The Moth Keeper - Kay O'Neill - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Kay O'Neill

GENRE: MG Graphic Novel, Fantasy

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: What a gorgeous book! Amazing in plot, deep in meaning, lush in visuals. This begins slow but grows on you. Apt for middle graders and above.

Story Synopsis:

Young Anya has been appointed the moth keeper of her village. Her prime duty is to take care of the magical moon moths that allow the Night Lily flower to bloom once a year. This flower is essential for their village to survive and thrive, and without the moths, the tree will perish. Anya’s responsibility is thus vital. However, in the cold desert nights away from the village, Anya begins to wonder what it would be like to live under the sun. Will her desire to set aside the routine of the nocturnal tribe and attempt a daytime trip affect her work?

Kay O'Neill is the NZ author who are most known for their Tea Dragon series, which are in my TBR and I have heard so much about. Reading this book showed me why the author has such a reputation.

This graphic novel hits the right mark in all the components necessary for a satisfying reading experience.

🌷 The plot is written in a way that all emotions come out clearly. Anya’s insecurity, her friend’s concern for her, the senior mothkeeper’s dedication, everything is beautifully portrayed. There are some dark themes as well, such as parental abandonment and obsession with the unattainable.

🌷 Through Anya’s tribe, who are an indigenous people in a desert land, we see their strong connect to nature and how they live in harmony with the laws of the land without abusing their power. The story also touches upon the importance of having a community spirit rather than allowing only one person to shoulder a task.

🌷 There is a fair balance between visuals and text, which is something many graphic novelists forget. The author doesn’t fill every single panel with text. Rather, they allow their artwork to do the talking on quite a few pages. This approach allows us to focus on the beauty of the sketches as much as on the story.

🌷 The message is wonderfully woven into the storyline. What use is the pursuit of what-if while ignoring what-is?

🌷 The storyline is inclusive, as can be expected of an OwnVoices author.

On the flip side:

🌵 Somewhat mixed feelings about the art style. The character illustrations were quite quirky, and as this is my first book by this author, I am not sure if it is their signature style. But the characters seemed to be part-human-part-animal. (Anya is described as a “fox girl” in the editorial note at the beginning, but there’s no elaboration of this in the story.) I didn’t mind this artistic decision but didn’t understand the significance of it.

🌵 The story takes a while to get going and it is only in the second that he plot actually surges towards its main point.

🌵 There are some minor tracks that stay unexplained. (Is it hinting at a series, I wonder?)

The complaints are minor, the joy is great. The content is aimed at middle graders, but even older graphic novel readers will be able to find much to relish and cherish about this heartwarming book. Definitely recommended.

My thanks to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Moth Keeper”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.