A review by laurapatriciarosereads
Fishbowl by Bradley Somer

4.0

Originally posted on:> http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/blog-tour-fishbowl-by-bradley-somer.html

I have read a fair few refreshingly unique reads this year and Fish Bowl is definitely one of them. You would think it would become increasingly harder for a book to stand out from the crowd, when actually I think the ideas are getting better and better. There is nothing I didn't like about this fun, quirky novel.

What I loved the most about this story is that our main protagonist is a gold fish called Ian, who is perilously plunging towards ground from 27 floors up. As he is descending, he gets quick glimpses into each apartment and we get to see into the lives of a brilliant cast of characters in that day that Ian finds himself out of his own fishbowl and looking into the fishbowls of those in the apartment building.

Also anyone who reads my blog will know that I am a big fan of multiple character viewpoints. You really get a sense for the raw human emotions that we all go through; what it is that makes us happy, sad, angry, annoyed and also how we can all just pass each other by without really knowing what is going on in that person's life. Fishbowl delivers an eclectic mix of brilliantly flawed characters that you actually find yourself managing to relate to even when their situations are different to yours. I have never come across such contrasting characters in one story before and this is what made it so refreshing and different to read.

I really enjoy a novel that gets me thinking and evaluating and Bradley Somer has created a wonderful novel that gets you looking at life a little differently. It's also incredibly clever as all of the events that happen, happen within the space of half an hour, so even though it feels longer, Bradley has somehow managed to slow time and perception down.

Fishbowl was quirky, different and a joy to read. I loved immersing myself in the world of the residents of Seville on Roxy and would do so easily again.