I thought this would be a chore to read, but I was surprised how much I actually liked it. Tom's voice is quiet and calm (she reminded a lot of Shell in Siobhan Dowd's "A swift pure cry"), and her method of coping with the death of her family and her pregnancy is unusual and strange, but compelling. I found that if I went with the flow, I was immersed in a story that was well worth the effort. It is definitely for the more mature YA reader as it alternates between reality, dreams and something in between, and flashbacks are not sign-posted so time is blurred. Tom's relationships and conversations with the living, the dead and the yet-to-be-born are touching, humorous and, at times, dark and fearful - particularly with the sinister Bill.
"The Hunger Games" it ain't, but it is well worth settling down with on a cold, wet Saturday afternoon. ( )

THE MINNOW is the story of Tom, a young teenage girl who lost her entire family in a devastating flood. Bill takes her in after the flood because he thinks she's a boy, and once he discovers she's a girl, she becomes pregnant and their living situation becomes unbearable.

THE MINNOW is a unique story in so many ways. The Minnow of the title is Tom's baby with whom she has many conversations before and after her birth. Tom also converses with dead people (her long-dead grandfather is a terrific character) and with animals. She is a frequent visitor to the Mavis Orenstein Home for the Elderly where her grandmother, Nana, lives, and I loved the sections of the book that found Tom visiting there.

THE MINNOW has some gorgeous writing, and Tom is an incredible protagonist. She's smart, but still naive; she's emotionally strong, but still vulnerable. I loved her.

The only thing I didn't love about this book was non-linear time sequence of it. I can handle flashbacks and such, but trying to figure out why different sections were put together was distracting to the beauty of the story being told.

Overall, I highly recommend the book for the writing and the characters. Be prepared for a bit of confusion, but ride that out, and you won't be sorry. This is a lovely little book.

I received a copy of THE MINNOW from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Coping with the loss of her parents and sister after a flood that devastated a township. Stays with her uncle when grandmother goes into rest home. Uncle takes advantage of her and she becomes pregnant. She calls her unborn child minnow. Story has unusual element of the girl being able to communicate with the dead, animals and her unborn child. Loved the relationship between girl and grandmother. Her male friend is a great guy too. ( )

“The Minnow” was a very endearing and charming read. It was one filled with a lot of symbolism, in the style of the talks that Tom (the main character) had with animals, the dead and her own little baby while she was pregnant with her and also with water. Water played a major role in her life, it had killed her entire family and yet she still loved it. She loved fishing in it, loved the fish that swam in it and eventually loved to swim in it again. If you look up the Taoist meaning of water it says that it represents wisdom, which fits this book perfectly as that is what she received when she spoke to her beloved carp, Oscar. It also represents Intuition, Reflection, the Subconscious and Transformation in many other religions/beliefs. And once you understand the meaning of water, you also understand the big picture of this book – the meaning behind all her talks with the fish, of being near water, of having such a profound connection to water.
The book also talked frequently about the future, about letting go and how one can overcome their fears. You learn of Tom’s biggest fear at the end and it made me realise just how innocent she really was. I mean, at the beginning I didn’t know how young Tom was and only found out that she was only a 14.5 year old girl a couple of chapters in. Although that didn’t ruin the story for me, because she sounded young with the way she “spoke” but I like having information like that right at my fingertips so that I can really get the picture of who the main character is.
The story didn’t really flow for me as it seemed to jump around a bit and often I would wonder if she was in her dreamlike state, the present or the future. Maybe it was my frame of mind at the time. Maybe I was a little bit distracted and the book needed a whole lot more attention, but the jumping around just confused me a little at times. But I also have to say that with the stories of the past, it made it easier to understand her present.
Although not a favourite of mine, I am glad I read it because it was a very beautiful novel, full of innocence, charm and wisdom that we can apply to our own everyday lives. It is a one in a million kind of book that deserves the attention of a dedicated reader and maybe even a philosopher. It’s a book that you will remember for the strange and yet, utterly understandable character of Tom.

3.5 stars ( )

Full review to come! ( )