My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee

My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of the 2nd #BitAboutBooks Winter Reading Challenge, Book by Same Author. Zinny is a happy 12 yr old with a large family and friends and a love of science. Life suddenly stops and takes an abnormal turn when her beloved oldest brother, Gabriel, has a car accident and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, while a freshman in college. Trying to grasp what is happening, their devastated parents tell Zinny, Scarlet, and Aiden to keep Gabriel's condition private without really explaining what that means. As her concerned friends try to comfort her, Zinny will not tell them anything about Gabriel, staying true to her parents wishes. Zinny begins going to her science teacher's classroom at lunch because she loves science and wants to dodge her friends' judgments. What I liked about this book is that Dee explores all the aspects of family dynamics, mental illness, Zinny's confusion, parent and teacher concern in a way that feels vital to the characters and the larger story. The closure of the story was positive and I was so happy with Zinny's journey. This was a stunning and inspiring novel, students will be sharing and talking about this book! Highly recommended!

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