My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee

 

Last week, I read My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee. This realistic fiction novel is about a twelve-year-old girl, Zinny Manning, whose older brother, Gabriel, is diagnosed with bipolar disorder after he gets in a car accident at college. Afterwards, her parents make Zinny, her older sister, Scarlett, and her younger brother, Aiden, promise to keep Gabriel's condition "private", which Zinny interprets to mean "secret". As the months go by, Zinny feels like she can't talk about it with her friends or Lunch Club, a group run by the school's guidance counselor that she finds herself invited to. Meanwhile, she enjoys science class, especially when her teacher, Ms. Molina, has them do a unit on crayfish. She even visits during lunch time to help out. After Ms. Molina presents Zinny with an opportunity to attend a marine biology summer program, Zinny has to determine if and how she can move forward when her family and Gabriel still need her help.

I just have to say that this was an incredible novel. I especially related to what Zinny experiencing because my mom's cousin struggled with bipolar disorder. It can definitely be challenging for the family of someone who is struggling with mental illness to cope with the highs and lows, and there's also a stigma against talking about mental illness which I thought My Life in the Fish Tank presented very well. The story does have flashbacks, which I really enjoyed, because they showed how awesome Gabriel could be, while at the same time showing the initial signs of his mental health struggles. It made me wonder if Zinny and Gabriel's parents should have noticed he needed help before he hurt himself, though. Although I know from my family's experiences that mental illness doesn't always have a happy ending, I loved that this novel had a hopeful ending. Everyone should read this novel, especially if they know someone who's struggling with mental illness.