The Goldfish Boy

December 12, 2016
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.

Starred review from December 15, 2016
Matthew is the Jimmy Stewart of this Rear Window for middle graders. Behind the safety of his bedroom window, 12-year-old Matthew Corbin watches the world go by. Unable to go to school consistently or play with friends like other children his age because of a crippling fear of germs, Matthew observes life from behind the safety of glass windowpanes. Neighbors come and go about their business. Children play. And one day, a posh black car delivers a young girl and her baby brother to their grandfather, and neither Matthew nor his cul-de-sac in a largely white London suburb will ever be the same. When 15-month-old Teddy disappears, Matthew, with the unexpected help of a quirky, cemetery-obsessed neighbor, vows to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Matthew's struggles with OCD and guilt over the death of his own baby brother are heartbreakingly real, yet somehow, even in Matthew's most difficult moments, the novel never loses its sense of hope. Hope that Teddy will be found. And hope that Matthew will fight his demons and reclaim his life. A secondary cast of characters, including Matthew's parents and Melody Bird, his sassy, self-appointed investigative partner, helps to make this possible. Thompson strikes the perfect balance, seemingly without compromise, between an issue-driven novel and one with broad, commercial appeal. This empathetic debut is a middle-grade whodunit with a very special heart. (Mystery. 8-12)

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December 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Watching from his bedroom window, Matthew, called Goldfish Boy because he never leaves his room, is the last person to observe a neighborhood toddler before the child's disappearance. With his hands tightly secured inside rubber gloves, Matthew struggles with an intense fear of germs, brought on by the death of his baby brother. There are few characters who interact with Matthew: his frustrated parents, a girl who lives down the street, and his adjoining neighbors, all of whom are suspects in the toddler's disappearance. The novel successfully weaves Matthew's personal struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder and the search for the missing toddler into a compelling story with a hearty dose of mystery and adventure. Though the topic is serious, the tone is fairly light and the story well-paced, considering the setting rarely changes from Matthew's home. Readers will root for Matthew. VERDICT Recommended for middle grade collections and for use as a classroom read-aloud, ideal for building empathy.-Pilar Okeson, District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2016
Grades 4-7 Thompson's debut is a multilayered mystery at once suspenseful and heartrending. Matthew Corbin's OCD has progressed to the point where he won't go beyond his bedroom and the office across the hall. When he isn't washing his hands and cleaning his surroundings, Matthew watches his neighbors in their cul-de-sac. He writes down his observations with meticulous care, and when his neighbor's grandson, 15-month-old Teddy, suddenly goes missing, he realizes that he could have vital information. Reluctantly, he joins forces with neighbor and classmate Melody to solve the mystery. Simultaneously, Matthew comes to terms with the root of his condition and learns that everyone has secrets and stories. Matthew narrates the story with a voice that is initially stilted and formal but which fills out as he lets go of his fears and develops compassion for his parents and neighbors. By locking into Matthew's perspective, Thompson amps up the suspense, since the reader can only learn things as Matthew does, but the payoff is well worth the wait.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
British boy Matthew's OCD has consumed him: he can't go to school, he over-washes his hands, and he barely leaves the window in his room. But when a neighborhood toddler disappears, he must overcome his fears to help solve the mystery. Thompson realistically captures Matthew's anxiety and first foray back into the world, though the disclosure of his disorder's origin is simplistic and the resolution too neat.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)