A review by ambi_reads
My Fishy Stepmom by Shakirah Bourne
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
My Fishy Stepmom is a middle grade, #ReadCaribbean read written by the talented Ms. Shakirah Bournes. It follows a girl by the name of Josephine, her best friend and neighbour Ahkai who does things in fives, her widowed father and her new potential stepmom, Mariss, who happens to overcome all the boundaries and traps she usually sets for all her dad's new girls. While trying to also be recognized to be a member of her school's cricket team, Josephine knows something is "fishy" about Mariss. Could all the stories and myths Ahkai's mom narrate actually be true?
A protagonist who loves cricket?!?!? SIGN ME UP! I absolutely loved the representation of all things Caribbean in this book. It truly felt like home. From the great sport, to the hills, to the sea, to the nice fruits, to the myths and folklores, to the fishing villages and so much more. I found myself laughing at and with Josephine and her Dad throughout this book. Other times, my hear ached for them as they both were recovering from the loss of their wife and mom respectively. What made it an even greater novel was the inclusion of the truths in the stories we tell. There may be falsity, but the truth is also hidden in plain sight. I loved the gender roles being displayed and how Josephine breaks those glass ceilings in something as small yet powerful as cricket. Lastly, the art on each chapter cover was well done! I absolutely loved it! A must read!
A protagonist who loves cricket?!?!? SIGN ME UP! I absolutely loved the representation of all things Caribbean in this book. It truly felt like home. From the great sport, to the hills, to the sea, to the nice fruits, to the myths and folklores, to the fishing villages and so much more. I found myself laughing at and with Josephine and her Dad throughout this book. Other times, my hear ached for them as they both were recovering from the loss of their wife and mom respectively. What made it an even greater novel was the inclusion of the truths in the stories we tell. There may be falsity, but the truth is also hidden in plain sight. I loved the gender roles being displayed and how Josephine breaks those glass ceilings in something as small yet powerful as cricket. Lastly, the art on each chapter cover was well done! I absolutely loved it! A must read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Death of parent