Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

14 reviews

rtaire's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I struggled with the YA aspects of this novel, but that's a me problem since I'm not a huge fan of YA teenage/high school drama. Otherwise, this is beautifully written and the haunting language and imagery made me reconsider how I view the world. The ending blew me away and will linger with me for days -- if not years -- to come. 
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uglypopcorn's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

 Like a Phantom Limb... 

...this piece will stay with me forever.

Me (Moth) is a beautiful sweeping first-person narrative inverse. Its richness in both Hoodoo and Navajo (Diné) tradition and creation story give it critical depth. There are so many lines that spark beauty in the mind,
"Honey, you can keep me forever, like a phantom limb."

The tender connection between the main characters, Moth and Sani, will make you realize what you've been missing in your reads all this time. You'll find yourself tumbling with them as they whirl through myth, music, dance, and emotion on their solitary road trip - bringing you to a conclusion completely unseen.
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utopiastateofmind's review against another edition

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  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 Me, Moth is a lyrical story about loss. Using this idea of transformation, of cycles of a caterpillar or moth, McBride will capture you. The language is striking. Whether it be in the melodic quality or in the word choices, Me, Moth rolls off the tongue. It manages to capture both language that feels like silk, while also painting incidents of trauma and grief. Me, Moth begins by discussing grief. The ways we have to armor ourselves, wracked with survivor's guilt, and wondering about the way life works. 
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destdest's review against another edition

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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.
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