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About the Book:
Being a Moth Keeper is a huge responsibility and a great honor, but what happens when the new Moth Keeper decides to take a break from the moon and see the sun for the first time? A middle-grade fantasy graphic novel about passion, duty, and found family.
Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn’t exactly what Anya thought it would be?
The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya’s dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun’s warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.
K. O’Neill brings to life a beautifully illustrated fantasy world about responsibility to yourself and your community. The Moth Keeper is filled with magic, hope, and friendship.Content Warning: depression, trauma, burn out themes, abandonment (historical, shown on page through flashback), ableism (historical, minor).
My Review:
Wow. This book is as gorgeous to look at as it is to read. I love a good graphic novel, and this is one of the best I’ve read in awhile. Full of the power of duty and the promise of family, The Moth Keeper is the story of Anya, chosen to be the Moth Keeper for her village. The Moth Keeper is a lonely, but important job – you keep the moths safe and the night village thriving. At the same time, Anya is curious about the rest of the world – the world that operates in the sunlight and heat of the desert. She knows it’s important, but Anya can’t help but wonder and wander…at it almost costs her everything.
I loved this book so much I read it twice – once for the review and once again just because it was a story that stuck with me for awhile. It’s beautiful and hopeful. My favorite part of the story is not the moths, but the promise that the family we find is the family that matters – we will be disappointed and hurt, but found family finds us in all our good and bad spaces.
Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61356479-the-moth-keeper
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593182286/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-moth-keeper-k-oneill/1141693722
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Moth-Keeper-K-ONeill/9780593182284
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780593182284
Kay O’Neil is a self-taught writer and illustrator based in New Zealand. She’s interested in nature and all kinds of creatures, mindfulness and mental health, and the magic of every day life. To date she has published three books, which have won Eisner, Harvey and Dwayne McDuffie awards for children’s comics, as well as being Cybils Award finalists and featured on the ALA Rainbow List.
Outside of work, she loves tea and food, plants, transitional seasons, reading, walking and listening to podcasts.
Website: http://ktoneill.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/strangelykatie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strangelykatie/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7831390.Kay_O_Neill
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