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Fish Girl
by
Who is Fish Girl?
What is Fish Girl?
She lives in a tank in a boardwalk aquarium. She is the main attraction, though visitors never get more than a glimpse of her.
She has a tail. She can't walk. She can't speak.
But she can make friends with Livia, an ordinary girl, and yearn for a life that includes yoga and pizza. She can grow stronger and braver. With determination, a touc ...more
What is Fish Girl?
She lives in a tank in a boardwalk aquarium. She is the main attraction, though visitors never get more than a glimpse of her.
She has a tail. She can't walk. She can't speak.
But she can make friends with Livia, an ordinary girl, and yearn for a life that includes yoga and pizza. She can grow stronger and braver. With determination, a touc ...more
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Hardcover, 186 pages
Published
March 7th 2017
by Clarion Books
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Fish Girl

I’m not sure how I really feel about this book. I think I need to throw up a spoiler warning to speak about it so:
SPOILER Ahead
It’s an interesting tale. I believe this is David’s first graphic novel and he certainly pulled it off well.
We have the example of the little mermaid who was a mermaid that wants to be a human. There is precedent. The funny thing is that most children seem to want to be mermaids or something else. This Fish Girl is a mermaid and she doesn’t seem to desire to be human, s ...more
SPOILER Ahead
It’s an interesting tale. I believe this is David’s first graphic novel and he certainly pulled it off well.
We have the example of the little mermaid who was a mermaid that wants to be a human. There is precedent. The funny thing is that most children seem to want to be mermaids or something else. This Fish Girl is a mermaid and she doesn’t seem to desire to be human, s ...more

Fish Girl joins the talents of popular novelist Donna Jo Napoli and popular children’s picture book maker David Weisner. Neither had done graphic novels before, but clearly Napoli is as established a storyteller as Weisner is an illustrator. I think it’s okay on a kind of basic level, with a pretty bland theme of empowerment for the Fish Girl, who finally gets to stand (literally) on her own. But I have to say it has some creepy elements to it, and maybe it has a good point to make for middle gr
...more

I would have given this five stars but the prose just doesn't sing the way the art does. It's a touch too simplistic. But oh the art is gorgeous. And the narrative hits all the right notes.
...more

Review of an ARC.
I'm not sure how appropriate this subject matter is for middle grade readers. Just because the author sugarcoats it into a nice mermaid story doesn't hide the fact that this is about abduction and abuse. On the other hand, it may be a good thing. To show how strong and resilient the human (haha) spirit is. I don't know though, I was pretty angry most of the way through.
Update 12-16-16:
I've had a day to think about this book and my reaction to it. It's not often that a book linge ...more
I'm not sure how appropriate this subject matter is for middle grade readers. Just because the author sugarcoats it into a nice mermaid story doesn't hide the fact that this is about abduction and abuse. On the other hand, it may be a good thing. To show how strong and resilient the human (haha) spirit is. I don't know though, I was pretty angry most of the way through.
Update 12-16-16:
I've had a day to think about this book and my reaction to it. It's not often that a book linge ...more

I'm a huge fan of Napoli, but this did nothing for me and it didn't feel anything like the rest of her fairy tale work, which is what I was anticipating. Weisner's art felt completely flat and emotionless to me. What a disappointment.
...more

As a child I was obsessed with David Wiesner's gorgeously illustrated children's novels (Jumanji, The Polar Express, Zathura, etc.) and as a teenager I was completely taken with Donna Jo Napoli's young adult books, especially since the majority of them were fairy tell retellings. I re-read Sirena (a book about a mermaid coincidentally) soo many times in middle school. When I saw that these two literary power houses had teamed up to write a graphic novel I knew I HAD TO READ IT! Fish Girl is by n
...more

From a young age, I've been fascinated by mermaids. Even though one of my earliest nightmares was about Ursula, I still found those fish people enthralling...and I still do. I even willingly watched the entire series of H2O: Just Add Water; all it took was a television grid listing to make me want to check it out.
So, as you'd expect, something like this is right up my alley. Did I enjoy it? Yes; it felt like a Disney Channel Original Movie. The artwork was great, and the story was touching. ...more
So, as you'd expect, something like this is right up my alley. Did I enjoy it? Yes; it felt like a Disney Channel Original Movie. The artwork was great, and the story was touching. ...more

I LOVE David Wiesner's picturebooks and Donna Jo Napoli's fairy tale retellings, but this graphic novel is nothing like their previous works (unfortunately).
Wiesner's artwork in Fish Girl is mostly flat and rather boring:

...with the exception of a few spreads, which hint at the illustrator's full potential:



Although the theme of abduction and Stockholm syndrome did capture my attention, the story in Fish Girl is rather simplistic and seems rushed, the dialogue (and monologues) feels unnatural, an ...more
Wiesner's artwork in Fish Girl is mostly flat and rather boring:

...with the exception of a few spreads, which hint at the illustrator's full potential:



Although the theme of abduction and Stockholm syndrome did capture my attention, the story in Fish Girl is rather simplistic and seems rushed, the dialogue (and monologues) feels unnatural, an ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

It's about TIME Wiesner did a proper graphic novel, since he's been making them as picture books for the past twenty-odd years. I loved this so much--the singular location kept the story simple and allowed the creators more time and space to develop the characters, Mira in particular--she really is the whole story. And she is enough for the whole story, too. Her growth from naivete to empowerment is exciting to witness, and should provide inspiration to many young boys and girls who are struggli
...more

I've been thinking about this book even after I finished reading it. This is a story about a mermaid who is the secret main attraction in a aquarium, Her mystery is what keeps the costumers coming back to try and find her. Her closest friend and guardian is an octopus, until a girl spots her and says she is beautiful and makes friends with her quickly. The mermaids friend starts to question why she is treated the way she is and wonders how Neptune does his act. The mermaid has only ever know Nep
...more

Story: 4 stars
Art: 5 stars
Fish Girl is a middle grade graphic novel about a mermaid who is held captive in a boardwalk sideshow by the owner, a former fisherman who impersonates Neptune the King of the Seas to entertain paying audiences. But Fish Girl is the main attraction of the aquarium, and she believes her captor really is Neptune the God. At least at first.
But Fish Girl is clever and observant in her search for truth, freedom, and humanity. She has help along the way by an octopus, who has ...more
Art: 5 stars
Fish Girl is a middle grade graphic novel about a mermaid who is held captive in a boardwalk sideshow by the owner, a former fisherman who impersonates Neptune the King of the Seas to entertain paying audiences. But Fish Girl is the main attraction of the aquarium, and she believes her captor really is Neptune the God. At least at first.
But Fish Girl is clever and observant in her search for truth, freedom, and humanity. She has help along the way by an octopus, who has ...more

Oh I loved this! I adore David Wiesner's illustrations, and have just come off of reading aloud many of his books, including my favorites-Flotsam and Sector 7- to a few classes. His incredible sea creatures and octopi take center stage here, along with a mermaid. And speaking of mermaids-Donna Jo Napoli is also an author I like.
I was charmed by this imaginative story and I loved the pictures. Wiesner and Napoli were an inspired pairing and perfect for this book. I'm looking forward to sharing it ...more
I was charmed by this imaginative story and I loved the pictures. Wiesner and Napoli were an inspired pairing and perfect for this book. I'm looking forward to sharing it ...more

Pretty big let down for me. The writing and dialogue felt unnatural & the story wasn't super interesting/slightly disturbing. I went in with high hopes (Donna Jo Napoli!!) and came out just meh. It's just okay.
...more

Huge thank you to Raincoast for this ARC!
I'm going to be completely honest: I wasn't sure I was going to like Fish Girl. In fact, when I received it in the mail I did that dreaded thing you sometimes shouldn't do: judge a book by it's cover. I wasn't sure I was going to like the artwork, and the story sounded merely all right. I was colourfully surprised by how much I enjoyed Fish Girl
However, I say this with an air of caution: Fish Girl is a misleading book. While it's aimed at middle grade aud ...more
I'm going to be completely honest: I wasn't sure I was going to like Fish Girl. In fact, when I received it in the mail I did that dreaded thing you sometimes shouldn't do: judge a book by it's cover. I wasn't sure I was going to like the artwork, and the story sounded merely all right. I was colourfully surprised by how much I enjoyed Fish Girl
However, I say this with an air of caution: Fish Girl is a misleading book. While it's aimed at middle grade aud ...more

This is a nicely illustrated graphic novel with a sort of fairy tale flair. At first glance, one might think that The Little Mermaid would be the obvious tie-in. But I actually saw more similarities with Disney's Tangled, a "Rapunzel" story. Poor Fish Girl (she doesn't even have a proper name at the beginning of the story) has a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome. She's kept in a fanciful aquarium on a boardwalk in an old house that's been converted to display all sorts of marine life. Neptune is he
...more

I love the visuals of a house converted into an aquarium. This is a palatable mermaid story that will please legions of young mermaid fans and works for a wide range of ages. If the story's a little slight, that's okay; kids will still check this one out.
...more

Apr 03, 2017
Edward Sullivan
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-comic-narrative,
middle-school
Great illustrations, of course, and an absorbing story.

Nov 04, 2017
Dolly
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
people who enjoy reading graphic novels
This is an entertaining and dramatic tale of a young mermaid on display at a seaside attraction.

I like to think that if my child befriended a mermaid who then escaped her tank, became a human, and needed rescue, I too would take her in and ask absolutely no questions. (...)
I liked this quite a bit. good for a 100 degree day where I am going to sit inside forever and read book after book on the couch.
I liked this quite a bit. good for a 100 degree day where I am going to sit inside forever and read book after book on the couch.

"Mermaid" discovers who she really is and how she's been exploited all her life.
...more

Fish girl is a fantasy story about a mermaid called Fish Girl, (Mira), who is trapped inside of an aquarium and her only friend is an octopus. Soon she meets a human named Livia who inspires Mira to seek for her own independence outside of her boardwalk aquarium. As the two grow a friendship, Mira seeks for her own freedom with many challenges along the way. This book is aimed towards intermediate grade levels, while the book could still be read by slower readers, some words are more advanced, s
...more

No doubt this graphic novel by a great author and a Caldecott award winning illustrator will get a lot of praise. I wasn't so thrilled with it. Be warned it is definitely not a feel good story. A mermaid and her fish friends are kept in a tank at an amusement park. The mermaid can only show bits of herself to the audience. "Neptune" as he calls himself runs the exhibit. He is pretty darn creepy. Fish Girl kind of thinks of him as a father/God figure. But he is abusive and won't tell her stories
...more

This review and others posted over at
my blog.
This is a light, middle-grade graphic novel focusing on Mira’s journey for the truth and independence. I love Donna Jo Napoli’s work (Zel anyone!? That’s one of my favorite middle-grade novels) and mermaids, so I was excited to receive a copy of Fish Girl.
Art style is a big factor for me when it comes to graphic novels (part of the reason why I don’t purchase too many of them) and unfortunately, Wiesner’s style wasn’t for me (in Fish Girl anyway. ...more
This is a light, middle-grade graphic novel focusing on Mira’s journey for the truth and independence. I love Donna Jo Napoli’s work (Zel anyone!? That’s one of my favorite middle-grade novels) and mermaids, so I was excited to receive a copy of Fish Girl.
Art style is a big factor for me when it comes to graphic novels (part of the reason why I don’t purchase too many of them) and unfortunately, Wiesner’s style wasn’t for me (in Fish Girl anyway. ...more

Public Library Copy
Fish Girl lives in a beach side attraction run by "King Neptune" who has a show that includes him causing the waves to roil, but also has kitschy t shirts. Fish Girl is part of the show, but she must only offer glimpses of herself to keep the public intrigued. When a girl visits the aquarium and strikes up a conversation with Fish Girl, she starts to wonder about life outside her tank, and she starts to investigate the museum. eventually wandering out of it when she realizes s ...more
Fish Girl lives in a beach side attraction run by "King Neptune" who has a show that includes him causing the waves to roil, but also has kitschy t shirts. Fish Girl is part of the show, but she must only offer glimpses of herself to keep the public intrigued. When a girl visits the aquarium and strikes up a conversation with Fish Girl, she starts to wonder about life outside her tank, and she starts to investigate the museum. eventually wandering out of it when she realizes s ...more

Fish Girl, our nameless mermaid who cannot speak lives in a three-storey tank in a boardwalk aquarium. The only person she has contact with is the man who owns and runs the aquarium. She calls him Neptune and believes he IS Neptune, god of the seas and storms. Neptune is a bully who psychologically manipulates her; he has strict rules about what she must do: ensure every customer gets a glimpse of her, but not a good enough look as no one can know for sure that a real mermaid exists. He threaten
...more

I love David Wiesner and consider Flotsam to be one of the best picture books of all time. A graphic novel by this author? Sign me up!
Fish Girl is about a mermaid who lives in a boardwalk aquarium. Her "job" is to hide just enough to keep kids coming back to try to spot the mermaid. Is she real? All a trick? She believes the man who owns the aquarium is Neptune who rescued her from the sea. But is he?
The premise of a real life mermaid living in plain view with an awesome octopus sidekick seems ...more
Fish Girl is about a mermaid who lives in a boardwalk aquarium. Her "job" is to hide just enough to keep kids coming back to try to spot the mermaid. Is she real? All a trick? She believes the man who owns the aquarium is Neptune who rescued her from the sea. But is he?
The premise of a real life mermaid living in plain view with an awesome octopus sidekick seems ...more
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During David Wiesner's formative years, the last images he saw before closing his eyes at night were the books, rockets, elephant heads, clocks, and magnifying glasses that decorated the wallpaper of his room. Perhaps it was this decor which awakened his creativity and gave it the dreamlike, imaginative quality so often found in his work.
As a child growing up in suburban New Jersey, Wiesner re-cre ...more
As a child growing up in suburban New Jersey, Wiesner re-cre ...more
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