Amber McBride

A debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride, Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses her path. Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted. Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe he’ll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones. Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable. Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe.

Me (Moth)

Sarah Wood

After church, Mama gathers roots & dirt. She stuffs every jar in her simple house with blood & fingernails & shed hair & forget-me-nots for when the days get long

After church, mama gathers roots & dirt. She stuffs every jar in her simple house with blood & fingernails & forget-me-nots for when the days get long. Forget-me-nots for when (night) wants more than you have to give 

Bluebeard dripped money, but he was hideous. He told his new wife not to open one door. Just like god told Adam and Eve not to eat one fruit. Being human, the wife opens the door & finds the bodies of his other wives, hanging & bloody. Most of the founding fathers were like that; they spoke of freedom but did not offer it to everyone. They had bodies in their closets. 

Bria

this is the most beautiful writing i've read in a minute

Melissa Palmer

A good YA verse novel. It is a quick read. I didn't see the plot twist coming, which I like.

Boothby

Most of the poetry was beautiful, with the exception of a few bizarre comparisons (there was one line when she claims that no one is interested in seeing the Sphinx next to the pyramids at Gisa... what?) and some teenage melodrama (while it's probably honestly depicted doesn't interest or appeal to me). The sections at the high school, and Sani's home could get repetitive. 30% into the book, we have fully exhausted every original thought and feeling in Sani's head, so the strongest section was during the road trip while they were moving and could engage with new landscapes and events. 

(view spoiler)[the twist seemed really unnecessary and funny for how off the wall it is: OMG She's dead, and she's been dead the whole time. Reading back to the earlier sections knowing the twist that she's dead doesn't change much at all, and there are lots of details that have been included to make it seem specifically as though she is alive, which seems like a weird thing to do unless the goal is to trick the reader for no reason... (hide spoiler)]

5 stars - This book is written in prose so it's a very fast read. Loooved the Navajo myths and creation stories, and the Rootwork/Hoodoo in this. I literally gasped at the end as things started to make sense. It's a heavy read, but I'm happy I picked it up. It's fast-paced and definitely worth reading

Joy KBA

Sabrina D. 

Ashley Wendt

Aw man. I m still trying to catch my breath and dry my tears. Stunning. And beautiful. And perfect. This will haunt my dreams in the most beautiful way. I can’t remember the last time a book had me gasping for air sobbing they way this one did. One of my new all time favs for sure!!

Ethan Hill

I am a WRECK, Amber McBride you are so bad for this one, but it’s also a masterpiece so keep up the good work.

Nicki

Oh! This was quite lovely! I have been on a kick when it comes to verse novels lately. I enjoyed the way it was written and found myself feeling very emotional from time to time while reading it. I loved that it incorporated hoodoo and Navajo practices. There is just something so innately authentic about #Ownvoices that can never be imitated. Tbh, I believe this is closer to a 3.5/4 star read, but because I enjoyed the "twist" so much and it pulled me out of feeling pleasantly okay about this book, I decided that it needed to be rated higher.

This was a review of an arc version provided by Netgalley. xx

Heather Killeen

Rating: 5/5 haunting song lyrics

Format: ebook. I’d like to thank Amber McBride and the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (FierceReads) for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

To sum up:
Moth is grieving the loss of her family when she meets Sani, a boy searching for his roots while suffering from depression. Together, they go on a journey across the country, learning about each other, their ancestral stories, ghosts, and love. Told in verse, this debut novel is full of longing, loss, and new hope. 

What I enjoyed: 
WOW. I recommend going into this story blind because I had no idea what to expect and was absolutely caught up in this beautiful and heartbreaking journey. McBride’s prose is lyrical and haunting and made me want to keep turning the pages late into the night. I loved seeing the themes of loss, mental illness, and belonging so vividly wrought in this story. The different pieces are so carefully woven that the ending really punched me right in the gut.

Overall, I absolutely loved this novel. I recommend particularly to anyone who has lost someone or suffered from mental illness. But it is also a story about finding your roots, identity and healing.

Me (Moth)

Reviews

Highlights