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Moth
Young, gay heroin addicts in Urbino, Italy have enough problems but when one of their group connects with a golden stranger who shares a mysterious affliction, a tale about everyday lives riddled with addiction turns into a brutally destructive narrative about sex as a compulsion, coupled with sociopathological transformations. A novel both literary and evocative of the traditional horror or vampire genres, Takeda's Moth straddles the real and the surreal brilliantly, making its own dark magic.
- GenresHorror
202 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2021
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47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 15, 2021
Moth is the tale of a young, gay, drug addict who’s lifeis gonna drasticly change after a meeting with a golden eye stranger. This is a horror story written by Michael Takeda, a writer that it’s no newbie when it comes to dark topics in fiction.
“Our protagonist steps out of the movie theater into the night.”
An opening line that sets the tone of the story quite well and begins a streak of chapters that will first keep you glued to the book, before they slowly start to let you go. This is the major problem of this narrative. The first part of the book, that goes over half of it, is far too big and very low on action. We spend a desproporcional amount of time with Moth and his friends before we reach the “meat” of the plot. This of course makes it that the second part feels rushed and underdeveloped.
To help push the reader away the characters also behave and create a very unoriginal group. There is philosophy being discussed in between cigarettes and drinks, beautiful gay boys taking drugs while bathing in self-loathing and bad memories.
Yet even though this faults the book also has it’s good points. One of them being the very interesting golden eye stranger and the obvious metaphor of it all. It was a creative way of creating such a monster that leaves us wanting to know more about it.
Adding to it, there are several good passages throughout that beautifully illustrate the excess of feeling, the places that Moth inhabits, the general feeling of a meeting. You will never have difficulty imagining what is happening on the page.
Overall a book that I would still recommend for anyone that is not detracted by very, very slow burn.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
“Our protagonist steps out of the movie theater into the night.”
An opening line that sets the tone of the story quite well and begins a streak of chapters that will first keep you glued to the book, before they slowly start to let you go. This is the major problem of this narrative. The first part of the book, that goes over half of it, is far too big and very low on action. We spend a desproporcional amount of time with Moth and his friends before we reach the “meat” of the plot. This of course makes it that the second part feels rushed and underdeveloped.
To help push the reader away the characters also behave and create a very unoriginal group. There is philosophy being discussed in between cigarettes and drinks, beautiful gay boys taking drugs while bathing in self-loathing and bad memories.
Yet even though this faults the book also has it’s good points. One of them being the very interesting golden eye stranger and the obvious metaphor of it all. It was a creative way of creating such a monster that leaves us wanting to know more about it.
Adding to it, there are several good passages throughout that beautifully illustrate the excess of feeling, the places that Moth inhabits, the general feeling of a meeting. You will never have difficulty imagining what is happening on the page.
Overall a book that I would still recommend for anyone that is not detracted by very, very slow burn.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
October 28, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Moth was an intriguing main character, enjoyed the symbolism, the real life struggles between addicts and family members, Rousseau 32% quote. Dialogue was realistic. I liked Arturo's character.
I don't like how everything has to be explained. Example: "Juan gestures him over. Moth goes." It feels disjointed, like it doesn't flow well. It reminds me of the girl with the dragon tattoo, which I also enjoyed, but felt like everything was over explained.
First half was kind of slow, but I feel necessary to learn who Moth really was before the change. Vampire portion came in late, but action when that did happen. Not your typical vampire story, very little fantasy aspects to the story relating to vampires.
Easy read, didn't really want to put it down even with the criticism I made earlier. The ending was a surprise. Thought provoking.
Moth was an intriguing main character, enjoyed the symbolism, the real life struggles between addicts and family members, Rousseau 32% quote. Dialogue was realistic. I liked Arturo's character.
I don't like how everything has to be explained. Example: "Juan gestures him over. Moth goes." It feels disjointed, like it doesn't flow well. It reminds me of the girl with the dragon tattoo, which I also enjoyed, but felt like everything was over explained.
First half was kind of slow, but I feel necessary to learn who Moth really was before the change. Vampire portion came in late, but action when that did happen. Not your typical vampire story, very little fantasy aspects to the story relating to vampires.
Easy read, didn't really want to put it down even with the criticism I made earlier. The ending was a surprise. Thought provoking.
November 7, 2021
i didn't like this book. it had me laughing out loud, i was constantly thrown off because of something happening that was just utterly ridiculous. many things put me off, but i can acknowledge the fact that the symbolism and meaning of the story in the end is good.
( received a free arc through booksirens, thank you! i am leaving this review voluntarily! )
( received a free arc through booksirens, thank you! i am leaving this review voluntarily! )
August 7, 2022
I was fairly dubious about the narrative voice at first, especially with the “our protagonist” schtick right at the start. I decided to take a chance because, despite that, Takeda piqued my interest in said protagonist. Something about the small details Takeda shared about Michael (aka Moth), and how Takeda shared them made me immediately invested. As I read on, I found that the narrative style didn’t, in fact, distract me or make me feel the clinical detachment I thought it might.
I’m not too sure how I feel about the paranormal, vampire-esque aspect to this story. I really didn’t need it, but that’s not to say it’s bad. It definitely did add something to the story. I only mean to say that it wasn’t a selling point for me. I’d have read this story just as readily without it… because I love these characters (well, except for Arturo, who mostly bored me).
It’s funny that there were so many literary name drops the likes of William S. Burroughs, because I think that’s one of the things that I enjoyed so much about this story- the familiarity. It was almost comforting, like I was returning to a scene I knew well, but it actually wasn’t the same scene at all. It had just enough similarity to make me feel instantly at home.
Let’s get to the end, though, because the end left me angry. The kind of angry where you wish you could have some strong words with the author, while also shoving all your money in their face and cradling their book in your arms protectively… before you stomp off with a very aggressive “thanks for the story”. That’s me. I am soooo upset over Moth’s fate. So not okay. I must protect the precious best boy. I can see my fool self re-reading this book over and over, as if the act will somehow magically yield a different narrative for my baby, one where he gets to be happier.
Needless to say, now that I’ve read the arc (which I received in exchange for my unbiased review), I’ll be buying myself my own physical copy, so I can raise my blood pressure yet again over how unfair life is to Moth… and Orazio… and really all my boys, but especially Moth.
I’m not too sure how I feel about the paranormal, vampire-esque aspect to this story. I really didn’t need it, but that’s not to say it’s bad. It definitely did add something to the story. I only mean to say that it wasn’t a selling point for me. I’d have read this story just as readily without it… because I love these characters (well, except for Arturo, who mostly bored me).
It’s funny that there were so many literary name drops the likes of William S. Burroughs, because I think that’s one of the things that I enjoyed so much about this story- the familiarity. It was almost comforting, like I was returning to a scene I knew well, but it actually wasn’t the same scene at all. It had just enough similarity to make me feel instantly at home.
Let’s get to the end, though, because the end left me angry. The kind of angry where you wish you could have some strong words with the author, while also shoving all your money in their face and cradling their book in your arms protectively… before you stomp off with a very aggressive “thanks for the story”. That’s me. I am soooo upset over Moth’s fate. So not okay. I must protect the precious best boy. I can see my fool self re-reading this book over and over, as if the act will somehow magically yield a different narrative for my baby, one where he gets to be happier.
Needless to say, now that I’ve read the arc (which I received in exchange for my unbiased review), I’ll be buying myself my own physical copy, so I can raise my blood pressure yet again over how unfair life is to Moth… and Orazio… and really all my boys, but especially Moth.
October 19, 2021
Thank you Hot Redhead Media for the e-ARC!
How do I begin to explain Moth? Imagine Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis as a film noir in which the femme fatal is the protagonist and a gay man. The first thing that struck me was the third person omniscient narrator that jumped not only from viewpoint to viewpoint, but did it within the same paragraph! At first, it was hard to keep up with whose viewpoint I was reading, but after getting into the groove of Takeda’s writing, I was surprised by his ability to switch from character to character so smoothly. I found myself quite enjoying this type of narration, as I was let in on everything going on in a scene without too much wordy exposition.
The bit I didn’t like about the writing were the very frequent references to artists, poets, writers, and thinkers scattered throughout the story. This felt like a cheap way to lend a tone to certain scenes without actually fleshing them out. It also felt a little pretentious.
This is one of few books of which I have ever spent time on contemplating the value of the story. As a rule, I believe all stories have value, but as a person who exists in the world with my own individual life experience, I have found myself questioning the value of a story a, very, few times. Being brief, my life has been directly affected by addiction and furthermore, by heroin addiction. So I found myself wondering why on earth I had agreed to a read story in which heroin addiction features front and center? The answer to my own question was, of course, that all stories have value. But I was able to expound on my question by asking: would we read stories about addicts if they weren’t well-educated addicts? Because all of the heroin addicts in this story have, or are getting, a college education and seem to be very familiar with literature and philosophy.
Moving on from questioning the story, let’s get down to the plot! Although not directly a vampire story, I will say Moth made me rethink one particular aspect of vampirism. Previously, my notions of vampirism were glamourized with vampires possessing power and freedom. But Moth showed me that a vampire can be a slave to their condition, more so than any bloodlust I have ever seen; Moth’s transformation renders him completely without choice in his actions against mortals.
The mention of mortals brings me to a comparison between traditional vamps and Moth’s creatures. It’s unclear whether the creatures in Moth are immortal, but it is stated early on that they are not invulnerable. They clearly have powers of influence, both mentally and physically applied. Moth’s creatures are also quite beautiful to humans, although this glamour seems to become stripped away by others of their kind. I believe Moth’s creatures go through more of a physical change than traditional vampires and their chompers, but I won’t go into too many of the physical changes Moth’s creatures experience. What is perfectly abundant is that Moth’s creatures do not consume blood nor are they limited by the sun.
All in all, I think I will give Moth 3 stars, because there were aspects of the storytelling that either lacked flesh or proper descriptions and I questioned the value of this story, which indicates my suspension of disbelief was not so suspended. In the end, I’ll stick with traditional vampires, but these beings were a very unique creation by Takeda.
How do I begin to explain Moth? Imagine Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis as a film noir in which the femme fatal is the protagonist and a gay man. The first thing that struck me was the third person omniscient narrator that jumped not only from viewpoint to viewpoint, but did it within the same paragraph! At first, it was hard to keep up with whose viewpoint I was reading, but after getting into the groove of Takeda’s writing, I was surprised by his ability to switch from character to character so smoothly. I found myself quite enjoying this type of narration, as I was let in on everything going on in a scene without too much wordy exposition.
The bit I didn’t like about the writing were the very frequent references to artists, poets, writers, and thinkers scattered throughout the story. This felt like a cheap way to lend a tone to certain scenes without actually fleshing them out. It also felt a little pretentious.
This is one of few books of which I have ever spent time on contemplating the value of the story. As a rule, I believe all stories have value, but as a person who exists in the world with my own individual life experience, I have found myself questioning the value of a story a, very, few times. Being brief, my life has been directly affected by addiction and furthermore, by heroin addiction. So I found myself wondering why on earth I had agreed to a read story in which heroin addiction features front and center? The answer to my own question was, of course, that all stories have value. But I was able to expound on my question by asking: would we read stories about addicts if they weren’t well-educated addicts? Because all of the heroin addicts in this story have, or are getting, a college education and seem to be very familiar with literature and philosophy.
Moving on from questioning the story, let’s get down to the plot! Although not directly a vampire story, I will say Moth made me rethink one particular aspect of vampirism. Previously, my notions of vampirism were glamourized with vampires possessing power and freedom. But Moth showed me that a vampire can be a slave to their condition, more so than any bloodlust I have ever seen; Moth’s transformation renders him completely without choice in his actions against mortals.
The mention of mortals brings me to a comparison between traditional vamps and Moth’s creatures. It’s unclear whether the creatures in Moth are immortal, but it is stated early on that they are not invulnerable. They clearly have powers of influence, both mentally and physically applied. Moth’s creatures are also quite beautiful to humans, although this glamour seems to become stripped away by others of their kind. I believe Moth’s creatures go through more of a physical change than traditional vampires and their chompers, but I won’t go into too many of the physical changes Moth’s creatures experience. What is perfectly abundant is that Moth’s creatures do not consume blood nor are they limited by the sun.
All in all, I think I will give Moth 3 stars, because there were aspects of the storytelling that either lacked flesh or proper descriptions and I questioned the value of this story, which indicates my suspension of disbelief was not so suspended. In the end, I’ll stick with traditional vampires, but these beings were a very unique creation by Takeda.
November 8, 2021
Moth, the character and not the novel, is who I call a polarizing protagonist.
If it's not his eccentric try-hard coolness or his random quoting of poetry for the sake of quoting poetry, his traits might throw or compel you. Like his apathetic and impulsive youth. Or that he fits the starving artist stereotype. Or his compulsive desire to overanalyze. Or that he does drugs. Or that he's gay.
Something.
When the entirety of the story relies on a title character like Moth, it makes or breaks the reading experience for me. In this case, I'm leaning toward a partial pass because his interactions with other characters can be interesting. Moth by himself, less so. He's too much of a know-it-all rather than endearing in any other way to me. Could be argued that that's the point, I'll grant you. Perhaps I'm not in the mood to read yet another American protagonist like Moth.
The clencher for me is the romance, more like lust-driven relationships. Fits with the mood and tone of the general work, yes. It wasn't for me. Though it's not a huge part of the book per se, it was one of the few character motivations for Moth that sparked any interest in his struggles.
Surprisingly ends in a very typical indie way. Given how many times Takeda planted events to subvert expectations, that came a bit out of left field. Interesting takes for the genre too. I may complain, but the writing moves after it's done its meandering.
Try Moth if you'd like a different taste to your paranormal. It's not a book for the kiddies, it's a book for the jaded adult.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If it's not his eccentric try-hard coolness or his random quoting of poetry for the sake of quoting poetry, his traits might throw or compel you. Like his apathetic and impulsive youth. Or that he fits the starving artist stereotype. Or his compulsive desire to overanalyze. Or that he does drugs. Or that he's gay.
Something.
When the entirety of the story relies on a title character like Moth, it makes or breaks the reading experience for me. In this case, I'm leaning toward a partial pass because his interactions with other characters can be interesting. Moth by himself, less so. He's too much of a know-it-all rather than endearing in any other way to me. Could be argued that that's the point, I'll grant you. Perhaps I'm not in the mood to read yet another American protagonist like Moth.
The clencher for me is the romance, more like lust-driven relationships. Fits with the mood and tone of the general work, yes. It wasn't for me. Though it's not a huge part of the book per se, it was one of the few character motivations for Moth that sparked any interest in his struggles.
Surprisingly ends in a very typical indie way. Given how many times Takeda planted events to subvert expectations, that came a bit out of left field. Interesting takes for the genre too. I may complain, but the writing moves after it's done its meandering.
Try Moth if you'd like a different taste to your paranormal. It's not a book for the kiddies, it's a book for the jaded adult.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 26, 2022
Moth
By Michael Takeda
Reviewed by Val Francis
The walled Italian city of Urbino provides a believable backdrop to Michael Takeda’s novel, ‘Moth.’ However, what we read is far removed from the popular places you’ll see in the tourist brochures. Welcome to the seedy underbelly of the historic town. Wander with Moth through the streets and into the seedy bars. Here, Urbino’s visitors are more likely to be interested in the drugs and prostitution on offer rather than in the city’s history.
Moth is gay, and he has spent much of his life in America. Now that he’s back in Italy, he’s part of the Urbino drug scene. Living a transient existence, he moves from friend to friend, wherever he can get a bed, and from one heroin fix to the next.
But things start happening, and a serial killer, a man with dark hair and golden eyes, is on the prowl, and Moth may be in his sights. As the story unfolds, the reader is left wondering how much of it is due to the effects of his addiction and how much could have supernatural associations.
Reading this novel, I found myself having to backtrack on occasions. There’s a lot of head-hopping, which spoilt it for me. It was a pity as I did find the story interesting enough to keep me reading. Also, I found the protagonist, Moth, engaging, though not sympathetic.
If the reader looks past the book’s shortcomings and is willing to persevere with it, Moth provides an intriguing read.
This is to declare that Val Francis reviewed an ARC of ‘Underneath the Whiskey’. No payment of any kind was received for this review. 01/01/2022
By Michael Takeda
Reviewed by Val Francis
The walled Italian city of Urbino provides a believable backdrop to Michael Takeda’s novel, ‘Moth.’ However, what we read is far removed from the popular places you’ll see in the tourist brochures. Welcome to the seedy underbelly of the historic town. Wander with Moth through the streets and into the seedy bars. Here, Urbino’s visitors are more likely to be interested in the drugs and prostitution on offer rather than in the city’s history.
Moth is gay, and he has spent much of his life in America. Now that he’s back in Italy, he’s part of the Urbino drug scene. Living a transient existence, he moves from friend to friend, wherever he can get a bed, and from one heroin fix to the next.
But things start happening, and a serial killer, a man with dark hair and golden eyes, is on the prowl, and Moth may be in his sights. As the story unfolds, the reader is left wondering how much of it is due to the effects of his addiction and how much could have supernatural associations.
Reading this novel, I found myself having to backtrack on occasions. There’s a lot of head-hopping, which spoilt it for me. It was a pity as I did find the story interesting enough to keep me reading. Also, I found the protagonist, Moth, engaging, though not sympathetic.
If the reader looks past the book’s shortcomings and is willing to persevere with it, Moth provides an intriguing read.
This is to declare that Val Francis reviewed an ARC of ‘Underneath the Whiskey’. No payment of any kind was received for this review. 01/01/2022
October 21, 2021
**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through BookSirens as a prize in a giveaway. I provide an honest review of my own accord.**
With Moth, Michael Takeda explores Urbino, Italy through the lens of a young gay man with a heroin addiction. The grungy underbelly of the city and the habits of those swept up in the messy cycle of sex and drugs are brought to the reader by the character Michael, called Moth. One day Moth meets a Stranger who he simply can't ignore and the Stranger's golden eyes only add to the fact that poet Moth thinks that he has found his muse. When someone shows up dead, Moth realizes he may have found more than he bargained for.
If the initial summary was unclear, this work has quite a few content warnings, so readers should be aware of those prior to engaging with this content.
Takeda's writing is interesting and is unlike anything I have commonly read in the horror or paranormal genres. The choice to use a third person present tense can be a bit off-putting to start, but I found it easy to adapt to after a chapter or so. It is very easy to see why the book is marketed to fans of the classic vampire modernized and I really liked the surrealist quality to Takeda's manifestation of the lore.
Overall, this was an odd, but enjoyable story with concepts that I really liked.
With Moth, Michael Takeda explores Urbino, Italy through the lens of a young gay man with a heroin addiction. The grungy underbelly of the city and the habits of those swept up in the messy cycle of sex and drugs are brought to the reader by the character Michael, called Moth. One day Moth meets a Stranger who he simply can't ignore and the Stranger's golden eyes only add to the fact that poet Moth thinks that he has found his muse. When someone shows up dead, Moth realizes he may have found more than he bargained for.
If the initial summary was unclear, this work has quite a few content warnings, so readers should be aware of those prior to engaging with this content.
Takeda's writing is interesting and is unlike anything I have commonly read in the horror or paranormal genres. The choice to use a third person present tense can be a bit off-putting to start, but I found it easy to adapt to after a chapter or so. It is very easy to see why the book is marketed to fans of the classic vampire modernized and I really liked the surrealist quality to Takeda's manifestation of the lore.
Overall, this was an odd, but enjoyable story with concepts that I really liked.
November 5, 2021
Actual Rating: 3.75
First of all, thank you to the publisher who sent me a copy of Moth in exchange for an honest review.
"He needs to believe in free will, that he can master whatever is happening to him. After all, monsters don’t wear Armani."
This book was such a weird, wild ride. It was so strange at times that, I admit, it almost put me into a reading slump. But then I kept pushing on and I found that the story itself was creeping into my subconscious mind as I read and I found myself dreaming of cocoons and gold-eyed monsters until I just HAD to keep reading to get to the end of it.
The style of writing was interesting. It flowed more like poetry at times and others it felt very direct. The characters made me sad -- drug addicts, especially heroin addicts, tend to break my heart, but that just means they were well written.
I do wish the rivalry between Arturo and Moth was a little more obvious at the beginning, but otherwise I enjoyed watching that train wreck as it happened.
Overall I enjoyed this one. I wish I knew a little bit more about what was happening in certain scenes, but some of those felt like we were experiencing the high alongside Moth and that was both well done and made me a little uncomfortable.
First of all, thank you to the publisher who sent me a copy of Moth in exchange for an honest review.
"He needs to believe in free will, that he can master whatever is happening to him. After all, monsters don’t wear Armani."
This book was such a weird, wild ride. It was so strange at times that, I admit, it almost put me into a reading slump. But then I kept pushing on and I found that the story itself was creeping into my subconscious mind as I read and I found myself dreaming of cocoons and gold-eyed monsters until I just HAD to keep reading to get to the end of it.
The style of writing was interesting. It flowed more like poetry at times and others it felt very direct. The characters made me sad -- drug addicts, especially heroin addicts, tend to break my heart, but that just means they were well written.
I do wish the rivalry between Arturo and Moth was a little more obvious at the beginning, but otherwise I enjoyed watching that train wreck as it happened.
Overall I enjoyed this one. I wish I knew a little bit more about what was happening in certain scenes, but some of those felt like we were experiencing the high alongside Moth and that was both well done and made me a little uncomfortable.
March 14, 2022
There is something dark and intriguing about this novel. Drug addiction and queer attraction amongst cynical and disaffected youths of modern Italy on the surface, with a mystery flowing underneath: a man with a golden eyes who consumes his victims with lust before ultimately killing them, and who may just be a vampire.
There is plenty here to be interested in.
The problem is that it is so slow. If it was only a novel about addiction and queerness and disaffected youths, that would be one thing; but the promise of this vampire mystery keeps being teased and teased and teased, and just when the lore starts to reveal itself, it is the end of the novel.
I really felt like Act 3 should have been Act 2, and then I would have loved to know what happened next.
Worth a read, but be prepared for a very slow story. You'll need to let your imagination build on the fantastic premise, because the novel doesn't quite get there on its own.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
There is plenty here to be interested in.
The problem is that it is so slow. If it was only a novel about addiction and queerness and disaffected youths, that would be one thing; but the promise of this vampire mystery keeps being teased and teased and teased, and just when the lore starts to reveal itself, it is the end of the novel.
I really felt like Act 3 should have been Act 2, and then I would have loved to know what happened next.
Worth a read, but be prepared for a very slow story. You'll need to let your imagination build on the fantastic premise, because the novel doesn't quite get there on its own.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
January 25, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Deciding whether or not this book deserved a 2 or 3 star rating was difficult. In the end, I erred on the side of the former. MOTH is a very interesting story taking us on a journey that is personal to its character(s). It explores difficult themes of life, morality, the choices we make and are faced with, drug abuse, and more.
With all of that going on, I do think the format and style of storytelling could have been better. It felt choppy (though adequate given the sequence of events), and it was difficult at times to tell the narration apart from which character it was coming from at times. I think it could have had more potential with a bit more depth and pacing to the writing.
Over all, it was a fairly decent story! I just think the direction and pacing wasn't very clear and seemed quite abrupt. It's also not a story I would readily recommend to just anyone
Deciding whether or not this book deserved a 2 or 3 star rating was difficult. In the end, I erred on the side of the former. MOTH is a very interesting story taking us on a journey that is personal to its character(s). It explores difficult themes of life, morality, the choices we make and are faced with, drug abuse, and more.
With all of that going on, I do think the format and style of storytelling could have been better. It felt choppy (though adequate given the sequence of events), and it was difficult at times to tell the narration apart from which character it was coming from at times. I think it could have had more potential with a bit more depth and pacing to the writing.
Over all, it was a fairly decent story! I just think the direction and pacing wasn't very clear and seemed quite abrupt. It's also not a story I would readily recommend to just anyone
October 2, 2021
Moth spends his time hanging with his friends, getting high & dealing with his lawyer brother. But an encounter with a Stranger one night changes Moth's world & can have unsettling effects on those around him.
This was to slow burn. The first 60% - 70% spends all its time getting to know Moth & his friends & just hanging with them as the drink, take drugs & pick up 'Johns', it was good getting to know them but this went on way too long. Not much in the way of the story development happens & was close to DNF'ing. It wasn't until last 30% did any action finally take place. Enjoyed this part of the story & wish it had happened sooner & we deal with Moth's new reality more than just at the end. Interesting take on a vampire but was to slow & boring to get there.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was to slow burn. The first 60% - 70% spends all its time getting to know Moth & his friends & just hanging with them as the drink, take drugs & pick up 'Johns', it was good getting to know them but this went on way too long. Not much in the way of the story development happens & was close to DNF'ing. It wasn't until last 30% did any action finally take place. Enjoyed this part of the story & wish it had happened sooner & we deal with Moth's new reality more than just at the end. Interesting take on a vampire but was to slow & boring to get there.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 20, 2021
I received an e-ARC for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Moth is an dark and unusual yet fascinating read about young, gay heroin addicts in Italy. It is heavy on the sex and drugs, so take heed of the content warnings. It is an extreme slow burn, not getting into the action until around halfway through the book.
When I began Moth, it took me a while to adjust to Takeda's style of writing such as the jumping between character viewpoints within paragraphs, but found myself quite enjoying it by the end and was easy enough to follow.
I will admit, I started this book off and thought I may not finish, it was quite slow to begin but I took it back up and had another go and I'm glad that I did. I have never read anything quite like this.
Would recommend if you're looking for something different and to step out of your comfort zone.
Moth is an dark and unusual yet fascinating read about young, gay heroin addicts in Italy. It is heavy on the sex and drugs, so take heed of the content warnings. It is an extreme slow burn, not getting into the action until around halfway through the book.
When I began Moth, it took me a while to adjust to Takeda's style of writing such as the jumping between character viewpoints within paragraphs, but found myself quite enjoying it by the end and was easy enough to follow.
I will admit, I started this book off and thought I may not finish, it was quite slow to begin but I took it back up and had another go and I'm glad that I did. I have never read anything quite like this.
Would recommend if you're looking for something different and to step out of your comfort zone.
January 27, 2022
the writing style was so unique, though i can't exactly pinpoint why. the story itself was very compelling, though i wish we'd have gotten a little more lore on the whole because, even though i know it was being used to further the addiction theme, i was just interested in the ins and outs of it and a bit sad we didn't get more mystery hunting.
i really enjoyed the characters, especially sam and orazio. it's funny that in the first few pages moth says that junkies can never really have true friends, yet the relationships within the main little clique are written so warmly at times.
definitely not a cheery read, but it was still really engrossing and i enjoyed the snappy pacing.
i really enjoyed the characters, especially sam and orazio. it's funny that in the first few pages moth says that junkies can never really have true friends, yet the relationships within the main little clique are written so warmly at times.
definitely not a cheery read, but it was still really engrossing and i enjoyed the snappy pacing.
October 9, 2021
This book was incredibly interesting I really enjoyed the setting and moths proclivity to recite or remember or write poetry and I found the questions he asked interesting the way the book went was surprising and unexpected and I really enjoyed finding out what was happening at the end even if all the questions weren’t completely answered I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysterious happenings and captivating characters
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 27, 2021
I've read a number of supernatural and vampire books in my time and I can definitely say that this book has a unique take on the genre. Not only are the overall setting - Urbino, Italy - and atmosphere - the underground clubs - far from the more popular vampire novel locations, but it allows for a new and diverse collection of characters to take on this well-known supernatural villain.
If you are looking for something that is far from Twilight, different than Rice, and as captivating as the Only Lovers Left Alive, this is a must-read.
If you are looking for something that is far from Twilight, different than Rice, and as captivating as the Only Lovers Left Alive, this is a must-read.
January 15, 2022
Moth by Michael Takeda is a compelling story that combines horror and literary aesthetics with a surreal tale of heroin addicts in Urbano, Italy who encounter a variety of challenges and mysterious events. It follows the protagonist through a series of relationships and explores themes of acceptance, humanity, loss, and human friendship. Check out this episode of Booktails where Takeda gives an rare interview and also reads from this book. https://www.hotredheadmedia.com/bookt...
November 12, 2021
This one I won as a price and a big thank you for that goes to @vamplit and @hot_redhead_media for the opportunity to read this book!
It was definitely not something I would have picked up myself, but I’m really glad I read it. It took me a little to get used to Takeda’s writing style, but it is quite lyrical and poetic and he jumps POV within sentences. It is definitely an interesting take on vampirism, but its mainly a book about the destructive nature of addiction.
There wasn’t a lot of vampire action at the start, it unfolded more in the second half and I’d put it in the realm of magical realism more than a classic vampire story.
I don’t know if it was the story for me perse, but I’m glad I read it and it has given me a lot to think about. Definitely worth the read and I had a hard time putting it down.
It was definitely not something I would have picked up myself, but I’m really glad I read it. It took me a little to get used to Takeda’s writing style, but it is quite lyrical and poetic and he jumps POV within sentences. It is definitely an interesting take on vampirism, but its mainly a book about the destructive nature of addiction.
There wasn’t a lot of vampire action at the start, it unfolded more in the second half and I’d put it in the realm of magical realism more than a classic vampire story.
I don’t know if it was the story for me perse, but I’m glad I read it and it has given me a lot to think about. Definitely worth the read and I had a hard time putting it down.
January 3, 2022
Thank you for the ARC! This book isn’t my usual type of book but I found it interesting. I read it very quickly and I was very invested in who this specific Stranger was. I feel like the ending cut off a bit short and left me with several questions about what actually happened to our main character and where that would lead to. Overall, I found it fast paced and intriguing. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 27, 2021
This book was not what I expected but that’s neither a good nor a bad thing. The supernatural element takes a back seat for the vast majority of this story as it focuses more on the lifestyle of our protagonist. At first I was a bit disappointed due to a complete lack of action but once I let my expectations go I found the actual story quite engrossing.
To me “Moth” feels like a less chaotic version of Harmony Korine’s “Kids”. It’s a very slow story that focuses less on the actions of the protagonist and more in who he is. The introduction of the supernatural doesn’t do much to pump energy into the story and at times it feels as though you have read a huge chunk without anything of note having actually happened. But at the same time it has a way of drawing you into the character. There’s a realism in its pace that slowly pulls you into a steady flow, creating a feeling you are reading about a real person struggling with his place in the world.
This lasts for two thirds of the book whereas the final third goes a bit strange. It follows the same slow pacing but adds in a metaphor filled unique take on the traditional Vampire. This jars with the story so far but I couldn’t make up my mind if this subtracted from the book or added to its realism, where something so strange and supernatural would of course jar against our reality.
Although I wouldn’t rate it higher than 3/5, as it was such a very slow burn and at times left me feeling lost as to which character we were reading about, I would still say I enjoyed this book and am glad to have read it. I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone I know but a select few I can see getting as much from this as I did and maybe more.
To me “Moth” feels like a less chaotic version of Harmony Korine’s “Kids”. It’s a very slow story that focuses less on the actions of the protagonist and more in who he is. The introduction of the supernatural doesn’t do much to pump energy into the story and at times it feels as though you have read a huge chunk without anything of note having actually happened. But at the same time it has a way of drawing you into the character. There’s a realism in its pace that slowly pulls you into a steady flow, creating a feeling you are reading about a real person struggling with his place in the world.
This lasts for two thirds of the book whereas the final third goes a bit strange. It follows the same slow pacing but adds in a metaphor filled unique take on the traditional Vampire. This jars with the story so far but I couldn’t make up my mind if this subtracted from the book or added to its realism, where something so strange and supernatural would of course jar against our reality.
Although I wouldn’t rate it higher than 3/5, as it was such a very slow burn and at times left me feeling lost as to which character we were reading about, I would still say I enjoyed this book and am glad to have read it. I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone I know but a select few I can see getting as much from this as I did and maybe more.
December 4, 2021
I enjoyed the premise of this book.
For me personally I felt it was a little slow. However I really enjoyed Moth in general. I liked living in his head.
This book was beautifully written, I like the more lyrical aspect of it.
Overall I felt sympathy for Moth a lot, but I wish there was just more doing.
I received this book as a giveaway. All thoughts are my own
For me personally I felt it was a little slow. However I really enjoyed Moth in general. I liked living in his head.
This book was beautifully written, I like the more lyrical aspect of it.
Overall I felt sympathy for Moth a lot, but I wish there was just more doing.
I received this book as a giveaway. All thoughts are my own
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