Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

 

Yesterday, I finished reading Me (Moth) by Amber McBride. This realistic fiction novel in verse is about Moth, a teenage girl whose entire family died in a car accident. Afterwards, she moves in with her aunt where she has been living for the last two years. At the end of her junior year, she meets Sani, a boy who is coping with ongoing depression. When her aunt leaves, Moth and Sani decide to go on a road trip to the Navajo Nation, where Sani is from, seeking their roots. While on their journey, Moth tries to help Sani and they begin to fall in love. Even though Moth reassures Sani that she will stay, he is sure that Moth will leave him because he is keeping a secret that could tear them apart.

This novel in verse was like nothing I've ever read before. It was beautiful, but the end devastated me. I was fascinated how the story was told through the life cycle of a moth, though. It was really fitting because the main character is named Moth. I also enjoyed how Moth and Sani gradually feel in love. I loved how they connected through music and dancing, and I thought it was cute how they added lines to a song, dubbed "Summer Song", over the course of their road trip. I was hoping for a happy ending, but there were small hints throughout the story that foreshadowed otherwise that I just wasn't able to put together until the big reveal at the end hit me. Nevertheless, I did like the very last poem of the story, which was hopeful. With its themes of first love and identity, Me (Moth) is an unforgettable novel in verse for anyone.