Fishbowl

“An entire life devoted to a fishbowl will make one die an old fish with not one adventure had.”-Ian the Goldfish

Fishbowl, by Bradley Somer, begins with Ian, a goldfish who’s taking on a new adventure. He is currently plummeting to the ground after falling out of his fishbowl on the twenty-seventh floor. As he falls, he flashes by many people’s windows, and we the readers get to know more about their stories. There’s Conner, the grad student who has a new girlfriend, Katie, and a few flings on the side. Garth, who has a secret he’s been keeping for a long time, revealed after receiving a special delivery. Claire, the agoraphobic who never leaves her house and has a shocking job. Petunia Delilah, who is almost full term and going crazy being on bed rest. Danny, Petunia Delilah’s boyfriend and construction worker with a wandering eye. Herman, a child who believes he travels through time. Lastly, Jimenez, the super and amateur elevator maintenance man. Each of these apartment dwellers goes on a journey, goes out of their comfort zone, all within the short time span right before Ian the goldfish begins to fall, and during his descent. Each chapter flashes back and forth between the characters, all of whom are mimicking Ian’s descent, taking that next step towards their own adventures.

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