lrauert's review
4.0
Actual Rating: 3.75
First of all, thank you to the publisher who sent me a copy of Moth in exchange for an honest review.
"He needs to believe in free will, that he can master whatever is happening to him. After all, monsters don’t wear Armani."
This book was such a weird, wild ride. It was so strange at times that, I admit, it almost put me into a reading slump. But then I kept pushing on and I found that the story itself was creeping into my subconscious mind as I read and I found myself dreaming of cocoons and gold-eyed monsters until I just HAD to keep reading to get to the end of it.
The style of writing was interesting. It flowed more like poetry at times and others it felt very direct. The characters made me sad -- drug addicts, especially heroin addicts, tend to break my heart, but that just means they were well written.
I do wish the rivalry between Arturo and Moth was a little more obvious at the beginning, but otherwise I enjoyed watching that train wreck as it happened.
Overall I enjoyed this one. I wish I knew a little bit more about what was happening in certain scenes, but some of those felt like we were experiencing the high alongside Moth and that was both well done and made me a little uncomfortable.
First of all, thank you to the publisher who sent me a copy of Moth in exchange for an honest review.
"He needs to believe in free will, that he can master whatever is happening to him. After all, monsters don’t wear Armani."
This book was such a weird, wild ride. It was so strange at times that, I admit, it almost put me into a reading slump. But then I kept pushing on and I found that the story itself was creeping into my subconscious mind as I read and I found myself dreaming of cocoons and gold-eyed monsters until I just HAD to keep reading to get to the end of it.
The style of writing was interesting. It flowed more like poetry at times and others it felt very direct. The characters made me sad -- drug addicts, especially heroin addicts, tend to break my heart, but that just means they were well written.
I do wish the rivalry between Arturo and Moth was a little more obvious at the beginning, but otherwise I enjoyed watching that train wreck as it happened.
Overall I enjoyed this one. I wish I knew a little bit more about what was happening in certain scenes, but some of those felt like we were experiencing the high alongside Moth and that was both well done and made me a little uncomfortable.
gigisbookadventures's review
3.0
Thank you for the ARC! This book isn’t my usual type of book but I found it interesting. I read it very quickly and I was very invested in who this specific Stranger was. I feel like the ending cut off a bit short and left me with several questions about what actually happened to our main character and where that would lead to. Overall, I found it fast paced and intriguing. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
bookish_rex's review against another edition
dark
5.0
I was fairly dubious about the narrative voice at first, especially with the “our protagonist” schtick right at the start. I decided to take a chance because, despite that, Takeda piqued my interest in said protagonist. Something about the small details Takeda shared about Michael (aka Moth), and how Takeda shared them made me immediately invested. As I read on, I found that the narrative style didn’t, in fact, distract me or make me feel the clinical detachment I thought it might. It worked well, in fact.
I’m not too sure how I feel about the paranormal, vampire-esque aspect to this story. I really didn’t need it, but that’s not to say it’s bad. It definitely did add something to the story. I only mean to say that it wasn’t a selling point for me. I’d have read this story just as readily without it… because I love these characters (well, except for Arturo, who mostly bored me).
It’s funny that there were so many literary name drops the likes of William S. Burroughs, because I think that’s one of the things that I enjoyed so much about this story- the familiarity. It was almost comforting, like I was returning to a scene I knew well, but it actually wasn’t the same scene at all. It had just enough similarity to make me feel instantly at home.
Let’s get to the end, though, because the end left me angry. The kind of angry where you wish you could have some strong words with the author, while also shoving all your money in their face and cradling their book in your arms protectively… before you stomp off with a very aggressive “thanks for the story”. That’s me. I am soooo upset over Moth’s fate. So not okay. I must protect the precious best boy. I can see my fool self re-reading this book over and over, as if the act will somehow magically yield a different narrative for my baby, one where he gets to be happier.
Needless to say, now that I’ve read the arc (which I received in exchange for my unbiased review), I’ll be buying myself my own physical copy, so I can raise my blood pressure yet again over how unfair life is to Moth… and Orazio… and really all my boys, but especially Moth.
I’m not too sure how I feel about the paranormal, vampire-esque aspect to this story. I really didn’t need it, but that’s not to say it’s bad. It definitely did add something to the story. I only mean to say that it wasn’t a selling point for me. I’d have read this story just as readily without it… because I love these characters (well, except for Arturo, who mostly bored me).
It’s funny that there were so many literary name drops the likes of William S. Burroughs, because I think that’s one of the things that I enjoyed so much about this story- the familiarity. It was almost comforting, like I was returning to a scene I knew well, but it actually wasn’t the same scene at all. It had just enough similarity to make me feel instantly at home.
Let’s get to the end, though, because the end left me angry. The kind of angry where you wish you could have some strong words with the author, while also shoving all your money in their face and cradling their book in your arms protectively… before you stomp off with a very aggressive “thanks for the story”. That’s me. I am soooo upset over Moth’s fate. So not okay. I must protect the precious best boy. I can see my fool self re-reading this book over and over, as if the act will somehow magically yield a different narrative for my baby, one where he gets to be happier.
Needless to say, now that I’ve read the arc (which I received in exchange for my unbiased review), I’ll be buying myself my own physical copy, so I can raise my blood pressure yet again over how unfair life is to Moth… and Orazio… and really all my boys, but especially Moth.
anastasiaars's review
1.0
i didn't like this book. it had me laughing out loud, i was constantly thrown off because of something happening that was just utterly ridiculous. many things put me off, but i can acknowledge the fact that the symbolism and meaning of the story in the end is good.
( received a free arc through booksirens, thank you! i am leaving this review voluntarily! )
( received a free arc through booksirens, thank you! i am leaving this review voluntarily! )
beenie90's review
3.0
I received an e-ARC for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Moth is an dark and unusual yet fascinating read about young, gay heroin addicts in Italy. It is heavy on the sex and drugs, so take heed of the content warnings. It is an extreme slow burn, not getting into the action until around halfway through the book.
When I began Moth, it took me a while to adjust to Takeda's style of writing such as the jumping between character viewpoints within paragraphs, but found myself quite enjoying it by the end and was easy enough to follow.
I will admit, I started this book off and thought I may not finish, it was quite slow to begin but I took it back up and had another go and I'm glad that I did. I have never read anything quite like this.
Would recommend if you're looking for something different and to step out of your comfort zone.
Moth is an dark and unusual yet fascinating read about young, gay heroin addicts in Italy. It is heavy on the sex and drugs, so take heed of the content warnings. It is an extreme slow burn, not getting into the action until around halfway through the book.
When I began Moth, it took me a while to adjust to Takeda's style of writing such as the jumping between character viewpoints within paragraphs, but found myself quite enjoying it by the end and was easy enough to follow.
I will admit, I started this book off and thought I may not finish, it was quite slow to begin but I took it back up and had another go and I'm glad that I did. I have never read anything quite like this.
Would recommend if you're looking for something different and to step out of your comfort zone.
sarah837's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, and Drug use
keepcalmblogon's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Thank you Hot Redhead Media for the e-ARC!
How do I begin to explain Moth? Imagine Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis as a film noir in which the femme fatal is the protagonist and a gay man. The first thing that struck me was the third person omniscient narrator that jumped not only from viewpoint to viewpoint, but did it within the same paragraph! At first, it was hard to keep up with whose viewpoint I was reading, but after getting into the groove of Takeda’s writing, I was surprised by his ability to switch from character to character so smoothly. I found myself quite enjoying this type of narration, as I was let in on everything going on in a scene without too much wordy exposition.
The bit I didn’t like about the writing were the very frequent references to artists, poets, writers, and thinkers scattered throughout the story. This felt like a cheap way to lend a tone to certain scenes without actually fleshing them out. It also felt a little pretentious.
This is one of few books of which I have ever spent time on contemplating the value of the story. As a rule, I believe all stories have value, but as a person who exists in the world with my own individual life experience, I have found myself questioning the value of a story a, very, few times. Being brief, my life has been directly affected by addiction and furthermore, by heroin addiction. So I found myself wondering why on earth I had agreed to a read story in which heroin addiction features front and center? The answer to my own question was, of course, that all stories have value. But I was able to expound on my question by asking: would we read stories about addicts if they weren’t well-educated addicts? Because all of the heroin addicts in this story have, or are getting, a college education and seem to be very familiar with literature and philosophy.
Moving on from questioning the story, let’s get down to the plot! Although not directly a vampire story, I will say Moth made me rethink one particular aspect of vampirism. Previously, my notions of vampirism were glamourized with vampires possessing power and freedom. But Moth showed me that a vampire can be a slave to their condition, more so than any bloodlust I have ever seen; Moth’s transformation renders him completely without choice in his actions against mortals.
The mention of mortals brings me to a comparison between traditional vamps and Moth’s creatures. It’s unclear whether the creatures in Moth are immortal, but it is stated early on that they are not invulnerable. They clearly have powers of influence, both mentally and physically applied. Moth’s creatures are also quite beautiful to humans, although this glamour seems to become stripped away by others of their kind. I believe Moth’s creatures go through more of a physical change than traditional vampires and their chompers, but I won’t go into too many of the physical changes Moth’s creatures experience. What is perfectly abundant is that Moth’s creatures do not consume blood nor are they limited by the sun.
All in all, I think I will give Moth 3 stars, because there were aspects of the storytelling that either lacked flesh or proper descriptions and I questioned the value of this story, which indicates my suspension of disbelief was not so suspended. In the end, I’ll stick with traditional vampires, but these beings were a very unique creation by Takeda.
How do I begin to explain Moth? Imagine Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis as a film noir in which the femme fatal is the protagonist and a gay man. The first thing that struck me was the third person omniscient narrator that jumped not only from viewpoint to viewpoint, but did it within the same paragraph! At first, it was hard to keep up with whose viewpoint I was reading, but after getting into the groove of Takeda’s writing, I was surprised by his ability to switch from character to character so smoothly. I found myself quite enjoying this type of narration, as I was let in on everything going on in a scene without too much wordy exposition.
The bit I didn’t like about the writing were the very frequent references to artists, poets, writers, and thinkers scattered throughout the story. This felt like a cheap way to lend a tone to certain scenes without actually fleshing them out. It also felt a little pretentious.
This is one of few books of which I have ever spent time on contemplating the value of the story. As a rule, I believe all stories have value, but as a person who exists in the world with my own individual life experience, I have found myself questioning the value of a story a, very, few times. Being brief, my life has been directly affected by addiction and furthermore, by heroin addiction. So I found myself wondering why on earth I had agreed to a read story in which heroin addiction features front and center? The answer to my own question was, of course, that all stories have value. But I was able to expound on my question by asking: would we read stories about addicts if they weren’t well-educated addicts? Because all of the heroin addicts in this story have, or are getting, a college education and seem to be very familiar with literature and philosophy.
Moving on from questioning the story, let’s get down to the plot! Although not directly a vampire story, I will say Moth made me rethink one particular aspect of vampirism. Previously, my notions of vampirism were glamourized with vampires possessing power and freedom. But Moth showed me that a vampire can be a slave to their condition, more so than any bloodlust I have ever seen; Moth’s transformation renders him completely without choice in his actions against mortals.
The mention of mortals brings me to a comparison between traditional vamps and Moth’s creatures. It’s unclear whether the creatures in Moth are immortal, but it is stated early on that they are not invulnerable. They clearly have powers of influence, both mentally and physically applied. Moth’s creatures are also quite beautiful to humans, although this glamour seems to become stripped away by others of their kind. I believe Moth’s creatures go through more of a physical change than traditional vampires and their chompers, but I won’t go into too many of the physical changes Moth’s creatures experience. What is perfectly abundant is that Moth’s creatures do not consume blood nor are they limited by the sun.
All in all, I think I will give Moth 3 stars, because there were aspects of the storytelling that either lacked flesh or proper descriptions and I questioned the value of this story, which indicates my suspension of disbelief was not so suspended. In the end, I’ll stick with traditional vampires, but these beings were a very unique creation by Takeda.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, and Homophobia
wisecraic's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through BookSirens as a prize in a giveaway. I provide an honest review of my own accord.**
With Moth, Michael Takeda explores Urbino, Italy through the lens of a young gay man with a heroin addiction. The grungy underbelly of the city and the habits of those swept up in the messy cycle of sex and drugs are brought to the reader by the character Michael, called Moth. One day Moth meets a Stranger who he simply can't ignore and the Stranger's golden eyes only add to the fact that poet Moth thinks that he has found his muse. When someone shows up dead, Moth realizes he may have found more than he bargained for.
If the initial summary was unclear, this work has quite a few content warnings, so readers should be aware of those prior to engaging with this content.
Takeda's writing is interesting and is unlike anything I have commonly read in the horror or paranormal genres. The choice to use a third person present tense can be a bit off-putting to start, but I found it easy to adapt to after a chapter or so. It is very easy to see why the book is marketed to fans of the classic vampire modernized and I really liked the surrealist quality to Takeda's manifestation of the lore.
Overall, this was an odd, but enjoyable story with concepts that I really liked.
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