Honestly angry that I can only give 5 stars because this book just went above and beyond my expectations. This was a touching exploration of queer expression, about the impact of love and loss, as well as the nuances of friendship and coming of age. I loved Noah and his connection to Mothman is so unbelievably wholesome. I will 100% be recommending this to literally everyone I know, and we already have a copy on order for the library. I can't wait for more people to experience this book. It truly was amazing. Thank you Robin Gow, and thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I love this story of grief and friendship and finding your own ways to cope. I enjoyed the theme of learning to be who you are, even if it makes you a bit different than others.

What a beautiful, beautiful story. Following a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid, Mothman. Such a moving exploration of grief and identity and friendship. Will be recommending to everyone that crosses my path

With profoundly beautiful verse, Dear Mothman gently and honestly tells the story of a grieving trans boy writing letters to, and searching for, Mothman. It is refreshingly confident in its audience without ever feeling anything but safe, and I loved how it tackled something kids often aren’t very used to thinking about in a real-world context (grief and queerness) through something kids tend to talk about a lot (monsters and cryptids). In a genre awash with characters trying to change themselves, Dear Mothman is an ode to misfits-by-nature, those who are different by virtue of that which they cannot change— for Noah, being queer (and autistic), for Mothman, being a cryptid. Dear Mothman also proposes that maybe there isn’t a difference between the two things— that all cryptids are queer in their own way, and all queer people are our own kinds of cryptids. It’s beautiful, powerful, and just weird enough to let everyone who reads it—queer, neurodivergent, grieving, or otherwise—know they aren’t alone.

This book. THIS BOOK. I sobbed--it's beautiful, and heartbreaking, and honest. It doesn't hold back, it allows the reader to grieve with Noah, to be confused with Noah, to really and fully understand Noah--even if he doesn't fully understand himself. Have tissues ready!

I really loved this book and how it was written! It's such a cool way to write and I loved the story plot. It's a great read.

A tenderly personal story of a trans child navigating grief, friendship, love, and identity. Turning to a cryptid to express his feelings, Noah uses writing to figure out who he is, how much he misses his friend who passed in a car accident, and how to make new friends.
I love the premise of this book, the transness, the juxtapose with adolescence, and the mystery of Mothman and seeing a monster in a new light.

Dear Mothman is a beautiful exploration into dealing with grief at a young age. A young trans boy is dealing with the grief of losing his beat friend, In dealing with his grief, he begins to write letters to his best friend's favorite cryptid, Mothman.

This book is written in a variety of styles from letters to prose. It also includes beautiful illustrations as well. These features create a unique reading experience that was a joy to read.

This book did a wonderful job of showcasing grief and how this young child deals with such a catastrophic loss. I could feel the pain that Noah was dealing with trying to rationalize his best friend leaving, while also coming to terms with his identity and letting new friends into his life. This book was heartbreaking, beautiful, but also sometimes fun. I really enjoyed my reading experience.

I received a copy of the netgallies for this book in exchange for an honest review. I grabbed this book without much prior research because I hate spoilers and I find that the more I know about a book before reading, the less I enjoy it. What I expected: a cutesy little story about a shy kid obsessed with cryptids, mild horror/sci-fi, and some life lessons on friendship. What I got: a gut-wrenching book in verse about a trans boy dealing with grief and PTSD following the death of his best friend. How does he cope with this pain? He writes letters to the cryptid he and his friend were obsessed with (Mothman). And what’s more Mothman seems to be reading his letters! Noah struggles in school. So much so that he gets sent to the school counselor and there is talk of him possibly being held back a year. Autistic Noah sets out with two goals: 1. prove the existence of Mothman for his school science project, and 2. make a new friend, even though he knows nobody can ever take Lewis’s place. This book had me riveted from page one. I loved the characters. I cried over these beautiful letters. I wanted to meet Mothman. I was convinced there really was a creature out there reading Noah’s journal. I know it is hard to get kids to read poetry books, but I think the combination of sci-fi/horror and book in verse will help more kids connect with the topic. It is a tad long for a middle grade read but the book is a quick read. Also, while some parts a tad predictable (at least as an adult), I enjoyed the journey so much. And a good book should be a logical progression from start to finish, making a bit of predictability a potential sign of skillful writing, IMHO.

As someone who loves the mythos of Mothman, this book both spooked me out and made my heart sing with sadness and hope.