I gave this book a good try but couldn't get into it. Probably my fault, not the author's.

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I seen Jeff Zentner (The Serpent King) talking about Being Fishkill and how amazing it was, so I had to check it out! I love his books, so anything he recommends, I’m down to read. I was super excited when I was approved for it on Netgalley and I am glad that I was finally able to read it, because it was so amazing.

I instantly fell in love with Fishkill she was only thirteen years old, but she felt so much older to me. She had to grow up pretty fast with the life that she had to live her first thirteen years of life. It wasn’t easy for her and when she met Duck-Duck and Molly, things seemed a lot brighter for her. I was rooting for Fishkill and so badly wanted her to have the life that she deserved. Fishkill and Duck-Duck had this amazing friendship and you could feel all the love between them and Duck-Duck’s mom Molly.

I can’t even count on one hand how many times I cried while reading this book, there are SO MANY FEELS! 320 pages of feels, you guys! Good and bad. Fishkill’s story is really sad. The book as a whole is really sad, but there are still happy moments too. It was so well written and I flew through it pretty quickly. It was hard to put down. It was beautiful and it was sad all at the same time. It was everything you could hope for in a good book. It was so easy to connect with the characters, fall in love with them, and go on this emotional roller coaster with them.

Overall, I really loved Being Fishkill. It’s hands down one of my new favorite books now. Although it was so sad, I still enjoyed it so much. The ending was a shocker to me and so unexpected. I honestly couldn’t believe it. I keep thinking about the book and I keep wanting to cry every time I do. I think this will be a book that sticks with you for a very long time. I know it will for me. I highly recommend reading it. It’s out in the world now, so you should definitely go pick it up!

Being Fishkill is a novel that will make you cheer and cry many times until the final lines. Hopeful yet realistic, Carmel Fishkill changes her name to Fishkill Carmel after her mean grandfather’s death and her flaky mother’s disappearance. Spending time with friend Duck-Duck and Duck-Duck’s mother Molly helps Fishy realize just how important family is and how much she would like to be part of their family. I am thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Wrenching and totally involving, Fishkill's story illuminates the resilience and tenacity of a young adolescent who has long known how to protect herself. What she also must learn is how to open herself to the possibility of friendship and of a loving parental relationship.

I couldn't put it down.