''Me (Moth)'' is a

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

novel in verse A verse novel is a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. Either simple or complex stanzaic verse-forms may be used, but there will usually be a large cast, multiple voi ...

by Amber McBride, published August 17, 2021 by

Feiwel and Friends Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publi ...

. The book won the John Steptoe New Talent Award and was a finalist for the

National Book Award for Young People's Literature The National Book Award for Young People's Literature is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation (NBF) to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers".< ...

Reception

''Me (Moth)'' was generally well-received, including starred reviews from '' Booklist'' and ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

.'' Melanie Marshall, writing for ''Booklist'',

Though the traditions are distinct on their own, 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 by the weight of McBride’s intentionality from road trip stops to the nuance of everything that goes unsaid. Written in verse, this debut 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. An excellent choice for lovers of poetry and for those who see the beauty in sadness.

''School LIbrary Journal'''s Erica Ruscio highlighted how "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." They concluded that the book is "earnest" and "surprising" and thus, "is a must purchase for all teen collections." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' wrote, "Debut author McBride skillfully renders

he story He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

while covering serious topics such as grief and mental health, including suicidal ideation." '' Shelf Awareness'''s Jen Forbus also complimented McBride's writing, saying, "Her words dance across the pages with the elegance of her ballerina protagonist." Forbus continued, writing, "''Me (Moth)'' is a rich, soul-stirring gift for any young adult. Parents will likely want to read this one as well--if they can pry it away from their teen." NPR, ''Shelf Awareness,'' and ''

TIME Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' named ''Me (Moth)'' one of the best books of 2021.

References

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Me (Moth)'' Coretta Scott King Award-winning works National Book Award for Young People's Literature winning works 2021 children's books Macmillan Publishers books Children's verse novels Children's books about race and ethnicity