Review: Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: August 17, 2021
Library: Yup, we have a copy, but I wonder if we should get a discussion set??

Synopsis

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.

Review

I've had a copy of Me: Moth for a long time, and if I'd taken a moment to open the book to see that it was written in verse (a format I love) I would have read the book a lot faster. That being said, I chose to listen to this via audio book. I've never done that with a book in verse before but I noticed that Amber McBride, the author, was actually the narrator. When at all possible, I love listening to authors read their own work. There's something really powerful about it. It's the same reason I chose to listen to Don't Cry for Me by Daniel Black and I wasn't disappointed.

Moth's world has been turned upside down after the death of her family and her aunt is in such distress it's almost as if Moth isn't even there. Sani's is trying to exist in a family that wants him to be someone he's not. After Moth's aunt abandons her for the Summer from the stress of loss, Moth and Sani decide to take a road trip to visit Sani's dad. 

Along the journey we watch Sani struggle with his mental health abandon his medication and panic as he worries that Moth will leave him as he spirals. As Moth struggles to help Sani and herself they take us on a journey to an ending that I didn't see coming. It was a HUGE surprise and I'm not surprised often.