Robin Gow

Noah is a sixth-grader whose best friend Lewis, the only other trans boy at school, has died in a car accident. Feeling lonely after losing the one person who understood him, Noah begins to write letters to Mothman and tries to find evidence of his existence in the woods, even making Mothman the subject of his science fair project. Noah befriends a group of girls from his grade. As they get closer, strange things occur. Noah becomes more determined than ever to find Mothman himself.

I show more absolutely loved this beautiful middle-grade novel in verse. It takes a gentle look at grief, identity, friendship, and belonging. The trans and autism rep was great. Noah’s grief felt so real and heartbreaking. The writing really conveyed his emotions. Comparisons between cryptids and queer folks explored the ways in which both are perceived in society. This was such a sweet and poignant story that had me teary by the end. Definitely recommend! show less

Sixth grader Noah is devastated after his best friend dies in a car crash and becomes obsessed with doing his science fair project on proving the existence of Mothman, the cryptid with whom his friend was obsessed. Noah begins writing letters to Mothman daily and is convinced they are being read by the elusive monster.

So first off, I have to say the reason I rated this title lower than I might have otherwise is that Mothman is real in this book. I just couldn't get passed that. I felt there show more needed to be a real, practical answer behind everything Noah experiences, or perhaps I could have even tolerated a more open-ended elusiveness. This reveal was too absurd for me.

The writing in this book is overall very good, although perhaps not for all readers. The book is technically a novel in verse, although it is a mix of poems and letters, with some other items occasionally interspersed (e.g., drawings/doodles, survey responses, to-do lists, news articles). I did feel like towards the middle there was a lot of repetition of the same thoughts and feelings so it was starting to drag a little, but the start was strong and the ending ... well, it was there (as noted above) but at least it was a little more fast-paced again.

The story touches on themes of identity and belonging that will be relatable to many middle schoolers. Specifically, Noah is a trans boy who is struggling with coming out in addition to his grief about his friend, who was also trans although only Noah knew that. Noah is also noted as being autistic, although that is brought up far less often. show less

There was so much fantastic queer rep in Gooseberry. I liked the exploration of foster families and advocacy for kids in the system. The developing connection between Gooseberry and B paralleled B’s personal development including coming out as nonbinary. I did have a hard time suspending disbelief regarding some of the dog plot aspects. There were things that were so far-fetched that it was frustrating as the rest of the story was otherwise pretty realistic. The writing was accessible for show more a middle-grade audience. Overall, a heartwarming read. show less

Noah writes a series of letters to Mothman, a cryptid that was of interest to his best friend. Noah's reeling over his best friend's death. Noah is autistic and sharing his identity and chosen name to friends and parents.
Noah is sad and going through a big emotional journey throughout the book. He finds a new group of friends and a romantic interest. All the while he journals and writes to the ellusive Mothman. Letters from Hannah pepper the text as well.