A review by r_bookish_rambles
Motheater by Linda H. Codega

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was an absolute masterpiece showing the power of love, speaking intention, and the acceptance of grief. I finished this book the last day of the year and it easily became my favorite read of 2024. This rewrote my entire being twice over and broke my soul in the very best of ways.

There is a very strong religious undertone present here, but I didn’t feel it to be preachy or over the top. Instead, it added a deep level of mysticism and familiarity to the plot, one that I found myself loving over and over again. The magic system is one that I can confidently say is the most unique one that I have ever experienced in a novel. This is deep Appalachia at its core- it’s gritty, it’s powerful and it is filled with love and mystery. It took a while to grasp onto the concept since it is also very philosophical, but the more we learn about Motheater the deeper we dive into the mountain of both her life and her magic call to Kire Mountain.

I fell in love with these those two quicker than they did themselves. Both are so unique and at times worlds apart, but both have deep and unfathomable pain that brings them together. It is very slow burn, but I loved every moment of Bennie’s falling for Moth and how she tries to gain traction on not catching feelings. She fails but of course it’s cute 😂

The overall plot in itself was a masterpiece. I really like the split timeline between my theater’s life before and after bunny and I think it brought so much depth to the story. Prepared to be confused till about 50% of the way through, but I promise everything makes sense the end, and it is a journey in itself to discover the end of their story.