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Metal Fish, Falling Snow

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Dylan and her adored French mother dream of one day sailing across the ocean to France. Paris, Dylan imagines, is a place where her black skin won't make her stand out, a place where she might feel she belongs.

But when she loses her mother in a freak accident, Dylan finds herself on a very different journey: a road trip across outback Australia in the care of her mother's grieving boyfriend, Pat. As they travel through remote towns further and further from the water that Dylan longs for, she and Pat form an unlikely bond. One that will be broken when he leaves her with the family she has never known.

Metal Fish, Falling Snow is a warm, funny and highly original portrait of a young girl's search for identity and her struggle to deal with grief. Through families lost and found, this own-voices story celebrates the resilience of the human heart and our need to know who we truly are.


Born in Guyana, Cath Moore is of Irish/Afro-Caribbean heritage. Though raised in Australia she has also lived in Scotland and Belgium. Cath is also an award-winning screenwriter, teacher and filmmaker. She holds an MA in screenwriting and a PhD in Danish screenwriting practices. Metal Fish, Falling Snow is Cath's first novel. She lives in Melbourne.

'A breathtaking debut with such an assured, original voice—one page and I was all in. I wanted to remember every line but it felt like trying to catch handfuls of stars—in the end every piece fell into place so beautifully and I sat there in gobsmacked silence...you know the feeling that hits after you've read an extraordinary book? Metal Fish, Falling Snow is one of the most moving books I've read in ages and I'll be thinking about it for a long time.' Vikki Wakefield

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  • Reviews

    • School Library Journal

      Starred review from July 1, 2021

      Gr 9 Up-Set in the Australian outback, Moore's debut novel is a challenging, powerful story that follows a biracial (Black/white) teenage girl, Dylan, through the sudden loss of her mother. Dylan and her late mother's boyfriend, Pat, take off on a road trip to meet Dylan's remaining family. Each stop along the way brings new difficulties, including car troubles, racist remarks, and the resulting fall out. The relationship that Dylan and Pat form is strengthened by their mutual love of her mother, but is tested by Dylan's unexpected and unabashed behavior. She sees the world differently and is purely herself, all the while struggling with her biracial identity and her attempts to be "normal"-a.k.a. white. Readers may struggle with the seemingly erratic storytelling in the beginning, but will soon realize the very real grief that Dylan and Pat are experiencing. Teens will be able to relate to at least one aspect of this tale, whether it is relationships, identity issues, or grief. Strong characterization and narration will allow readers to experience Dylan's full range of emotions. Regional vocabulary may cause some confusion for readers unfamiliar with it. Pat is cued as white. VERDICT Strong characterization and voice make this beautiful debut a recommended purchase.-Kristin Unruh, Siersma Elem. Sch., Warren, MI

      Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      July 30, 2021
      Grades 7-12 *Starred Review* Fourteen-year-old Dylan, autistic and synesthetic, is the result of the union between her French mother (whom she adored) and her Guyanese father (who left them). Following her mother's unexpected death, Dylan grieves and grapples with who she really is and how she believes her father stole her whiteness. She also dreams of going to Paris, where she believes her skin color wouldn't matter the way it does in Australia. But life has other plans for the deep-thinking girl who hears music in colors, knows people's secret memories by their eyes, and talks about the magic of water, as her mother's grieving boyfriend takes her to live with family in the Outback. Emotional and raw, this story of loss, hope, and home is told by Dylan as she looks for and translates signs that may or may not be there, weaving her wants, hopes, and needs into her attempt to understand the world. Her thoughts are heavy for her age, yet Dylan's misinterpretation of some common phrases ("air loom") reminds the reader of her frail situation and youth. Debut-author Moore--of Irish and Afro-Caribbean descent and born in Guyana--uses spare, pointed, and poetic language to evoke Dylan's search for magic in everything, including herself. Dylan is a character of her own making and offers something for everyone who has looked for the good in life-changing experiences.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Books+Publishing

      May 13, 2020
      Fourteen-year-old Dylan blames herself for her mum’s recent tragic death. Left alone with her mum’s boyfriend Pat, Dylan has no choice but to leave her hometown and join him on a road trip through the outback to meet her absent Guyanese-born father’s family. However, Dylan and Pat have different ideas about what will happen when they reach their destination. On the journey Dylan’s ‘stupid smarts’ get her and Pat into a series of predicaments as she flees with a busload of grandmas, crashes Pat’s car and gets into a fight with local boys. Pat just wants the best for Dylan, whose unique way of seeing the world makes her vulnerable, while Dylan, who feels like a stranger in her own skin, plans on finding the boat she has always dreamed about and rowing her mum’s spirit across the ocean back to her home in France. First-time novelist Cath Moore renders Dylan’s uniqueness with grace and humour, imbuing her with endearing turns of phrase and eccentricities that make for an unforgettable character. Through Dylan’s encounters with the land and her struggle with her inner demons, Moore explores ideas of self-acceptance, identity and belonging. Astonishingly original, heartfelt and funny, Metal Fish, Falling Snow is recommended for readers 12 and up. Jacqui Davies is a freelance writer and reviewer based in South Australia. Read her interview with Cath Moore about Metal Fish, Falling Snow here.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
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  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.5
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:4

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