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! 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.

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.

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.

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.

(Me) Moth was a story that was so incredibly breathtaking. It was wonderful and heartbreaking all at the same time. I definitely shed some tears near the end. I loved the representation of different cultures melding together. The Navajo stories & the Hoodoo stories that were included gave us the opportunity as readers to learn more and understand these individual cultures. This one was seriously just so beautiful and it was even more impactful as a novel in verse. It carried a haunting and beautiful voice throughout.

Thank you so much to Feiwel and Friends for the e-ARC!

This book is an entire journey and readers are not ready!! I spent most of this book thinking I had it figured out. I was enjoying this serene, beautifully written book about human connections and coping and self-discovery. I enjoyed how much of the story is structured around road trips and various landmarks. It scratched my flighty wandering itch in a really magical way.

And then the twist happened. And I read that poem a second time. And I said “what the hell?!” out loud. And I realized that McBride used her pretty words to play me like a fiddle while I eagerly ate it all up. And this was never the book I thought it was, it was something so much bigger, something else entirely.

I think my mouth hung open while reading the ending, as every little puzzle piece slid into place.

This is one of those books where the less you know going in, the better. It’s a journey and it’s best experienced if you just let the text take you on that ride. What I can say is that McBride is a genius. Her writing is absolutely stunning and evokes so much emotion from so few words. Her verses tackle some hard-hitting issues with so much tact and delicacy.

This book will stay with me for a very long time. I know I’ll be thinking about it, playing it over in my mind. I’m completely in awe of McBride’s talent and look forward to eagerly scooping up whatever she publishes next. Highly and widely recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book gets all the stars in the universe. It is a stunning novel in verse that is deep and thought provoking. I particularly love this format as it appeals to many of my students. When I first read this in February, I was speechless. It hurt to know it wasn’t coming out until August. I decided to let the book simmer and read it again. Now at the end of June, my second reading leaves me stunned once again. I plan to add this book to my personal library and my school library. I expect to read this book again and again. Moth and Sani are unforgettable characters. Their journey is one I will invite many high school students to take and be ready to meet them at the end.

So many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down. I suspect I would have enjoyed this more as an audiobook & I may reread it that way once it is released. The cover and premise are amazing. There were bits and pieces that were brilliant! I felt like just as I would get really into it, the author would change directions and it would retract from the momentum. It was sometimes hard for me to discern voices with the verse formatting on my phone. It was also sometimes hard for me to connect with the characters through verse. I also had a hard time buying into the insta-love story/connection, although that becomes clearer later. I wanted to sink in & love it, but I personally was unable to.

If I could give this book 7 stars, I would give this book 7 stars. This book was crazy good. It affected physically. I couldn't put it down and in the end I was physically shaking. Bravo to this author. I haven't read anything like this. Superb.