The Goldfish Boy
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4.4 • 21 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
In this riveting debut, a boy struggling with OCD is uniquely qualified to solve a kidnapping.Lisa Thompson's debut novel is a page-turning mystery with an emotionally-driven, complex character study at its core -- like Rear Window meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He hasn't been to school in weeks. His hands are cracked and bleeding from cleaning. He refuses to leave his bedroom. To pass the time, he observes his neighbors from his bedroom window, making mundane notes about their habits as they bustle about the cul-de-sac. When a toddler staying next door goes missing, it becomes apparent that Matthew was the last person to see him alive. Suddenly, Matthew finds himself at the center of a high-stakes mystery, and every one of his neighbors is a suspect. Matthew is the key to figuring out what happened and potentially saving a child's life... but is he able to do so if it means exposing his own secrets, and stepping out from the safety of his home?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Goldfish Boy portrays the experience of growing up with a mind that works very differently. Matthew Corbin hasn’t left the house for months because he’s petrified by the germs, dirt, and illness swirling around him, but a missing kid case makes him reevaluate his isolation. Lisa Thompson’s novel for young readers sucked us in with its warm-hearted characters and compelling mystery.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British 12-year-old Matthew Corbin blames himself for his baby brother's death five years ago and, as a direct result, has developed a mental condition so debilitating that he cannot leave his house. He only travels between his bedroom and the upstairs office, where he can watch all the houses and people in his cul-de-sac, and he constantly cleans every surface, including frequent visits to his bathroom to wash himself. It is from these vantage points that he becomes the last person to see a toddler who goes missing. As the police search for the kidnapped boy, Matthew begins his own investigation, with help from neighbor kids Melody and Jake. Debut author Thompson creates believable doubt in the innocence of Matthew's neighbors, building suspense in this fast-moving Rear Window type whodunit featuring short chapters and cliffhanger chapter endings. The book stumbles slightly, however, in its handling of Matthew's obsessive disorder. While his daily struggle and tentative reemergence are skillfully handled, his eventual disclosure to his therapist and parents of what caused his problem leads to a too easily resolved ending. Ages 8 12.
