Reviews

Fish Girl by Donna Jo Napoli, David Wiesner

lemonlime_78's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

3.25

kirstenrose22's review

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4.0

An odd story, but lovely artwork.

kristaselita's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

kerameia's review

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5.0

Breath-taking. Mystical. Evocative. Ageless - an awe-inspiring, gripping story for kids and adults alike. A story told in simple sentences, from the perspective of "Fish Girl", about a creature who's only ever known the confines of her imitation-ocean home, until she befriends a human visitor.

The detail, depth, and colorful blend of the illustrations is mesmerizing and enriches the beautiful simplicity of this story. I especially love the artist's depiction of "Fish Girl"'s tail...very realistic (as if I've seen a mermaid!), very fluid.

One of my FAVOURITE works. Highly recommend.

librarianlizreads's review

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4.0

Beautiful, but so very strange.

tangiblereads's review against another edition

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challenging informative sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Fish Girl is a cute graphic/picture book that incorporates mythology.  The images are fun and innocent.  I enjoyed it.  The octopus changing shape and whatnot throws me off. 

renab's review

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3.0

The author, illustrator and published missed an opportunity to support young people’s understanding and autonomy in relation to the complex topics in this book. Specifically, I wonder why they chose not to offer resources or advice for what to do if the reader found themself being exploited for their body, or, how they might help a friend in a situation of abuse. Another possibility might have been to offer a guide for adults reading the book with kids to support their comprehension and questions that came up. This book could be a great learning tool with better support.

pizzamyheart's review

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5.0

Fish Girl is about a seaside attraction ran by Neptune, god of the sea. He owns a 3 floor house with an aquarium that runs the height of the house. Inside it is a mermaid. One day a girl spots the mermaid, and they become friends. That is when the mermaid starts to piece everything together. Maybe people aren't who they claim to be and maybe there is more to the world than her little tank.

I thought this was a perfect little read. It only took about an hour and is full of delightful illustrations. For a graphic novel, I thought they writing was fine. If you're accustomed to regular novels, then yes, this might be disappointing. Having already read a number of disappointing graphic novels, I found this one rather complete.

booklover160's review

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4.0

Stunning art earned this a whole star.

The prose was ehh okay. Quite simple compared to the artwork. The story and plot was just okay and left me feeling sort of bittersweet. I wonder what happened to her though after that. Like, that was a huge life change and now she's all alone so...

katiegrrrl's review

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4.0

A beautiful graphic novel about a girl finding her voice and her place in the world.

2017 52 Books 52 Weeks - published in 2017 but not a debut