Every now and again I read a book that even when I don't relate fully with the main character, I end up completely immersed in the story and unable to think of anything else. THIS is one of those books. I had previously read (and loved) [b:Ketchup Clouds|11088150|Ketchup Clouds|Annabel Pitcher|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345828415s/11088150.jpg|16009906], so I was super excited to read more from Annabel Pitcher. And now that I have, I will probably be reading everything she writes, forever ever.

The best thing about her books are that they are so full of emotion. She could be writing about something I really wouldn't even find sad normally, but her words somehow make my heart ache while reading about it. That's talent my friends.

So Tess..... she's not talking. And it's not because she can't. I thought this was going to be a book about a girl that could not speak, not that she would not speak. I guess it could be the same thing-- experiencing a traumatic event that leaves you feeling like you can't speak. Tess knows she can speak though, she just won't. I'm not sure exactly if I was down with all the specifics of that, but I was able to overlook it because the story and characters were so strong.

Tess's silence costs her her best (and only) friend. Their separation is what really hurt my heart the most. I loved reading about Tess and Isabel in their better times because they were truly soulmate-type friends-- Tess always says they were symbiotic creatures. It made me wish I had an Isabel of my own :( All the characters around Tess were truly developed. They were real people with good points and flaws.... even the villain of this book had vulnerability. I can't say enough about the range of the people in this book.

Why Should You Read This Book? It's about family stuff, but it's SO much more than that. The issue that starts the mutism isn't the biggest/toughest issue I've ever read about, but there are so many other stories involved besides this main issue. There's bullying and body issue stuff-- plus the girl talks to a plastic key chain for much of the book. Where else are you going to read something like that and it makes sense? I actually started viewing Mr. Goldfish as a real live character in this book. It was odd.

OVERALL: Another YES for Annabel Pitcher!! I loved this story about a girl going through a tough moment in her life. I know it's classified as YA, but I would totally put this in an in-between MG and YA category. It is definitely do-able for both age groups.

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Silence is Goldfish
by Annabel Pitcher
Language: English
London : Indigo , 2015.
384 p. ; 216 x 135mm
ISBN: 9781510100435 1510100431
Summary: What happens to a fifteen-year-old girl when she finds out for the first time that her own father feels revulsion toward her, finds her peculiar, and doesn't even consider her to be his daughter? That's what Tess discovers one night when, during an emergency, she had to go to the nearest computer in the house to find out how to put out a kitchen fire. Glancing at what her father had on the screen, she discovers a blog post he wrote for the Donor Conception Network, where he admits to not loving the "ugly red thing gnawing" at his wife's breast on his daughter's first day of life. This is how in fact Tess discovers that she was actually conceived via sperm donor, and that the only father she has ever known is not really her father. This truth completely unmoors her. At first Tess runs away from home, but decides against it after four hours on her own in the middle of the night, only to wonder how she is to live with this man and this new knowledge. She returns home but within 24 hours, Tess becomes mute as a protest against her parents for a lifetime of lies. The book is told in the first person and though mute, Tess has a lot to say, but all of the dialogue stays in her head as she communicates only with a plastic goldfish she bought when she ran away and that she now keeps in her pocket. Meanwhile, finding out the truth about her conception is just one of her problems. Tess is brutally bullied both online and at school for being fat and for her large frame, which she now knows she mustn't have gotten from her father, and she loses her best friend when she can no longer confide in her about what she found out on her father's computer that night. Tess also becomes fixated on the substitute math teacher who has the same blonde hair, brown eyes, and fat fingers that she has. Convinced they share the same DNA, she becomes obsessed with learning more about him, and what she does is so shocking that it finally leads her out of her mutism. This book explores what happens when parents keep the truth from their children in cases where they had to use donor sperm to conceive. It is not so much this fact that causes Tess's problems as much as it is the fact that the truth has been kept from her her entire life. Except for scenes of cruel bullying, there is no violence, sex, or foul language in this book. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

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. Terrified of the truth, Tess retreats into silence.

Reeling from her family's betrayal, Tess sets out to discover the identity of her real father. He could be anyone--even the familiar-looking teacher at her school. Tess continues to investigate, uncovering a secret that could ruin multiple lives. It all may be too much for Tess to handle, but how can she ask for help when she's forgotten how to use her voice?