This was my final book of 2022 and a great way to end the year, because it was so beautiful and filled my heart with both joy and sadness. I really like how McBride incorporated traditional fairy tales from across the world, synthesizing them into a very modern tale of healing trauma and growing into your power. Whimsy's voice and perspective comes across so clearly. There's no other YA protagonist out there like her.

I wasn't sure what to feel about this book for a while after reading it. As I've sort of lived with it a little bit I appreciate it more. Depression is hard. Living with it is hard. Living with someone living with it is hard. I think this book is so important. It gives voice to things that are historical silent.

This story is told in verse. I couldn't even tell you what this story was about, it was so bizarre. Definitely not my cup of tea.

I did enjoy the metaphors for depression, and the ending was quite powerful. But the pace was a bit slow to get there, making it a bit hard to stay engaged at times. It's a long book, and it could've perhaps benefitted from a tighter edit. The magical realism added a different element to the story, though I'm not sure it worked as intended. Some of the wording may leave the reader a bit puzzled. The subject matter is one that is absolutely necessary, and I applaud the author for addressing it. However, this book could be a trigger for those living with depression.

I absolutely loved the premise of We Are All So Good at Smiling, but it just didn't work for me. There was so much potential in this story about Whimsy and Faerry who meet at a mental health facility, and seem to have a connection that doesn't make sense to them. However, the choice to tell this story in verse just really let me down. I am a big fan of novels in verse and this was a well done one, the poetry was beautiful, but it just did not suit the story, making the whole novel fall flat. Had this been written as a more typical novel, the world of the forest could have been built up so much better, Faerry and Whimsy's relationship could have been more developed instead of feeling forced, and the conclusion to the mystery would not have felt so glossed over.
I wish I would have loved this one, because trauma and mental health with a fairy tale spin is everything I want in a book.

They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this YA novel in verse.
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The story begins with Whimsy back in the hospital again to help treat her clinical depression. It’s there she meets a boy named Faerry. Whimsy sees something in him from the beginning—a like soul that also shares magic inside like her. When Whimsy is released from the hospital she realizes that Faerry and his family have moved onto her street and they will go to the same school now too. The more time they spend together the more they realize they have a lot in common such as they’re both afraid of the forest, but it’s the forest that calls them and the forest that might hold the answers they seek.
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McBride had me at Me (Moth) because of how beautifully that story was written so I had to grab this one from Netgalley especially the audiobook which was done so well. This book has a magical realism take to it, as well as deals with very serious mental health issues that a lot of young people will connect and relate to. There was a lot of fairy tales interwoven into the story (check the ending for a detailed glossary of characters). Plus, the cover is STUNNING. This title releases January 10.

CW: racism, depression, hospitalization, self-harm, suicide ideation, panic attacks, bullying, death, PTSD, child death

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this book as it is out of my comfort zone genre-wise. However, I could not help but relate to this story and its descriptions of what it is like to have clinical depression. The haunted forest setting and the magic present in this story gave me serious “Alice in Wonderland” vibes and really contributed to my overall enjoyment of this title. This is a 2023 release that you are not going to want to miss.

Absolutely sunning. This is everything I wanted it to be and more. The poems are beautiful, the story is compelling, and the mystery is captivating. I read the ebook while listening to the audiobook - which is narrated by the author - and I highly recommend that experience as you get to hear the authors intonations while also enjoying the creativity of the written poetry.

Such a beautiful, speculative metaphor. This book deserves every ounce of praise it's been receiving.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I am having some trouble thinking about how to review this book. Was the writing beautiful? Yes. Is the subject matter necessary? Absolutely yes. Did I fly through it in just a couple of hours? Also yes. Even with all of those elements in place, it would be hard for me to recommend this book to other readers. The magical realism is too much at times and I also think the book could be incredibly triggering to someone who lives with clinical depression. I appreciate McBride allowing us such an intimate view into her world, but I’m not sure how to process it.

Beautifully written and a hauntingly accurate depiction of mental illness and grief within the Black family. The struggles of Wimsey and Fae illustrated through fairytales was creative, allowing the reader to relate to their struggles and journey through familiar stories and their triumph and truth was motivating to anyone struggling with depression.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for the copy of this book.

"No one ever tells you that Sorrow doesn't grab you by the throat.
it opens the door, offers a warm fire, says--Have some candy.

& I step inside (again)."

I am SO glad We Are All So Good at Smiling is out in the world. Short, powerful, and written in verse, this book is going to impact so many young readers who struggle with depression. Amber McBride's writing is enchanting, clever, and beautiful, even though the story has dark fairytale storyline, with Sorrow personified, Hansel & Gretel, Baba Yaga, Anansi, Mama Wata, Snow White, Adze, and Ursula. There is an amazing friendship and words that are necessary to hear - both to learn about what it's like to live with clinical depression, and to know that there's hope and healing and people out there rooting for you if you struggle with depression. I love that Amber explored clinical depression in a story combined with magic and folklore, and that our MC is a Black girl - because this isn't a common narrative in YA stories. This is really masterful writing and absolutely worth reading.

This verse novel releases next month and it dives into the hard topic of clinical depression. Two teens must journey inside the depths of their minds to find peace from events of the past.

This will definitely be a popular books with teens.

This novel-in-verse is not to be missed. McBride has constructed a narrative that will carry readers away on a wave of beautiful words and reel them back in with her honest, insightful characters whose struggles are so deeply rooted in shared grief and the lengths we will go to save and protect those we love.

Gorgeously written novel in verse! The constraints of writing in verse work so well for the mental illness depicted here. It feels--and sounds--like the abbreviated way some of my students talk when referencing their own struggles. It's not an easy read, but so worth it.

I want to thank Fiewel Friends and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and give an honest review.
This is my first book in-verse. I will say I was hesitant to request it because I thought for sure I would hate it written this way. But I wanted to challenge myself to read something outside my wheelhouse that might make me think or look at things differently. Boy was I happy I allowed this of myself.
This book was fantastic. I could not put it down.
My first thought is how well the poetry flows and keeps you involved in the book. I didn't want to put it down and finished it in two days (not too shabby for a full time working mom). The language, the characters, the descriptions all kept me wanting more and I was actually upset when the book was finished.
Let's touch on how it deals with mental health. We all know there is a huge crisis in the United States right now. So many people are struggling to live, to be heard, to get the help they need. This booked touched on all of that. The loneliness, the despair, the feeling of falling deeper and deeper into a pit you might never be able to climb out of.
The addition of the magical elements and the fairytale made the book that much more interesting for me to read. I loved how the author worked those elements into the story.
This book is dark and gripping and really gets to the heart of clinical depression and how it affects a person.
I will definitely be picking up more books by this author.

Massive Book Hangover.
This book just offers so much to all people.
Whimsy experienced a life defining trauma at 8 - her mother used magic to erase the memories. But some part of Whimsy remembers. She struggles with her mental health, her will to continue.
Meeting Faerry at her most recent hospital stay, they form a delicate friendship.
The energy unleashed - poetic, powerful.
This book will be what I need for my own struggles far into my future.

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride is a story about clinical depression told through the lens of a fairytale. It is also written as poetry which took a little time to get into but once I got the hang of it - the pages flew by.

Please be mindful of the following trigger warnings (TW): racism, bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, grief, panic attacks

This story follows Whimsy, our main character, a teenage girl who has to be at a hospital to get treatment for clinical depression. There she meets Faerry - a boy with invisible wings and a garden of tattoos on his body. He also needs help, just like her. When she gets out and he stays behind, it's not for long - his family moves in next to them, making the two characters neighbors. They are also neighbors with a Forest, I'd say this Forest is a third main character. And so, the fight for their lives in this Forest begins.

I really enjoyed how Whimsy's fairytales actually portrayed different aspects of mental illness (and how they were also other kids at the hospital who she has given these names to). It's such a unique way to describe something so hard & life-altering and I've never read anything like this story before.

This story also deals with racism and bullying. Our main characters are the only Black kids in school and they get severely bullied. It broke my heart reading this, I truly don't know how people (because kids are reflections of their parents) can be this mean and hateful. It's not a big part of the book, it's only mentioned a few times but I think for a Black person this could be triggering.

The writing itself, callbacks to the past verses, and the flow of the story are so easy to read and once you get into the story and understand how the structure works - it's impossible to put this stunner down.

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking story about mental health, depression, and grief and how it alters you, alters your memories, and makes you someone else. I related so much to the words in this story & I felt seen. I really hope that this story makes you feel as seen as it did to me.

What elevated the story, even more, was referring to the playlist created by the author (at the end of the book) and playing the songs while reading the book - magical experience, 10/10, would recommend.

5/5, thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed 'Me, Moth' when it came out and I was excited to receive an ARC of McBride's new book. I wanted to like it. I really did, But I found the narrative to be completely confusing.

While back in the hospital being treated for her clinical depression, Whimsy meets a strange boy named Faerry. They find a kinship with each other when they both realize that they have magic in their bones. When she moves back home, Whimsy is surpsied to learn that Faerry and his family have moved to her street.

As they get to know each other, they both realize they have a paralyzing fear of the Marsh Creek Forest. And that maybe their paths have crossed before. But the forest whispers to Whimsy and Faerry, despite the dangers that it holds. After all, It just might hold the answers that they both have been looking for, if they're brave enough to face the truth.

Thanks to Feiwel and Friends and NetGalley for an advanced copy of We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride to review! Me (Moth) was honestly such a masterpiece, and I don't know why more people don't talk about it. Plus, just look at this cover. It's on par for one of the best covers of 2023, and the year hasn't even started yet.

This is a novel in verse that doesn't shy away from the difficult topics. McBride pulls on her experiences with clinical depression, and she is a master at conveying these emotions in words. There were so many times where I had to pause while reading because this book is so emotional. It's about depression, about working through trauma, with two main characters that find solace in each other. It may be written in verse, but that almost makes it all the more powerful. 

There is a magical realism element to this book as well, which at times made it difficult to figure out what was actually going on. It's one of those books that lends itself to multiple readings because I'm sure that you'd find something different every single time you read it. Not only does it deal with Whimsy and Faerry trying to work through their own mental health, but also how they are perceived as Black teenagers with mental health issues. All of this is so well done, and I think this book will get a lot of buzz when it comes out in January.

All in all, be prepared for an emotional ride, but this should definitely be on your TBR for January.

First, this cover is absolutely gorgeous. As unsettling as the topic of depression can be, this book navigated it in a really unique way. I like that young people (or whomever) can find books like this now and relate and maybe know they are not alone. I also appreciate that the main characters are of color - there's a lot of stigma around depression in our community, and it's helpful to see it in 2 main characters. ♡