My Friend Mothman

by Lauren Devora

College sophomore, Wendy Hyre has carefully crafted a persona as a staunch skeptic with little patience for anything paranormal. She has a good reason, though. Her best friend... is Mothman.
After saving her from a childhood accident, Mothman and Wendy are inseparable, forging their bond with junk food, Taylor Swift, and ultimate secrecy. Growing up in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Wendy cannot fathom sharing the truth about the local legend with anyone.
That is until new photos of a Mothman-like creature surface and Wendy realizes her cryptid best friend may not be the only one of his kind. Enlisting the help of an eager classmate, Wendy and Mothman take a surreal road trip that becomes a race against the clock to stop a catastrophe and reunite Mothman with his long-lost family.

Genres: Fantasy

282 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2020

About the author

Lauren Devora has been obsessed with the fantastical, thrilling, macabre, and mythological since she can remember. Starting at a young age, she's been writing stories of all kinds for the dual purpose of entertaining her audience as well exploring the complex human experience.
After studying creative writing at UNC-Asheville, she published her debut novel at the age of 25, and since then she has written 5 more novels and 2 screenplays.
Currently living in the greater Boston area, Lauren spends her time writing, taking long beach walks with her dogs, visiting her favorite bars and breweries, and of course, drinking lots and lots of coffee.
Follow her on Instagram @willwrite4coffee, Twitter @laurenp_devora, and Facebook @LaurenDevoraAuthor
She also co-hosts a literature and history podcast with her friend Eric called The Speakeasy with Lauren and Eric, which can be found on podcast platforms Stitcher and Spotify

Reviews

[Marla Holt]

This book was adorably feel good. All the fun warm fuzzies and fantastic adventure I was hoping for.

[Teresa Ruhland]

Paranormal YA based on Pennsylvania Legend

We need more YA books by this author. Hard to find YA without romance or love interest. This one delivers!!

[Stephanie Gregory]

This was a fun read, especially since I am an Ohio State alum. Having family in Mason county and Point Pleasant also made it fun.
My Friend Mothman is a cute story of a girl who met Mothman as a child. They become best friends while she is growing up. When she goes away to college she meets someone that is interested in cryptids. Of course, that friendship grows and together they "save" Mothman.
A few things about the story were a little off. Ohio State doesn't have a Quad, it has an Oval. Ohio State University Anthropology department does have some professors and graduate students that have done some research on Bigfoot, mostly through the folklore lense. Knowing this makes the ending a little more believable. I also couldn't imagine someone living/roosting in Point Pleasant and not having an affinity for Biscuit World! Mothman will just have to keep eating his twinkies.

[Ashley]

Family is so much more than blood. My Friend Mothman is all about finding family. This book presents an unlikely friendship between two very different beings; a human and a cryptid, that eventually becomes as strong as the bonds of family. This book is heartwarming, genuinely funny, and a wild ride from start to finish! If you want a unique, feel-good paranormal story, this book should be at the top of your list!

[C I KESZEI]

A great recommendation by DM Guay

This is the second recommendation by DM Guay that I've followed and more importantly, enjoyed.

This is a gentle storytelling of Mothman, no blood and guts in this one.
Well worth a read unless you're after a darker side in which case, ask DM Guay as she'd probably know.

I will have a delve into Lauren Devora's other books now.

[Clara]

Absolutely charming! 'My Friend Mothman' is a heartwarming story about friendship, family, and growing up. The story moves quickly, with plenty of adventure along the way, and you'll fall in love with Wendy and Mothman long before the end.

[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves]

A book about found family, belonging and cryptids, it’s a must-read.
This book was just so good! Engaging, light, funny, at times heart stopping, and so full of heart I could burst, I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, fantastic read.
I’ll definitely be rereading this for years to come.

[Leah]

This was a super cute, wholesome story. Loved the friendship between Wendy and Mothman. It was just so sweet to witness in the present, as well as seeing how it developed in the flashbacks.

[Meegy]

This is the cutest cryptoid book that you will ever read. A book about friendship and love and finding family.

[lori gale blevins]

Fun

A fun quick read, great way of thinking, two thumbs up to the author. Looking forward to reading more of Lauren's books.

[Cary]

Love it

What an amazing book. Such an amazing story of friendship between two very different beings. Would love to read more about Greg...

[Ziggy Nixon]

My best friend is Mothman, and we see each other almost every day!

3 1/2 stars. Lauren Devora's "My Friend Mothman" is a very light look at the legend of the Mothman as told by a young girl named Wendy. We follow their friendship - and by 'their' I mean Wendy and the Mothman who(m) she names Greg - from the time she is 9 years old through to her college years, with even a brief glimpse into her life as a new mother in 2026. It's definitely a cute story and as many of my friends have asked about various books lately, I can confirm that it is suitable for any age reader. It's primarily formulated as a "Young Adult" book but I would let advanced "Middle Grade" readers enjoy it as well. (Note: if any of your kids have OCD or are even fractionally as anal-retentive as I am, the somewhat shaky editing in parts may cause some discomfort, but I think they'll recover. I did... but then again, therapy is free here...)

Mothman likes T-Swift… They don’t mention that in any of the books.

To that, there's really no conflict at all to speak of. Sure, there's the 'danger of discovery' implied by a cryptid-hunting television crew making their appearance or even a few bits of hinted gun-play included (hey, it's West Virginia after all), but nothing that should keep anyone up late at night with nightmares. As expected, we are 'taught' that ultimately the Moth-kin (you'll see) are good creatures and any appearances in the past have usually been coupled with a need to guard we humans from danger and/or pending catastrophes, thus contradicting the MM's usual 'harbinger of doom' reputation. Well, assuming you're not some two-timing jerk that leaves his prom date in the lurch, then you could - and should - be intensely afraid of what might happen to your car! But overall, it charts a pretty normal life - both for Wendy and Greg and Victor, too - over the years. And yes, that includes the requisite "I fell in love with my best friend who just happened to love all things cryptid" along the way.

You leave him alone. He’s never hurt anyone!

I had a good time reading it if only because I desperately needed a breather from some of the deep and/or gorier books that have crossed my Kindle in the past months. And who can say 'no' to a tale that features someone that enjoys Twinkies with BBQ sauce (it's not just for breakfast anymore kids!)? Besides, I'll no doubt have enough splattery stuff to enjoy in spades over the coming weeks, as I've started a reading challenge that calls for devouring (pun!) as many cryptid related stories as possible. And if you're not willing to settle for the advertised young reader offers on goodreads, you're not going to find many stories like "My Friend Mothman" that at least avoid the usual mayhem a good cryptid-related tale usually offers. So yeah, good fun, don't take it too seriously, and so on.

It’s a powerful urge. To want to help in some way.

I was also pleased to see the author still claims North Carolina as her native 'land' (as do I) despite having left for arguably less humid climes (as did I). Yes, "The Old North State" has its own creepy crawlies and even outright cryptid legends to brag about, but I feel no jealousy of West Virginia's most famous denizen taking center stage. Though it was with some shock to find out from the M-Man himself that 'his' famously glorious statue on 4th St. in Point Pleasant is, quote, anatomically incorrect. Oh well, guess we'll just have to keep shoving coins into his butt-cheeks and hope for the best! Enjoy!

[Zoë Burnett]

Your weird kid's new favorite book! More paranormal than precious, 'My Friend Mothman' is a new YA classic for children who grew up on Alvin Schwarz's 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' but aren't quite ready for John Keel's 'The Mothman Prophecies.' Written for precocious, spooky youngsters, the book will also delight for older readers. Heartwarming but not saccharine, Devora delivers a sweet tale of the changing nature of friendship and growing up.

[Alex]

3.5

[Natalie]

3.5! Very cute! A few typos but a fun story. Love me some mothman <3

[Juliana]

This is actually pretty decent. I was pleasantly surprised because I bought it as kind of a joke gift for my sister for Christmas.

[bryanna]

I wish I could be best friends with Mothman. I wish I could teach Mothman about pop culture and give him twinkies. I wanna help him find his family again. Such an easy and cozy read.

[Hannah Rinald]

This book is delightful! Quick-paced and heartwarming!