Teeth

February 18, 2013
In an unsettling story with elements of magical realism, Rudy's younger brother is dying from cystic fibrosis, so his family moves to an island hoping he can be cured by eating the "magic fish" that swim there. But the island hosts another enigma: lonely Rudy meets a half human, half fish. This "fishboy" calls himself Teeth, likes to bite, and pulls stunts to protect the fish that he considers his "siblings." Rudy feels deeply for Teeth, but their uneasy friendship causes complications, too, especially when Teeth's fish-saving missions endanger Rudy's brother and push the island's brutal fishermen to seek revenge. The moody setting and singular premise are captivating, but Rudy's sometimes overwrought narration ("I wish we would all just fall apart so I wouldn't have to listen to the downfall happen, so slowly, so painfully") and the book's pervasive sense of dread can be taxing. Moskowitz (Gone, Gone, Gone) addresses challenging themes about family, loyalty, and human isolation, but readers may be too drained by the troubling events to fully explore them. Ages 14âup. Agent: Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary Management.

Starred review from December 1, 2012
In a taut, unusual fable, narrator Rudy's family has moved to a remote island where a rare species of fish has magical healing properties when eaten. Rudy is glad to see his brother Dylan's cystic fibrosis symptoms clear up, but he finds the island stifling. Then he discovers that there are two other teenagers on the island: Diana Delaney, who rarely leaves her home, and the fishboy. Human from the waist up and sporting a bedraggled fish tail below, Teeth describes himself wryly as "their dirty secret." Whose? The islanders'? The Delaneys'? The cruel, miserly fishermen's? As Rudy becomes closer to the fishboy, he not only learns disturbing truths about the island's history, but also becomes embroiled in a fundamental conflict: To the islanders, the fish are salvation; to Teeth, the fish are family. Short paragraphs, evocative imagery, and simple, sometimes curse-laden sentences give the story a breathless feel. Rudy's choices are impulsive but believable, and the consequences for both betraying Dylan and betraying Teeth are immediate and physically brutal. Throughout, the book leaves unanswered the question of what Rudy ought, morally, to do, and the nature of Rudy's intense emotional attachment to the fishboy is similarly ambiguous. Provocative, unsettling, complex and multilayered. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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May 1, 2013

Gr 9-11-The premise of this book is that a magical fish impregnates a young woman, resulting in the birth of a half human/half sea creature. These fish, if eaten, can cure all kinds of diseases. Teeth rescues the fish he considers to be his brothers from fishermen's nets. When he is caught, he is beaten again and again, but always manages to escape. Rudy's family has moved to the island seeking a cure for his younger brother's cystic fibrosis. Rudy is so alone, restless, and bored that meeting Teeth results in an instant curiosity and connection. Diana, Teeth's sister, is lonely, too, and initiates contact with Rudy, apparently the only other teen on the island. This is a story of Rudy's path to identity and making choices in complicated circumstances. He loves his brother and is grateful when the fish help stem the disease but also understands Teeth's desire to rescue the fish from the nets. To allow Teeth to continue his mission will spell sickness for the islanders who have come to rely on the healing ability of the fish; to allow the fishermen to slowly beat Teeth to death is clearly wrong. In addition to these dilemmas, Rudy wonders about going to college and about how his family has changed since being on the island. This is an unusual story, narrated by Rudy, but his frequent use of obscenities seems unnecessary. In the end he finds a way to save Teeth, help his brother, and accept his place in life.-Joanne K. Cecere, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Central Valley, NY

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Starred review from January 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Moskowitz's best novel since Break (2009) is actually reminiscent of that (literally) smashing debut: both books feature a teen struggling to protect his sick brother, and both deal with the extreme limits of noble self-harm. Rudy, 16, and his family have moved to a place for last resorts, a remote island that is the home of the rare silver Enki fish, purported to have unsurpassed restorative powersjust what Rudy's 5-year-old brother, Dylan, needs to stave off death from cystic fibrosis. It is within the frigid ocean waves that Rudy encounters Teeth, an ugly, foul-mouthed half boy, half fish who is perpetually bruised and bloody from violent late-night encounters with cruel fishermen. The two become friends, maybe even more, but Teeth considers the fish his siblings, and Rudy needs the fish to feed his brother. Therein lies the conflict: how much is one of them willing to give up for the other? Despite the fantastical elements, this reads as realistic, even gritty, drama, fueled by Moskowitz's brand of stream-of-consciousness wonder, tumbling emotion, and dark undertones. Her handling of each characters' sexuality is particularly impressive in its refusal to generalize or simplify. Moskowitz's prose has always had charm; pair it with a great plot and this is what happens.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)