Me (Moth)

Trigger Warnings: physical abuse, racism, bullying, death, mental health - depression

Moth lost her mother, father, and brother when their car split in half like a candy bar. Now she lives with her aunt but she feels deeply alone and unnoticed.

Then one day, she meets Sani, a boy battling depression and searching for his roots, and hoping that finding those will help him understand the static in his mind. If Moth can help him, maybe she can understand her own history. They decide to go on a road trip together to find out.

A YA novel told in verse, Me (Moth) is about identity, first love, and what holds us together.

What a beautiful, heartbreaking story. Both Moth and Sani and their stories will stay with me for a very long time. Amber show more McBride did wonderful writing these characters so they dug into your heart to stay there. McBride also did an amazing job at including Navajo and Hoodoo culture and blending them together through Moth and Sani.

This book will sit among the titles of The Poet X, The Crossover, and Long Way Down, just you wait, it is that special! It’s a fast read that will break your heart and stitch it back together, all while you learn and grow with Moth and Sani.

I borrowed this from my public library, but I’m adding it to my list to get myself my own copy so I can reread it again, and again, and again. Teens and adults will both be mesmerized by this emotionally beautiful novel-in-verse. show less

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: This is a beautiful magical realism type of book that is written in prose. It was a stunning listen and I really enjoyed it. It has a lot of impact for the shorter length. It's about a girl named Moth, who is the only survivor of a car crash that kills her whole family. She is trying to navigate high school after this tragedy and this is when she meets Sani. Sani is a beautiful boy with a troubled home life and a beautiful voice. Over the summer, the two end up on a road trip that will hopefully heal their broken souls and help them grow.

This story deals with a ton of heavy topics; survivor's guilt, grief, depression and the show more injustices done to the American Indian population. It is written in amazingly beautiful prose and the imagery is fantastic. The choice of words and phrasing do a perfect job of conveying the emotion in this story. There are some excellent twists in the story as well that will keep you wondering and guessing.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I picked this up on a whim and ended up really enjoying it. This brief novella in prose captures a lot of heavy topics and emotion and does an amazing job telling a beautiful story of magic and growth. I would definitely recommend picking it up if you are in the mood for something poetic, a bit painful, and truly beautiful. show less

"But there is only so much prayer & if god takes sacrifices, only so much blood to offer. That day there was only enough prayer & blood for one of us to walk out."

Moth centers on a young woman who is navigating her trauma after losing her mother, father, and brother in an accident. While she is/used to be a gifted dancer, with dreams of attending Juilliard, after the crash she has held herself back.

"Therapist: You can't live too hard, Moth.... Less living won't bring them back, Moth."

This is a truth that Moth is circling around, while trying to form a connection with a boy she meets, Sani, who the other kids at school call "wolf boy". Sani is also learning more about his mental illness, and how to communicate with his family, so he and show more Moth decide to take a trip together. The author uses the form of verse effectively, this book is highly emotion-driven, so lots of dialogue, inner thoughts, which will not appeal to everyone. As a high school teacher, I would recommend this book for the classroom, or even to teach excerpts as part of a unit on verse/poetry. I think some students will find a worthwhile connection with Moth and Sani...it's a beautifully written story.

"My friend, I know I ask too much, but if your son can help her home, she'll teach him how to live." show less

Unusual, lyrical, intriguing. Moth is the sole survivor of a terrible crash that killed her parents and her brother. Now living with her alcoholic aunt, she slides painfully through school and life. Then a new boy whose pain equals hers starts at her school. Their emotions sense each other, meet and fuse, with the result a meandering road trip back to his Navajo homeland near Four Corners, NM. Told in verse, with a stunning ending and great afterward, this is one heck of a book. Great choice for libraries where teens value thoughtful and emotion-inducing stories.

I really felt for Moth and her guilt surrounding her family. I love how Navajo/Dine spirituality and the history of the South (USA) is seamlessly sprinkled in. “Thomas Jefferson Had a Blue Beard,” “Things My Grandfather Taught Me About the South,” and “Things Sani Knows About the South” were particularly good and the TRUTH.

But neither Moth or Sani sound like actual teenagers. They are very otherworldly. I can’t get over a 17-year-old calling someone honey, but it’s cute.

The purplish flowery prose is intended and, at times, lovely. Despite the characters going through very serious situations (grief, physical abuse, deep depression, refusal to take pills, growing pains, etc) the writing could feel melodramatic. Perhaps, show more a testament to how everything feels 10x bigger when you’re still a young person growing up.

McBride can pack a lot into a few lines. I’ve become fond of books in verse recently, and this one is no different.

3.5 show less

This story was so beautiful that I kept needing to stop and absorb before I could continue reading. I bought this on sale having never heard of it (but awed by the e-sample), and although usually I don't care, this time I'm glad it wasn't spoiled for me. I am not, generally, a poetry person. I'm delighted I made an exception.

Listening to this book, some of the poems gave me pause with the haunting language. Moth is reeling after the death of her parents and brother in a car accident. Her aunt turns to the bottle as a way to deal with the loss. Moth goes through school not connecting with anyone, until Sani shows up at her school. The two run away together and go on a roadtrip throughout the south and west. The two connect with by sharing their heritage and finding ways they overlap and connect.