Annabel Pitcher

Tess feels that she never fitted in, and after reading her father's blog, she makes a discovery that takes her voice away, literally. She stops speaking as she begins a search for her identity, and her true father. First person recount.

Silence Is Goldfish

SILENCE IS GOLDFISH is a story that demands to be heard. 'I have a voice but it isn't mine. It used to say things so I'd fit in - to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn't. It lied.' Fifteen-year-old Tess doesn't mean to become mute. At first, she's just too shocked to speak. And who wouldn't be? Discovering your whole life has been a lie because your dad isn't your real father is a pretty big deal. Tess sets out to find the truth of her identity, and uncovers a secret that could ruin multiple lives. But can she ask for help when she's forgotten how to use her voice? This is the third YA novel from the bestselling and prizewinning author of MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE and KETCHUP CLOUDS.

Silence is Goldfish

Eleanor Luhar

I only received the first three chapters, but I'll write my review based on what I read.

A massive thanks to Hachette Children's Group for allowing me to read the beginning of this book, via NetGalley.

So Tessie is a teenage girl who has just found out a piece of shocking information; her father is not her real father, and he is disgusted by her. She found his blog post on a network of sperm and egg donors, where he admits how he feels about raising a child who is not his own.

The idea is good, and I like how we don't find out exactly what Tessie is upset about straight away. As far as I know, she's not letting on that she even knows that her father is not her real father, and I am rather interested as to how she confronts the issue.

I did get a bit sidetracked by the missing "fi" and "fl" letters in this, leaving me to figure out what is meant by "ngers" and "aps", but I would assume that the full book wouldn't have this issue.

My main problem - and only problem, really - is how some sentences are overly long, with little or no punctuation. I understand that the desired effect may have been Tessie's wandering mind, but it just seemed a bit too all over the place.

I would be interested in reading the rest of this book, but whether I would actually pay for it... I did find the idea unique, and I didn't really love or hate it. So three stars for Silence is Goldfish.

Silence Is Goldfish

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