WOW! I picked up Me (Moth) to read last night and read straight through. This is a haunting novel-in-verse told from Moth's point of view. She is a junior in high school who is nearly crippled by survivor's guilt. Several years ago her parents and younger brother died as the result of a car accident - she was the only one who walked away, albeit scarred for life Moth was a fantastic ballet dancer, she wanted to dance like Misty Copeland. She punishes herself by refusing to dance and eats very little. Her aunt, who took her in after the accident, is at wit's end. They practice root magic or Hoodoo learned from the grey-bearded grandfather who passed on a few years ago and through that religion found some comfort. Then she meets Sani, a troubled half-Navajo boy. Sani adds his voice and Navajo culture to the narrative, making even more lyrical and poignant, tumbling to a most excellent ending. This is a beautifully written, heartbreaking debut novel by Amber McBride. Fans of Jason Reynolds and Jacqueline Woodson will adore this novel but everyone should read it. Themes of grief and mental illness may be triggers. There is a lot to discuss, making this an excellent book for clubs and adult/teen discussion. The novel in verse genre makes this a perfect book for reluctant readers, as well as one you'll want to read over and over. I am so grateful to Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC. I'm looking forward to more from Amber McBride - I plan to purchase several copies of Me (Moth) for our library and as gifts.

A remarkable novel-in-verse that incorporates Hoodoo, rootwork, and Navajo beliefs into two teenagers' desperate summer runaway road trip from Virginia to the Navajo Nation. Moth, broken by the car crash that killed her family, and Sani, abused by his stepfather and struggling with depression, build a relationship through song lyrics and secret sharing that fundamentally changes their world. A magical realistic title with a huge twist, this book is both dreamy and searing, magical and true.

Wow. Wow wow wow. I fell in love with this book, so hard and so quickly, that I hardly know what to say. From the plot itself to the writing to the heartwrenching ending, everything about this book is perfect.

ME (MOTH) is about Moth, a girl uprooted by immense survivor's guilt when her family dies in a car accident. But then she meets Sani, a boy uprooted in his own right: depressed and in a fractured family and afraid to sing. Together, they decide to take a road trip to Sani's father in the heart of Navajo Nation, hoping that Sani will begin to understand himself and his depression better if he knows where he comes from. On the way, they share stories, write songs, realize their voices, remember their ancestors, and discover what it really means to live.

This book hooked me immediately. The novel-in-verse formatting is nothing short of beautiful, as McBride's poetry sings. I constantly reread lines, "verses", or entire "poems" not because I didn't know what was going on, but because the words/sounds were so powerful that I wanted to give them as many opportunities as possible to sink in. I found myself constantly highlighting lines and sections on my Kindle that I just couldn't move on from.

There are also numerous Hoodoo beliefs and Navajo stories and beliefs woven throughout the story. These elements not only brought Moth (whose grandfather practiced Hoodoo consistently) and Sani (who's a member of Navajo Nation) further to life, but they helped flesh out the families of both characters, even when family members aren't literally physically present. I found the similarities in the Hoodoo and Navajo beliefs to be especially interesting, especially in how they brought Moth and Sani closer together.

Perhaps most importantly, I love how much this book focused on life and living. Unfortunately, I think there will be many people who will see the themes of this book--and some of the characters' beliefs--and assume that this is a book about death. Yet at every turn, this book is unabashedly about life. Is death present? Yes, of course--from remembering and respecting your ancestors, to not letting death stop you from living your own life, to honoring the memories of those who have passed, and even to seeing the ancestors around you. But it's still about the heart of the present and the ability to live as loudly and proudly as you can. And I loved every second of it.

Read this book. Read this book. Read this book.

[That being said, I do not recommend this on the Kindle. Get a physical copy of this book. I had it on my Kindle due to a free ARC, but I want to get my hands on the physical copy now as well. On an e-reader, many of the line breaks seemed to be messed up, and I wasn't always sure if formatting things were intentional or not. Read this book, but read a physical copy.]

This was one of my anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint! I loved the way this novel in verse was written, the sections flowed together so smoothly, and the story immediately hooked you in. Basically this book was unputdownable!

I really liked the way Hoodoo and Navajo stories and traditions were woven into Moth and Sani's stories. It added a second layer of storytelling and added more insight into what the two teens were going through.

Wow! It's been a while since a book has really hit me in the feels like this one did! Once you start reading, this book is unputdownable.

Written in verse form, the novel explores loss, grief, death, and ultimately, life. Moth moves in with her aunt after her family is tragically killed in a car accident. While at school, she meets Sani, who has recently moved into the neighborhood with is mom and stepfather. Through a series of events and family turmoil, Sani and Moth decide to take a summer road trip to his Navajo homeland in New Mexico. The story will sweep you up and pull you along the journey, just bring a few tissues! A recommended read for everyone who enjoys heartfelt, emotional, cultural, and healing stories.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amber McBride, and Feiwel & Friends Publishing for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

** spoiler alert ** I LOVED this book up until the big reveal. The writing is lyrical and moving; the love built between two people with so much pain is palpable. Trauma, both local and generational, is honored through the character's storytelling and experience. Mental illness is allowed to be the battle it is-- medication may manage the worst times, but it can also take the shine off the best. It's a tough choice for many people, and Sani gives us a clear picture of that struggle.

SO. SO. GOOD.

And then the protagonist is a ghost who's grandfather gave her to Sani to make him feel better and allow him to succeed in life. How many times do we have to read this book?? Why are femme folks CONSTANTLY being sacrificed for masc folks in our stories?? CAN THIS TROPE JUST DIE!?!?

Moth is struggling with living after losing her family in a horrific car accident. When she meets Sani, a boy who is struggling with his own demons, they embark on a summer roadtrip to get back to their roots and heal.

This novel in verse has some truly beautiful writing, although it lost me at some parts in the middle. The ghost element is interesting and the book had great potential, but I feel like the ending lacked the development to get it there.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Me (Moth)!

This is a very weird and beautiful book! It's about a girl named Moth who lost her family in a car accident who goes on a road trip with a new boy in her class to try to find some peace and some more connection to her family and the world around her. The "finding yourself on a road trip" plot has certainly been done before, but never in this way. The story is told in verse, and the writing is incredibly lyrical and moving. Moth's voice comes through beautifully through the verse, and I felt like I got to know her extremely intimately over the course of the book. Moth's desire to find connection is very relatable, and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Sani develop over the course of the book. The most incredible part of the book is the ending, which I won't say anything about except that it is unexpected and poignant.

Overall, this is truly a special book! Highly recommend!!

In-verse novels are some of my favorites, partly due to the way they hit so deep while simultaneously being easy to read. They ebb and flow with fitting pauses and rhymes, poem structures that tell a story just as much as the words themselves. Me (Moth) is a valuable addition to the field of verse novels. Telling the story of Moth, who is still trying to find her place in the world after her family dies in a car accident while she is able to walk away. She meets Sani, whose pain is just as apparent as her own, and convinces him to run away with her for the summer. Maybe not run away, but at least take an extended trip to write their Summer Song as there's just something about the two of them that clicks.

And so the road trip begins with 10 planned stops and several more added as they travel, with pain unleashed and secrets confessed, with troubles realized and newfound love discovered. Everything about Sani and Moth works, nearly as if they are two missing pieces that have found their match. But as Sani becomes closer to reaching the Motherland where his father lives, their trip moves onto rocky ground and Moth feels as if everything that keeps her grounded has disappeared.

While I sought more of a climatic event near the novel's end, the ending itself was unseen, though hinted at after further reflection. The novel is easy to read, but contains lines with such depth and detail that you'll find yourself saying them in your head, writing them down for later.. All in all, Me (Moth) will resonate with most readers and is nearly unputdownable. I vow we make it a petition that more in-verse novels are released, because oh are they some of the greats.

This book was everything I didn't know I needed. Having everything in verse I think added to the story and I was totally blown away by the ending.

“It’s hard to be what everyone wants when living feels like haunting.”
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Me (Moth) is a debut YA novel-in-verse by author Amber McBride. It is a coming-of-age story about a girl named Moth who lost her family in a fatal car crash. She was the one sole survivor which led her spiraling down a dark and twisted hole of self-oppression, until she met a boy with a violin voice. Thank you so much @ambsmcbride, Rena Rossner, and Kelsey Marrujo for sending me an ARC of this incredible book. It hits store shelves on AUGUST 17, 2021.

For a debut novel, the author knocked it way out of the park. Her writing voice and style matches ones of seasoned authors. The visual imageries within this book are some of the best I’ve ever read. From comparing a car crash to the snapping of a candy bar to feeling engulfed like swallowing a water droplet on your tongue, this book is more similar to a poetry collection than a novel, and there’s way more where that came from. I absolutely love the way the story handles itself as well as the character development Moth goes through. There are multiple layers to the story. Moth is both ashamed yet sort of okay with her name, an “omen and a miracle”, as quoted from the book. One of the best aspects of this book is Moth’s internal fear of living too much and taking up too much space in the world. It is a struggle I’ve never seen before and it compliments Moth’s experience and character so well, especially when she is a dancer.

The cover of this book is simply gorgeous and it is common opinion. All my friends think so too. I’m glad it provides a visual for the green snake hair that’s consistently mentioned throughout the book. The romance is a bit sudden and the road trip reads like a skipping record but it adds to the spontaneity of the story and the destructive attitudes of both Moth and Sani. The ending is a bit confusing for me, but I’m sure others may understand what the real twist is. For now I remain in a state of unknowing.
4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride is a spellbinding and lyrical debut! This impressive YA novel-in-verse is just gorgeous, as it weaves its tale about a grieving teen girl and the boy who helps her.

The story is layered with bittersweet journey of first love, pain of lingering grief and lost dreams, and the power of our roots. McBride's writing is purely magical, emotional, and full of imagery. Great representation of Navajo and Hoodoo cultures. I can't believe this is a debut, and will be looking for what she writes next!

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group - Feiwel & Friends for the advanced copy of this book!

(Me) Moth is a novel-in-verse unlike any other. The titular character, Moth, grieves for her family who died in a car crash — a crash that only Moth walked away from. Her coping mechanism is to withhold her favorite activity, dancing, from herself. After all, if she hadn't lived so hard, maybe life wouldn't have been stolen from her family.
But everything is not as it seems - and only by meeting Sani, a boy torn from his roots, and traveling across the country to his native land, can Moth truly understand her grief.
This is a beautiful, emotional story, and Moth's narrative voice and relationship to her ancestors, science, and dance all interweave to form a wonderful book. Moth and Sani hurt each other, but they're also the only ones who can truly help each other - even if it means falling apart.

~book reflection~~major spoilers~

“I dream
about you
all the time,

Of my hands learning
the topography of you.

But dreamers wake,
fables end, lyrics are forgotten
& cocoons break
open, eventually.”

-

thank you @macmillanusa and @netgalley for the ARC e-book. set to be published on August 17, 2021.

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride is not the sort of book i would gravitate to. i’m not a huge fan of poetry, and books in verse remind me too much of poetry. in all honesty, the biggest motivator behind me finishing this book was that i had an interview scheduled with the author for a writing assignment.

what occurred is that i ended up falling in rhythm with this book. i would read it at night, expecting to only read 10 pages before bed but actually reading 40 pages. while i don’t love books in verse, i think the verse format is perfect for this story. i don’t think this story could have been successfully told a different way, which means i think the author did a great job for her debut novel.

and the twist at the end has me stunned. i’m still not sure exactly what i read.

Amber McBride’s Me (Moth) follows a teenage Black girl named Moth who keeps to herself, loves to dance, and is the granddaughter of a Hoodoo rootworker. Moth is the sole survivor of a car crash that takes her brother, mother, and father. this is not a spoiler. it is the first thing that happens. i love the description of the car crash (weird to say) which appears multiple times:

“...Two summers ago our car broke in half like a candy bar on the freeway & we all
spilled
onto the pavement...”

following this accident, Moth moves from New York to Virginia to stay with her Aunt Jackie and attend a local suburban high school, where no one sees her or speaks to her except for a Native-American boy named Sani. both feel alienated from their suburban setting and seem to be dealing with a lot of grief and mental illness issues.

during the summer, the grief consumes Aunt Jackie who abandons Moth in her home and leaves without saying a word. at the same time, Sani, who is half white, is growing tired of living with his white mom and new abusive white stepfather.

both Sani and Moth, alone together, plan a cross-country trip to New Mexico so that Sani can visit his Native American father (who is Navajo/Dine) and is also a healer in his own way much like Moth’s grandfather.

the writing is gorgeous and steady throughout the book. the pacing and the formatting of the verse tells an enjoyable, lyrical story of two teenagers simultaneously falling in love while dealing with their own mental health and grief.

i think this book so artfully tackled the feeling of survivor’s guilt, which can really be felt strongly from Moth who punishes herself for surviving the car crash by not dancing, by shrinking herself, by refusing to live.

Moth’s name and the tie with the way moths are treated, versus the more beautiful butterfly, despite being nearly the name organism, or the way moths get confused between lightbulbs and moons, is poetic without being silly.

Sani’s story is also so important. the reality of a person of color, especially a Native-American person, going to live with an all-white family and how that might make home unsafe is a story rarely told but that needs to be brought to light. his issues with mental health as well as his honest feelings about how the pills he takes for his brain make him feel, yes less sad, but also less alive, resonated with me.

finally, i loved that McBride, who practices Hoodoo herself, wrote a story that centers a spiritual practice that is not Christianity. especially Hoodoo, which is a gorgeous fusion of spiritual practices that West and Central Africa slaves brought over, combined with Native American knowledge of herbs and roots.

i would love to read more stories that center the spiritual practices of indigenous Africans more. the way Moth set food out for the ancestors so they would eat them, brought offerings with her as she traveled. it reminded me of the stories my mom tells of my great-grandfather who was an “idol worshipper.”

even more beautiful was the way McBride drew the connection between Hoodoo and Native American spiritual practices. it speaks to a history of cultural exchange between Black Americans and Native Americans. now, this relationship isn’t perfect and granted not all tribes shared the same feelings toward enslaved Africans. but this was important history to include in the book.

so many things were so well done in this book and i fell into a rhythm until i didn’t.

okay if you care about major spoilers, stop here.

okay guys.

Moth isn’t real.

if i read what i read correctly, then Moth isn’t real.

she’s being imagined by Sani.

and the truth is that she was killed in that accident that took her family.

this isn’t normally a plot twist i would fall for but the interaction between Sani and Moth is described so richly that you think it is real. the scenes where Moth describes laying his elbow or dancing to his music and singing along in the car.

Moth seems very much alive.

until they reach Sani’s father’s house and the book starts describing how Sani’s father never looks at Moth. at first, i’m like okay is this just racism?

but then you see how Sani had already drawn multiple pictures of Moth on his desk. so, then i’m like wait. and then Sani’s father yells at him and tell him to take the pills he makes for him. Sani cries and resists, but then ends up telling Moth she has to go and that her ashes already in a vase. and then i’m like wow.... Moth is dead?????

Moth then admits to the reader that she never survived the car crash but that she couldn’t leave earth just yet. and then by the end, her grandfather helps her transition.

can someone read this book when it comes out and confirm that is what happened because i’m still shocked. i can’t believe she was dead the whole time. it’s not the craziest plot twist – i’m just surprised i didn’t catch it until the very end.

it makes sense why her aunt abandoned her. she was a ghost to her aunt.

overall, gorgeous novel in verse about grief. lyrical, melancholic, and beautiful.

but wow. how did i not catch that?

perhaps it’s better to say Moth is real but that she died and that Sani was merely seeing Moth as a ghost who had not yet left earth. either way, wow.

Thank. You to the Author, publisher, and Net Galley for an Arc of this book in exchange for a review.
Written in verse, this book read very easily and quickly. It's a novel about grief and loss and also friendship with an epic journey. I loved learning about the two cultures: Navajo and Hoodoo. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I will be recommending it to students.

Me (Moth) wouldn’t have been the typical book I would pick up from the bookstore. I never read or resonate with poetry or books written in verse but I’m feeling very lucky to have had this included in my Fierce Reads influencer package because I devoured this story and literally could not stop reading it.

Even though it’s written in verse, it was so easy to jump into this story and really feel what Moth was feeling. I found my heart hurting for her and Sani, who’s voice I genuinely loved. These characters are so real, they could walk right off the pages of this book. There’s so much emotional trauma and just FEELINGS that I was so overwhelmed by (in a good way).

This story is filled with real life trauma, societal issues and two REAL characters and the way this story ended.. my my mind is still blow. Don’t let the verse format of this book deter you, pick it up, and really just listen to what this story has to say.

I wish I had the words to express how fully this book moved me. I am in awe, heartbroken, made alive again. There are no words to express it; this book must be experienced. It will haunt me all of my days and I am so much better for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. 5/5 stars because oh my GOD.

This is told in verse. This is instantly a win for me because I love the beauty of verse novels. We're instantly thrown into Moth's grief and the inner turmoil of dealing with grief and survivor syndrome while also being ignored by the world. The verse is hauntingly beautiful. I instantly started highlighting quotes where I had to stop and just take in the words. We also meet Sani, an indigenous member of the Navajo Nation who also struggles with finding himself following trauma. Moth embraces Hoodoo and rootworking culture, while Sani embraces his native history. There is relevant social commentary throughout the book, and as I continued to get sucked into the story...I realized this would also be an excellent novel to teach to my high schoolers.

Moth and Sani's stories are ones where they can connect to it. There is grief and trauma and mental illness and family issues and ancestry and trying to be seen in a world that doesn't want to see you. It was truly a verse novel where I was like oh my god, this is amazing. ESPECIALLY for a debut.

Also, yeah, you'll cry. I don't want to spoil it obviously, but there is a moment toward the end where you kind of get sucked into Moth's grief and thoughts so much where a twist happens and good god, I had tears streaming down my face.

This novel is truly beautiful. I cannot wait for it to be released and for more people to read it.

Written in verse, I was wrapped in the emotions and the images the book evoked. Not a single word is wasted or used to merely fill empty space. It forced me to feel every word. The words reached out and calmed my aching heart and also wound themselves deeper into the crevices of my mind as they pushed me to examine my present by embracing my ancestral heritage alongside Moth and Sani. The book is about self-acceptance, learning from the past and where we come from to understand who we are today. It's about trying to find where home is and learning what it means to live again.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for review.

I (Andee) fell in love with the two in this book (Moth, Sani)
In the author's (Amber's) words, I melted.

I have reached middle age, but how I felt 17 again with Moth and Sani. I didn't care where the book was going, as long as I could continue digesting McBride's prose, each verse better than the last.

This road trip, this romance, this history, this story told time and time again. Yet even middle aged women get through 70% of the book before realizing they knew the story's end. And it didn't matter. Because. The. Words.

Fall in love with the teenagers, the music. And then read the book again. Because you will want to.

Recommend grades 8 and up.