A review by heyleigh05
Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

 I’m still recovering from this book. When I think about it I feel a mix of thoughts and emotions. Me (Moth) is about Moth, a high school girl trying to cope with the loss of her family in a tragic car accident. When she meets Sani, a boy visiting Virginia for the summer, they embark on an epic road trip to reconcile their pain, trauma, and loss together. Me (Moth) is all about coping with generational trauma and appreciating ancestral tradition. Rootwork or Hoodoo is a central aspect of novel. Sani is Navajo, and the novel also draws parallels between Navajo oral traditions and rootwork. 

This book is heavy and evocative. Our main characters deal with really heavy stuff like death, mental illness, abuse, and trauma. Most of the book is spent discussing these things, and Moth and Sani have to wade through all of it to find some peace. There were moments when I was reading where I wish some of this heaviness was balanced with moments of joy and “carefreeness” that you’d expect from teenagers. It felt like they were in a constant state of pain and processing trauma; I just wanted them to find more small happinesses. I just wanted these characters to have some reprieve from the constant pain. 

That’s my main critique of the novel but I still overall enjoyed it. I do think the ending was a little rushed, and I wish we got a little more time to see our characters at peace in their resolutions. However, Me (Moth) is so evocative that I even teared up at some parts. Amber McBride does a really good job of making you feel the emotional weight of the characters. The ending is what really changed my outlook on this novel. I was genuinely surprised but also sad, and I felt a little overwhelmed but the twist was well-done. I’ve already recommended this book to two people because I think they’ll really enjoy it. I really hope that Me (Moth) gets more attention because I think it could really impact some people!