First things first, Me (Moth) by Amber McBride is a novel-in-verse or verse novel. What does that mean? A verse novel tells a story by using poetry, not with traditional sentence and paragraph structure. It's a great way to start learning how to read poetry, especially if you think poetry is not for you. Pick up a novel-in-verse and you'll be tackling Shakespeare like a professional in no time.
McBride uses the flow and emotion of poetry in Me (Moth) to great effect. The story centers around Moth, who lost her whole family in a car accident on a summer trip. Ever since the accident, she has been afraid to live too big or take up too much space. Moth doesn't make friends at school until a new boy comes to class.
Sani is new in town, and he seems to be the only person able to hold Moth's attention. He encourages her to dance again to reconnect with her family's roots. Moth teaches Sani about her grandfather's calling as a Hoodoo root worker. In return, she tries to help Sani better understand his depression and address the pain surrounding his relationship with his father out west.
The plot twist will have you rereading this book in order to pick up on the signs you missed along the way. Me(Moth) is a powerful tale that covers grief, memory, first love, and the ways our past can help us navigate the future. Pick this up if you're just getting into poetry and/or you enjoy coming-of-age stories about self-discovery with a little magical realism thrown in for good measure.