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destdest's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really felt for Moth and her guilt surrounding her family. I love how Navajo/Dine spirituality and the history of the South (USA) is seamlessly sprinkled in. “Thomas Jefferson Had a Blue Beard,” “Things My Grandfather Taught Me About the South,” and “Things Sani Knows About the South” were particularly good and the TRUTH.
But neither Moth or Sani sound like actual teenagers. They are very otherworldly. I can’t get over a 17-year-old calling someone honey, but it’s cute. The purplish flowery prose is intended and, at times, lovely. Despite the characters going through very serious situations (grief, physical abuse, deep depression, refusal to take pills, growing pains, etc) the writing could feel melodramatic. Perhaps, a testament to how everything feels 10x bigger when you’re still a young person growing up.
McBride can pack a lot into a few lines. I’ve become fond of books in verse recently, and this one is no different.
But neither Moth or Sani sound like actual teenagers. They are very otherworldly. I can’t get over a 17-year-old calling someone honey, but it’s cute. The purplish flowery prose is intended and, at times, lovely. Despite the characters going through very serious situations (grief, physical abuse, deep depression, refusal to take pills, growing pains, etc) the writing could feel melodramatic. Perhaps, a testament to how everything feels 10x bigger when you’re still a young person growing up.
McBride can pack a lot into a few lines. I’ve become fond of books in verse recently, and this one is no different.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Car accident
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Racism, and Abandonment