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francica's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
My fishy stepmom was a wonderful book and a great start to Read Caribbean Month. Set on the island of Barbados, the story follows cricket lover 11 year old Josephine Cadogan, who along with her best friend Akhai and what I call their many "Operations" (You have to read the book to understand what this means.
What I liked about this novel is that while it was hilarious and quite a light read it dealt with a serious topic in a very clever way and that is the loss of a parent.
Josephine had lost her mother, and she was intent on not allowing another woman to take her place. I think this was a nice theme for a children or a book for younger readers because it is a topic not often considered. As a teacher myself, I have had many students who would have lost parents and it was indeed difficult so Josephine's character to me was very relatable in that way.
Oh gosh!! The Fishy Stepmom Mariss, what a character. And as a lover of West Indian Foklore myself I loved how that element of mystery and fantasy was woven into her character. The ending as well was very nice.
All in all I liked this book and would recommend it.
What I liked about this novel is that while it was hilarious and quite a light read it dealt with a serious topic in a very clever way and that is the loss of a parent.
Josephine had lost her mother, and she was intent on not allowing another woman to take her place. I think this was a nice theme for a children or a book for younger readers because it is a topic not often considered. As a teacher myself, I have had many students who would have lost parents and it was indeed difficult so Josephine's character to me was very relatable in that way.
Oh gosh!! The Fishy Stepmom Mariss, what a character. And as a lover of West Indian Foklore myself I loved how that element of mystery and fantasy was woven into her character. The ending as well was very nice.
All in all I liked this book and would recommend it.
sherrise's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
bajebookclub's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
My Fishy Stepmom is about eleven year old Josephine who lost her mom at a young age and loved life with her dad. Her other love is cricket. Josephine had grown accustom to it being her and her dad only. She’s been battling with her dad’s “friends” ensuring that none of them get “comfortable” with her dad. In steps Mariss and the battle begins. Houston we have a problem!
This YA/Teen story which was set in Barbados, was a finalist in the 2018 Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature. My Fishy Stepmom is a funny and captivating story loaded with Barbadian folklore which intrigued me and scared me a bit 🤦🏽♀️🤣. I loved the interactions between Josephine and Ahkai and my favorite chapter is Chapter 8. Mariss intrigued me as she did Josephine. I think I held my breath while reading the last 5 chapters!
I look>forward to reading Josephine Against The Sea (North American edition) to see the differences to My Fishy Stepmom.
Thank you Shakirah.
This YA/Teen story which was set in Barbados, was a finalist in the 2018 Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature. My Fishy Stepmom is a funny and captivating story loaded with Barbadian folklore which intrigued me and scared me a bit 🤦🏽♀️🤣. I loved the interactions between Josephine and Ahkai and my favorite chapter is Chapter 8. Mariss intrigued me as she did Josephine. I think I held my breath while reading the last 5 chapters!
I look>forward to reading Josephine Against The Sea (North American edition) to see the differences to My Fishy Stepmom.
Thank you Shakirah.
ambi_reads's review
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
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