Me (Moth)

By: Amber McBride

Narrated by: Amber McBride

This audiobook is read by the author.

A debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride, Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses her path.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel and Friends.

©2022 Amber McBride (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"This searing debut novel-in-verse is told from the perspective of Moth, a Black teen whose life changed forever the day a car crash killed her family.... Each free verse poem is tightly composed, leading into the next for a poignant and richly layered narrative. The story builds softly and subtly to a perfect, bittersweet ending. Fans of Jacqueline Woodson won’t be able to put this one down." (School Library Journal, starred review)

"McBride artfully weaves Black Southern Hoodoo traditions with those of the Navajo/Diné people, creating a beautiful and cross-cultural reverence for the earth, its inhabitants, and our ancestors. Readers will be consumed with the weight of McBride’s intentionality from road trip stops to the nuance of everything that goes unsaid. Written in verse, this novel is hauntingly romantic, refusing to be rushed or put down without deep contemplation of what it means to accept the tragedies of our lives and to reckon with the ways we metamorphosize as a result of them." (Booklist, starred review)

"Two years after a devastating car accident killed her family as they drove from New York to northern Virginia, aspiring dancer Moth, the Black granddaughter of a Hoodoo root worker, is still navigating the accident’s fallout, which includes a mark on her face 'as crisp as the tip of a whip from jaw to eye'. Poignant free verse details her resignation to a 'bland' existence in the suburbs.... When a new student - talented Navajo musician Sani - shows up in her junior homeroom class, Moth finds a kindred spirit whose similarly painful past and physically abusive stepfather compound his depression." (Publishers Weekly)

The storytelling

The voice and heart in this book are unforgettable. A beautiful, heartwarming , heartbreaking and restorative work.

Absolutely a beautiful book.

Love Love Love it. I loved everything about it. I read it about a year ago, and I cried so hard at the end. I just got done listening to it, and it was so much better the second time around. It is such a beautiful story. I am so curious as to Sonies point of view. This book is something special.

Everything I needed and more

This book came to me at the most perfect timing. This book is for anyone looking to truly feel, love, and live. It took me through a whirlwind of emotions. I highly suggest this book to anyone who is looking to heal, grow, and find their spark again.

Good concept

I think the concept of this book was great. I loved the author’s focus on indigenous cultures. I didn’t love how slow this moved and how it felt like lines were repeated over and over. I believe they were song lyrics, but the delivery was quite monotonous.

There is such a lot of Heaven

Recommended by my 14 yea4 old granddaughter. I loved her and appreciated the gentle magic in her spirit the first moment I saw her, but that we can share this lovely book experience binds us with red silk threads through the light of the true Moon. 5 stars aren’t enough.

So deeply beautiful

I will think about this book for years. I loved everything about it. In a world of fast food books, this gets Michelin Stars.

Great Story

Its an intriguing story with beautiful poetry. I love it. There are a lot of lines that I can resonate with

Absolutely beautiful storytelling

A beautiful and heartfelt story. Moved me to tears. The characters were complex and so wonderfully crafted. I really enjoyed listening to the story in the author’s voice. An amazing performance by an incredibly talented writer. I hope to read more of her work in the future. Thank you to Ms. McBride for all of her efforts in bringing this magnificent book to life!

Short sweet and surprising

I don’t normally read something like this. Such a wonderful surprise that I read right when I need to listen to it.

Stick with it...the twist is worth it.

Initially I loved this book. The language is beautiful. Then it got to the point where it felt like too much. Similar to eating too much of something sweet. Then the twist...wow. I'm glad I stick with it.