This novel helped me let go of some painful and shameful things I had a difficult time with in my own life that I had, including being able to confront my ex-husband who abandoned me with a letter that was difficult to write, since he avoided all of the important matters essential to ending a marriage and I was able to finally speak up to my father about anger that I had never been listened to without him cutting me off mid-sentence and that was the one main thing I was angry about. This novel changed my being able to speak up for myself, by persisting and clarifying what I meant to him. I have never been able to say that before about a book. I really love this book. As a result of reading this book, I dealt with tying up some loose ends in my own life. TERRIFIC!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Magda's life is slowly bursting into flames, as it changes for the worst. The ones most important to her are departing from her life.

First it's her mother who passes away. Then it's her best friend, Julia, who moves away, and then her father is slowly becoming disconnected as he tries to move on. For Magda it is just too soon, but her father has quickly found someone else to fill her mother's shoes.

The only thing Magda finds solace in is by setting fires in the woods right next to her home. This action is the introduction for the reader to decide whether Magda has become unstable. We must further question her sanity as the appearances of two fish, who converse in Magda's head, are made throughout the story.

Can Magda overcome all of these tragedies, find her identity, and discover the secrets she's been looking for? Or will it all just push her over the edge?

Right off the bat, THE SHAPE OF WATER looks like your typical novel where the main character is hit with numerous tragedies and must face her emotions and the future. However, Anne Spollen weaves an intricate and poetic novel that flows right from the very first word to the very last. Magda is a character full of many levels, and as the story progresses the reader is able to understand her actions and her thoughts.

What seems crazy at first becomes enticingly beautiful in the end. THE SHAPE OF WATER is a novel full of thought and sorrow that will take the reader on a journey that will leave a lasting impression. ( )

I picked this one up over the summer due to its cover -- very cool artwork. At first, the book drew me in only slightly as the character seemed so dreamy - I thought she might be an imaginary character. As I read, I got hooked on the language, the images, the story of how she overcomes grief. At times, this book is darkly funny with a kind of wry humor that you think about later on and you get the full meaning.
What's really cool about this story is the setting: the beach, the ocean, the marshes, the fires. I remember learning how Thomas Hardy's heath was considered an actual character in his books - it's the same here. This setting of the story gave the background a richness that I really liked.
It's not fantasy, but maybe a touch of magical realism here and there that will appeal to imaginative readers. The writing reminds me of poetry.
This one is a keeper (and I don't even read that much contemporary YA). ( )

After her mother's death, Magda starts slipping into mental illness, starting fires and conversing with imaginary fish inside her head. Really gorgeous writing, but I didn't find it very accessible and it just wasn't my cup of tea. I'd hand it to fans of I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier and The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean.

Read more on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/10/book-review-shape-of-water.html ( )