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe he’ll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones.

Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable.

Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe.

TW// racism, physical abuse, bullying

I only got into books written in verse last year and each one has been super impactful in my life. This one was no exception.

Me (Moth) follows a young girl named Moth who tragically lost her family in a car crash. As she struggles with grief and feeling guilty for her family's death, she sparks a connection with a boy at her school.

Normally when I read books in verse, dialogue is very minimal, so I was very confused and thrown for a loop when I found out how much dialogue was in this book. I’m glad that I stuck with it though as I eventually was able to get into the swing of the writing style and I was lost in the captivating universe that Amber McBride created. Moth and Sani will be characters that I’ll never forget. They’re unique connection formed one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read and they each went on their own journeys of self-discovery that were so interesting to read about.

The award for the biggest plot twist I’ve ever read is for sure going to this book. I felt my heart stop when I got to it. It will be unexpected for anyone who reads this book, but the twist feels so perfect for the story. It almost makes me want to read the whole story again with the fresh perspective that the twist gave me.

This story is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. It’s an important story that I hope others read and appreciate as much as I did.

Hand this to readers who enjoy mystery, novels in verse, and love stories. Seeing Moth’s story evolve throughout this book with a bit of a surprise ding will keep readers interested the entire time.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

Content warnings: car accident (recounted), death of family members, suicidal ideation, physical abuse by a trusted adult

ME (MOTH) is a haunting, beautiful, painful debut novel in verse. Moth, a junior in high school, has lost her entire immediate family in a horrific car accident and is drifting through life while living with her Aunt Jack. On the day before the last day of school, she meets Sani, who she has never seen at school before. Sani lives ten houses down, and they immediately connect. Sani also has a lot of pain in his life. He feels as if his Navajo father, who lives back west, has abandoned him, and now he's stuck in Virginia with his white mother and an abusive step-father.

Moth and Sani have both given things up. Moth, a ballerina, no longer dances after the loss of her family. Sani doesn't sing anymore. They bond immediately over their pain and sadness and plan a road trip out to where Sani's father lives because neither can stand to stay in Virginia anymore.

Along the way they share parts of each other that have been hidden away to everyone for years. Moth shares stories from her grandfather and the Hoodoo traditions he passed on to her. Sani shares the Navajo mythology he learned from his medicine man father. They tell each other stories and leave offerings to the ancestors along the road as they travel west.

McBride's writing is poetic and lyrical and so evocative. Though Moth and Sani hardly know each other, their connection seems genuine and intense. The words of their story mix seamlessly with the song lyrics they write together to create an emotionally powerful story with an unexpected twist near the end.

I read this book in less than twelve hours, but I think it will stay with me for a long time. The power in McBride's words created an unforgettable and magical story that I definitely recommend

Amber McBride is probably one of my favorite writers of all time now! This debut is a powerful exploration of loss, grief, and connection. And the layering of Navajo creation stories with Hoodoo magic and the exquisite imagery and the treatment of the horrific history of America is so beautifully done. McBride's intentionality with words is evident, and I loved following these characters through this story of love and pain and hope.

Haunting and lovely, this verse novel evokes a strong sense of self for both characters which compels the reader to think about that concept since it is such a vivid theme in the book. Well-written but complex, this book will require a younger reader to really work for the finer points to be drawn out.

Oh! This was quite lovely! I have been on a kick when it comes to verse novels lately. I enjoyed the way it was written and found myself feeling very emotional from time to time while reading it. I loved that it incorporated hoodoo and Navajo practices. There is just something so innately authentic about #Ownvoices that can never be imitated. Tbh, I believe this is closer to a 3.5/4 star read, but because I enjoyed the "twist" so much and it pulled me out of feeling pleasantly okay about this book, I decided that it needed to be rated higher.

A really great debut novel-in-verse. I read this one in just a couple of sittings. It was beautiful and surprising. I recommend not reading synopses for this one, since several seem to reveal some important elements of the plot. I was lucky to read this one without knowing much at all about what to expect. Because of that, I was able to be surprised by certain moments and that made them much more emotionally impactful. This one is great for fans of Jason Reynolds and Nic Stone.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

At first, I was really into this book. The set-up is strong. Moth's sense of loss and isolation makes for compelling reading. As the details revealed themselves, though, I enjoyed it less. The end felt like a real let down. Decent reflections along the journey, though.

I was reading and enjoying this already when BOOM that twist made me have mad respect for this author! This is by far one of my favorite books of 2021 and is deserving of Morris award recognition.

Thank you Macmillan, Netgalley, and Amber McBride for the ARC. Wowowowow, this was beautiful. I was not expecting what I read in this book. The way it was written in verse only enhanced the flow and depth of this story. It was heartbreaking yet uplifting and full of all the feels. The character of Moth and her story and the progression she makes is just like is mentioned throughout the book, a larvae to cocoon, to moth and you get to experience those stages with her. The relationship she had with her grandfather was lovely and the relationship she forms with Sani is full of hope - just what she needs. I will definitely be picking up a hard copy of this book to have on my shelves.

I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING!
Heartbreakingly orginal. Strong voices. Deep pasts. Beautiful writing. This story hooked me and wounldnt let go. I can't stop thinking about it. Definitely a new favorite!

A beautifully written story of loss, separation, and connection. I liked the weaving of root work and Native traditions into the story, along with music and dance.