Sorry, not my cup of tea although it seemed from the blurb that it would be. A bit dry and the characters weren't believable. Twee.

Its a good book that is entertaining and interesting overall.
But i thought that the imagination and reality came a bit too mixed and tangled up in this book to make me love it.
But i am guessing that a younger YA audience will love exactly that about this book.

Review: Chloe Daykin’s MG magical realism Fish Boy

Anyone who enjoys the two David A’s – naturalist David Attenborough or author David Almond – will love FISH BOY by Chloe Daykin, self-discovery novel by means of a clever bit of magic realism, a talking mackerel.

The fish doesn’t say much, and 12-year-old Billy — who swims avidly in the sea every morning as a way to cope with life, including his ill mother – isn’t sure he heard correctly, until he returns the next day to hear the fish deliver the same confounding message (“Kezdodik.”) Turns out the fish is speaking Hungarian.

Wacky, right? Actually, Chloe Daykin pulls it off brilliantly, with what turns out to be quite a literary middle-grade book, with beautiful language and observations, and rather heartbreakingly poignant David Attenborough wisdom woven through. Billy loves all things Attenborough, and like a mentor on his shoulder, David is always there with a bit of wisdom, which Billy uses to cope with situations in real life, whether it’s his mysteriously sick mother or the bully who has stolen his Nikes, and is now flaunting them at Billy in a crowded playground, as in this scene:

What would David Attenborough do? ….In my mind I ask him and he says, ‘The lead male in a pack may attack at any moment,’ and bumps off over the Serengeti in a Land Rover.



Billy’s shame and confusion over his mother’s illness, which is eventually diagnosed, tempts Billy to give into the call of the mackerel, who (using the words the famous Houdini uttered at the beginning of his underwater-escape act) welcomes Billy into the underwater shoal, and grants Billy the ability to breathe underwater.

Whether Billy makes it through this difficult patch in his family’s life will depend on his one friendship: with new kid Patrick, a fellow misfit and a magic-trick fan, who urges Billy to resist the urge to swim away forever with the mackerel, no matter how magical it is.

My only niggle is that I felt disoriented at the start: I didn’t quite grasp, for instance, that swimming before school was Billy’s thing, and I was left puzzling over what he was doing and why. This story’s fantastic voice, though, quickly pulled me in and swallowed me whole, leaving me desperate for Billy and his family (including the brilliantly drawn father) to get their happy ending.

FISH BOY by Chloe Daykin, illustrations by Richard Jones

Published in the UK 2 March 2017

More info at Faber & Faber

Chloe Daykin doesn't come right out at the start of this book and say that the waters her main character, Billy, swims in are the chilly ones of the North Sea but it becomes clear that they are. But even before that point I was captivated by Billy and his family. His Dad is loving and funny (even if all his jokes are definitely in the 'awful dad joke' category), his Mum is caring and warm. The problem is that his Mum is loving, warm and suffering with a mysterious illness which means she spends a lot of her time in bed. School contains bullies but no actual friends until a new boy, budding magician Jamie, joins his class - the only thing that seems to keep Billy grounded is swimming. Grounded, that is, until a mackerel swims right up to him and says his name...

I don't really want to say much else about the plot - there are plenty of developments but they are not very easily explained. This is a story full of wonder and magic - the fact that Billy's invisible friend is David Attenborough is part of the charm of this book - but it doesn't shy away from difficult issues. Billy has to learn how to deal with the often difficult and confusing world of school and with his Mum's illness - swimming with a shoal of fish may not seem the best way to achieve this but, with twists of language and some interesting new friendships, anything is possible. I loved the way the way that the magical and the real were woven round each other and, in particular, I found the ending very satisfying. It is a happy ending because, by that point, Billy feels happier and more confident about his situation but it doesn't solve all the problems. It just shows that, with love, friendship and self-belief we can cope with so much more than we think we can.

Billy’s life isn't easy. His new trainers have been stolen by the school bully, and his mum is sick and isn't getting better. His escape is swimming in the sea and everything nature, especially if it involves David Attenborough. When he makes a new friend, things can only get better, can't they? Jamie’s belief in magic cements the friendship as Billy uncovers a whole new world under the sea.

A quirky, thoughtful debut exploring everyday life and how to escape it. Grounded yet surreal, this book has your emotions washing over you in waves.

Great for fans of David Almond.

Proof courtesy of Faber & Faber via Netgalley.