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readingpicnic's review
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Death, and Grief
moonytoast's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Bullying and Death
Minor: Car accident
moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
An epistolary novel told in verse, Dear Mothman follows Noah, a closed trans, autistic sixth-grader after the death of his best friend, Lewis. Noah decides to write to Monthman, a cryptid that Lewis loved, and find proof that he exists. More than that, this is a story about greiving, friendship, queerness, and growing up.
We watch as Noah makes friends and grows, even while still remembering and greiving. There is so much about finding your people, understanding and being understood - but also the struggle of communicating and opening up enough to let people understand you.
So much about this book was incredible and touching, it's hard to put it into words. It takes some unexpected turns and was healing and cathartic in a way that only queer middle grade/YA lit can be.
We watch as Noah makes friends and grows, even while still remembering and greiving. There is so much about finding your people, understanding and being understood - but also the struggle of communicating and opening up enough to let people understand you.
So much about this book was incredible and touching, it's hard to put it into words. It takes some unexpected turns and was healing and cathartic in a way that only queer middle grade/YA lit can be.
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Transphobia, and Outing
Minor: Car accident
misterbojangles's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
4.5
Loved this book. Written in the form of letter-poems, Noah grapples with the loss of his best friend Lewis. He finds comfort in writing letters to Mothman, who Lewis loved and with whom Noah feels an intense kinship with as a fellow misunderstood misfit. When clues start to emerge that Mothman might be out there reading Noah’s letters, Noah becomes obsessed with finding Mothman. This book contains beautiful meditations on grief, belonging, and queer/trans identity and left me considering what separates monsters and men.
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, and Grief
danaslitlist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-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? No
4.75
"Dear Mothman,
Thank you for trusting me and coming to visit my camera. I know it's hard being what people might consider a monster. It seems to me that "monsters" are almost always misunderstood - that "monster" is what people become when other people are afraid of them for being different. People like me are called monsters sometimes."
I fully believe this story to belong in the "important and necessary" readings for middle grade readers. Dear Mothman is a story of grief and healing and finding your identity.
There’s something about how queer people, especially kids, feel so seen and understood by idea of cryptids and monsters….and the way that we Noah talk about how it makes sense because just like him, people don’t understand Mothman. They’re scared of him, they don’t believe in him, they don’t see him or they don’t want to.
The way this book in theory is such a simple plot and premise but in reality is so deep and touching. I found myself on multiple occasions putting my hand on my heart because I could feel myself mirrored in instances and quotes. I think this is such a valuable story.
Thank you for trusting me and coming to visit my camera. I know it's hard being what people might consider a monster. It seems to me that "monsters" are almost always misunderstood - that "monster" is what people become when other people are afraid of them for being different. People like me are called monsters sometimes."
I fully believe this story to belong in the "important and necessary" readings for middle grade readers. Dear Mothman is a story of grief and healing and finding your identity.
There’s something about how queer people, especially kids, feel so seen and understood by idea of cryptids and monsters….and the way that we Noah talk about how it makes sense because just like him, people don’t understand Mothman. They’re scared of him, they don’t believe in him, they don’t see him or they don’t want to.
The way this book in theory is such a simple plot and premise but in reality is so deep and touching. I found myself on multiple occasions putting my hand on my heart because I could feel myself mirrored in instances and quotes. I think this is such a valuable story.
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Minor: Bullying and Transphobia
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