The Moxy Byrd

Sammy Silvertooth's Guide to Revolution #1

by Miranda New

For a hundred years, America has suffered financial and political losses due to an electrical anomaly known as ‘The Dome’. When it suddenly disappears, revealing a previously unknown society of people, panic ensues. One of the many refugees from the Dome, a young woman named Amia, begins her new life in a small Virginian town. As she struggles to adjust, she recounts her previous life and the tragedies that have befallen her. The Moxy Byrd is a retelling of American history that delves into what it means to be an immigrant, why people make the choices they do, and how our circumstances affect our self-identity. Follow Amia, as she fights against monsters and corrupt politicians to find a path to freedom.

426 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2020

About the author

Texas born and bred, Miranda New and her husband Steve moved to Korea in 2009 for a short break from life. Two sons, two dogs, and a lot of lizards later, they’ve admitted that they may never leave.

Miranda fell in love with Korea almost as soon as she got off the plane. She spent much of her life teaching other expats about the language and culture of the country. After writing her master’s thesis on the topic of second language self-identity formation, she became extremely interested in people’s self-identity and how it is influenced by their surroundings. Having struggled herself to form a second-language identity, Miranda uses her novels as an opportunity to explore the multitude of identities people create for themselves.

Miranda and her husband Steve have two adult sons and are currently in process to adopt a third. The process of creating a family out of four people who do not share blood-ties has also deeply impacted Miranda’s writing. Much of her work delves into questions related to what it means to be a family and how people end up in the relationships that they are in.

Miranda is dedicated to improving the plight of immigrants both in Korea, the States, and all over the world. She is also specifically interested in the rights and struggles of children, both those who are caught in various forms of slavery and trafficking, and those who live in war torn areas. Having spent more than ten years living next to North Korea, the struggles of its people stay close to her heart. She hopes that you will find joy and hope when you read her stories and that they will open your eyes to groups of people you might not have previously thought about.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inventive YA novel that leaves plenty of questions to be answered in its sequels.

Moxy, a strange girl from "the Dome," used to have another name and another life. Once, she was Amia, the Crier Killer of Armaria. Now, she just wants to survive without anyone's pity or condescension. In alternating chapters, the author tells the stories of Amia's previous life inside the Dome as part of the secretive Revolution and of her new life as a poor newcomer to a future United States that rather resembles the current one, at least in racism and inequality.

The reader slowly learns the details of Moxy/Amia's past, but the ending still teases the future meeting point of the two stories. The motivations of the evil "governor" remain largely obscure, as do the fates of many characters. Readers will have to learn in a second volume how, exactly, Amia came to be Moxy.

The book will challenge young readers to question assumptions and at the same time invite them to an adventure hiding behind the mundane.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I read this book as a first draft reader and as a final draft, because I am the writer's husband. If that discredits me in your opinion I understand.

This book is a fun Science Fiction adventure. It reads like two stories in one. You follow the main character during two different parts of her life. First, you see her fighting for her life, using the skills she has grown up perfecting in her world to overcome her challenges. Then you see her in a new world, completely foreign to her and incapable of using any her previous skills to overcome her new challenges. The story is a playful and exciting take on what it is like to be an immigrant in a new world. The challenges and adversity you handle. It is a reminder that the person that appears to be incapable of anything, may just be something truly special where she is from.

Overall, the story is a fun adventure with a little romance and a big heart. Written for young adults and up.

[Wendy King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's all about a girl growin up to life under a dome in a land dominated by post nuclear mutations without any technology. It's a story of survival. The girl fights mutated monsters called cryers and lives in a village struggling to save enough to pay the government taxes. Legends tell of villafes that cannot pay their taxes being killed off with their children stolen by fox witches. Then one day the dome comes down and the dome inhabitants come face to face with normal Americans that have grown up with technology and freedom. It reminds me of the Hunger Games.

[Kristen G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good read

I was looking for an easy read and came across this book. I had very little expectations given how cheap it was. Wow! I was very pleasantly surprised. I thought the characters were well developed. At times I was on pins and needles waiting to find out what happened next. I could imagine being there and was rooting on the main character. I was excited to read it at night and now I can't wait for the next book to come out. A few parts felt more surreal or a slight dip in the tempo, but all and all a great book!







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[Evelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise of the book, the characters were interesting, and while I’m not usually a fan of stories that jump back and forth in time I think it works well here. My main problems came towards the end of the book. The good guys made some decisions that, even given the circumstances/justifications, were so morally questionable to me I found it difficult to continue rooting for them. The book also left so many questions unanswered, and the ending was very abrupt - the book ends virtually mid-conversation. If you don't mind cliff-hangers then perhaps this won't be an issue for you but I was more frustrated than interested to continue to the next book.
If you enjoyed the book though, or are curious about it, I recommend signing up to the author's newsletter for the free short stories set in the Dome (which I enjoyed).

[David Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow moving plot and the characters weren't too relatable.