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Ghost Fish
A tender coming-of-age novel about a young woman haunted by her sister’s death, who starts to believe that her beloved sibling has returned to her—in the form of a ghost fish, for fans of Sweetbitter and Our Wives Under the Sea.
Alison is mired in loneliness and grief. Freshly twenty-three and mourning the loss of her younger sister, who has drowned at sea, she’s moved out of her hometown and into a cramped apartment on New York’s Lower East Side. Now she’s living the cliché, barely making rent as a restaurant hostess and avoiding her roommates, while watching the bright, busy passersby from her bubble of grief. She doesn’t need originality; she just needs to be alive. So why does she feel she isn’t truly living?
Until late one night, when she rounds the corner and sees a shape in the air—a ghost. And how strange, it looks like a fish. What is it? Alison knows, without hesitation: it is her beloved sister, finally returned to her side. Safe in a pickle jar filled with water, the ghost fish goes wherever Alison does: in an alcove at the restaurant; in a tote bag on the subway; in her room at night as her roommates chatter outside. She knows she has to keep her safe from the world, the way she didn’t before. She knows that, together, they will never be lonely again. But as Alison’s new life in New York begins to grow, and as she navigates the murky waters of dating, friendship, and desire, she must ask: what if her sister is keeping her away from a life outwardly lived?
With tenderness and heart, stretching from New York, New York to Key West, Florida, Ghost Fish is a meditation on grief, loneliness, and the strange, kaleidoscopic ways we help ourselves—and those we love— through it.
Alison is mired in loneliness and grief. Freshly twenty-three and mourning the loss of her younger sister, who has drowned at sea, she’s moved out of her hometown and into a cramped apartment on New York’s Lower East Side. Now she’s living the cliché, barely making rent as a restaurant hostess and avoiding her roommates, while watching the bright, busy passersby from her bubble of grief. She doesn’t need originality; she just needs to be alive. So why does she feel she isn’t truly living?
Until late one night, when she rounds the corner and sees a shape in the air—a ghost. And how strange, it looks like a fish. What is it? Alison knows, without hesitation: it is her beloved sister, finally returned to her side. Safe in a pickle jar filled with water, the ghost fish goes wherever Alison does: in an alcove at the restaurant; in a tote bag on the subway; in her room at night as her roommates chatter outside. She knows she has to keep her safe from the world, the way she didn’t before. She knows that, together, they will never be lonely again. But as Alison’s new life in New York begins to grow, and as she navigates the murky waters of dating, friendship, and desire, she must ask: what if her sister is keeping her away from a life outwardly lived?
With tenderness and heart, stretching from New York, New York to Key West, Florida, Ghost Fish is a meditation on grief, loneliness, and the strange, kaleidoscopic ways we help ourselves—and those we love— through it.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2025
31 people are currently reading
12443 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
December 4, 2025
i think everyone's loved ones should be reincarnated as ghost companions.
oh, no. this book made me Feel.
i could not have been rooting harder for our protagonist, alison, who has lived a life of loss and grief and managed to get herself to new york city because she still hopes and yearns and wants more. i wanted that for her so much.
this was a simple lovely sweet EMOTIONAL book, with a little hint of magical realism and a lot of love for the world, which is how i like them. books at large, i mean.
my only complaint is that after all that wanting more for alison, i wanted to see it, too. i'm greedy. it was a sweet ending but i wanted even more of it.
lot of wanting being unveiled here.
bottom line: what a pleasant surprise this book was.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
oh, no. this book made me Feel.
i could not have been rooting harder for our protagonist, alison, who has lived a life of loss and grief and managed to get herself to new york city because she still hopes and yearns and wants more. i wanted that for her so much.
this was a simple lovely sweet EMOTIONAL book, with a little hint of magical realism and a lot of love for the world, which is how i like them. books at large, i mean.
my only complaint is that after all that wanting more for alison, i wanted to see it, too. i'm greedy. it was a sweet ending but i wanted even more of it.
lot of wanting being unveiled here.
bottom line: what a pleasant surprise this book was.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
August 27, 2025
“I wondered if it was possible for beauty to be contagious. That, perhaps, some of it might rub off on me.” 🐠💚
A perfectly-paced, emotionally rich novel about how to keep living, when it feels as though you have been given every reason not to — when it feels impossible to.
The writing in here was divine. Every book I open is one in which I hope to find exactly what I did within these pages. Gorgeous, fluid writing, characters you can step into and zip yourself up inside, a home in the shape of a novel.
One of the truly rare times in which I would have kept reading this for hundreds of pages, but I also feel completely satisfied with the way it closed. A new favorite!
A perfectly-paced, emotionally rich novel about how to keep living, when it feels as though you have been given every reason not to — when it feels impossible to.
The writing in here was divine. Every book I open is one in which I hope to find exactly what I did within these pages. Gorgeous, fluid writing, characters you can step into and zip yourself up inside, a home in the shape of a novel.
One of the truly rare times in which I would have kept reading this for hundreds of pages, but I also feel completely satisfied with the way it closed. A new favorite!
February 18, 2025
4.5/5
Wonderful. I mean, this book is precisely what it says on the tin (it's a ghost that's a fish that's also someone's dead sister, what more do you want from something called Ghost Fish?), a simple magical realism concept with enough of a twist to be intriguing and a vibrant enough execution to feel full and complex.
I was immediately pulled into Alison's world and voice: I finished the novel in two sittings within one day, and it's been a while since I've done that, even with a short novel like this. Some of it is the fact that it was a really nice day out and there are few pleasures like reading by an open window, caught in the breeze and the ray of sunshine beaming in. But this novel is particularly well-designed for it: There's a perfect balance between comfort and conflict, as the main character obviously carries significant grief and trauma with her and the city she lives in can seem like a malignant force (at least as far as we are embedded in her perspective, but seriously the more books set in New York I read, the less I ever want to live there), but she also finds tenderness along the way and you want nothing more for her to give into it rather than shrink away from anything good.
That tension, I think, is what kept me turning the pages even when I'd told myself I'd stop reading at the end of the hour and so on. Sometimes as a reader you feel like you have the power to drive the character toward the conclusion they deserve.
The novel hits some turbulence in its second part, seemingly struggling to land gracefully. Maybe that's okay. Maybe a perfectly executed symbolic end isn't right for this story, and a bit of chaos is more fitting. Nevertheless, the characterization of secondary characters takes a bit of a hit, and the whole structure of the novel is practically designed to lead to an information dump, for better or for worse. This may (just barely) prevent the novel from meeting my wildest hopes, but it certainly doesn't prevent me from loving it. Gorgeous, resonant work, and Stuart Pennebaker is certainly one to watch. Whatever she writes next, I'm in.
Thank you to Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley for the eARC.
Wonderful. I mean, this book is precisely what it says on the tin (it's a ghost that's a fish that's also someone's dead sister, what more do you want from something called Ghost Fish?), a simple magical realism concept with enough of a twist to be intriguing and a vibrant enough execution to feel full and complex.
I was immediately pulled into Alison's world and voice: I finished the novel in two sittings within one day, and it's been a while since I've done that, even with a short novel like this. Some of it is the fact that it was a really nice day out and there are few pleasures like reading by an open window, caught in the breeze and the ray of sunshine beaming in. But this novel is particularly well-designed for it: There's a perfect balance between comfort and conflict, as the main character obviously carries significant grief and trauma with her and the city she lives in can seem like a malignant force (at least as far as we are embedded in her perspective, but seriously the more books set in New York I read, the less I ever want to live there), but she also finds tenderness along the way and you want nothing more for her to give into it rather than shrink away from anything good.
That tension, I think, is what kept me turning the pages even when I'd told myself I'd stop reading at the end of the hour and so on. Sometimes as a reader you feel like you have the power to drive the character toward the conclusion they deserve.
The novel hits some turbulence in its second part, seemingly struggling to land gracefully. Maybe that's okay. Maybe a perfectly executed symbolic end isn't right for this story, and a bit of chaos is more fitting. Nevertheless, the characterization of secondary characters takes a bit of a hit, and the whole structure of the novel is practically designed to lead to an information dump, for better or for worse. This may (just barely) prevent the novel from meeting my wildest hopes, but it certainly doesn't prevent me from loving it. Gorgeous, resonant work, and Stuart Pennebaker is certainly one to watch. Whatever she writes next, I'm in.
Thank you to Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley for the eARC.
April 23, 2025
I don’t have words to summarize what I’m feeling but I will digress that I cried in the subway
August 30, 2025
cried my eyes out, love a meditation on grief in the form of a novel about a dead sister reincarnated as a ghost fish
June 3, 2025
A beautiful debut novel from Stuart Pennebaker. Her voice comes through crystal clear in every word and I enjoyed this book so much.
October 30, 2025
“But did it make me broken, or did it make me invincible that I wasn’t afraid of that? That I wanted her forever, but knew I could reckon with that loss. Maybe that was why my sister had come back. To remind me of how I survived.”
Look, what can I say...? Just read the synopsis and tell me this isn’t exactly the kind of book I’d love...
Full review to come.
Look, what can I say...? Just read the synopsis and tell me this isn’t exactly the kind of book I’d love...
Full review to come.
March 2, 2025
(3.5) This book had really great moments and wonderful lines. It was a beautiful exploration of grief and loneliness. That being said, it started with such incredible momentum, but eventually fizzled out. It felt like there was no conflict, whether it be interpersonal or internal, and that left the book feeling a little flat. I absolutely devoured the first 60% of this book, but the last 40% left a little to be desired. It was a book that just kind of... ended... and there wasn't much to be said about that. I think there was just some more to be played with in this book, and I know the author is capable of it because the beginning is so strong.
May 26, 2025
ghost fish is a visceral and punching book that reflects heavily on grief. anyone who has a sibling, especially one they’re close to, will probably understand the chaotic and frantic inner thoughts of the protagonist, alison, after her sister dies by drowning. alison feels alone and is still trying to deal with the loss of her sister when a ghost fish suddenly appears to her. while at first she recognizes it can’t possibly be real, she begins to feel a duty to protect the ghost fish, as she feels she couldn’t protect her sister.
whereas some novels with purple prose get lost on me, this one shines through. the poetic and flowery writing reflects the mind of our protagonist. to me, it reflects alison’s slow descent into what can only be described as “madness”.
this novel is a great testament to how grief can impact us, it can change our lives and make us feel and do things we didn’t think were possible. the loss of a person so important to you is unthinkable until it happens and pennebaker encapsulated that perfectly.
the concept is really out there and there’s aspects of magical realism that reel you in and keep you on the edge of your seat. it is a short book but i think it started to drag a bit in the middle; there’s only so much you can do with the concept of a grieving woman seeing and taking care of a ghost fish. but either way, this is an astounding debut from pennebaker, and i’m looking forward to future novels from her.
thank you to little, brown and company for an ARC of this novel provided through netgalley!
whereas some novels with purple prose get lost on me, this one shines through. the poetic and flowery writing reflects the mind of our protagonist. to me, it reflects alison’s slow descent into what can only be described as “madness”.
this novel is a great testament to how grief can impact us, it can change our lives and make us feel and do things we didn’t think were possible. the loss of a person so important to you is unthinkable until it happens and pennebaker encapsulated that perfectly.
the concept is really out there and there’s aspects of magical realism that reel you in and keep you on the edge of your seat. it is a short book but i think it started to drag a bit in the middle; there’s only so much you can do with the concept of a grieving woman seeing and taking care of a ghost fish. but either way, this is an astounding debut from pennebaker, and i’m looking forward to future novels from her.
thank you to little, brown and company for an ARC of this novel provided through netgalley!
July 25, 2025
I absolutely devoured this from start to finish!
This is very much a book you read for the people, not the plot. Those are always my favorites, so if character-driven narratives are your thing, I beg you try this one.
Stuart Pennebaker’s writing is gorgeous and intimate—she makes you feel like you’re really just in someone’s head, going through all of life’s craziness together.
Alison is so tenderly human, navigating grief, loneliness, and young-adult life, all the while attempting to understand where she fits into the spaces she inhabits and the world as a whole.
Her journey is full of vulnerabilities and hard times, but there’s also hope and wonder and learning how to trust.
It’s just a completely wonderful, melancholic gem of a book!
(And there’s a sister who’s also a ghost who’s also a fish. Not sure about you, but that sold me immediately).
4.5!
This is very much a book you read for the people, not the plot. Those are always my favorites, so if character-driven narratives are your thing, I beg you try this one.
Stuart Pennebaker’s writing is gorgeous and intimate—she makes you feel like you’re really just in someone’s head, going through all of life’s craziness together.
Alison is so tenderly human, navigating grief, loneliness, and young-adult life, all the while attempting to understand where she fits into the spaces she inhabits and the world as a whole.
Her journey is full of vulnerabilities and hard times, but there’s also hope and wonder and learning how to trust.
It’s just a completely wonderful, melancholic gem of a book!
(And there’s a sister who’s also a ghost who’s also a fish. Not sure about you, but that sold me immediately).
4.5!
June 12, 2025
amazing debut and absolutely gorgeous, will be lining up for a copy on release day. can't wait for more from this author.
December 28, 2025
3.5
Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book :)
I started this book back in August and had to put it down due to the passing of my grandmother. This book is about grief and the loss of someone (in this book a sister) who you were very close to. While I didn't relate to any of the characters in this book, I still was experiencing someone whom I loved dying as an adult in my 20s just like the main character Alison (another reason I had to put the dumb book down due to my name being everywhere and trying not to break down). This book talked about grief in such an interesting and great way. When you lose someone who you saw all the time, you never fully get over that feeling of not being able to call or see them again. That nauseating feeling like you are falling from a great height when you think about them never goes away and this book captures that sensation. When someone dies, the hardest thing to do is let them go and knowing that you are the one restricting yourself from healing is one of the biggest hurtles to get over when accepting that someone you love is dead.
Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book :)
I started this book back in August and had to put it down due to the passing of my grandmother. This book is about grief and the loss of someone (in this book a sister) who you were very close to. While I didn't relate to any of the characters in this book, I still was experiencing someone whom I loved dying as an adult in my 20s just like the main character Alison (another reason I had to put the dumb book down due to my name being everywhere and trying not to break down). This book talked about grief in such an interesting and great way. When you lose someone who you saw all the time, you never fully get over that feeling of not being able to call or see them again. That nauseating feeling like you are falling from a great height when you think about them never goes away and this book captures that sensation. When someone dies, the hardest thing to do is let them go and knowing that you are the one restricting yourself from healing is one of the biggest hurtles to get over when accepting that someone you love is dead.
September 17, 2025
I have now read 3 books about grief where the protagonist releases their loved one into the ocean. If we expand that to books where a loved one is released into the general environment then it’s at least 5 books.
So that’s all to say I think this book position itself in a unique way for this is largely a contemporary realism story where there is also a ghost fish who is a sister that is haunting the protagonist except really the protagonist is haunting the dead sister. The death has already occurred; this is instead mired in how banal grief can be long after death. I think the author captures this realism quite well, but it just is not that emotionally evocative given the premise. We can only understand a grief so much and feel it personally when we only have the vaguest outline of the dead in question; the universal is in fact impersonal. I understand this detachment was intentional, I just don’t think it was effective.
So that’s all to say I think this book position itself in a unique way for this is largely a contemporary realism story where there is also a ghost fish who is a sister that is haunting the protagonist except really the protagonist is haunting the dead sister. The death has already occurred; this is instead mired in how banal grief can be long after death. I think the author captures this realism quite well, but it just is not that emotionally evocative given the premise. We can only understand a grief so much and feel it personally when we only have the vaguest outline of the dead in question; the universal is in fact impersonal. I understand this detachment was intentional, I just don’t think it was effective.
August 28, 2025
Charming, yet entirely predictable - offering nothing fresh.
October 2, 2025
This was essentially quite a simple story about loss and grief but cleverly constructed by Pennebaker.
The evocation of place and setting is perfect, I got a real sense of the buzz of New York City but the dichotomous loneliness that can come from being an outsider in a city full of strangers. Similarly, I got a great sense of the gritty sun-bleached langour of Florida and the kindness of Southerners.
I like that Pennebaker uses a fish for the portrayal of her sister's spirit. It hints of memories of Our Wives Under the Sea and Big Fish. She perfectly captures the difficulty of moving on from grief and tragedy. At one point I felt really frustrated that the protagonist wasn't acting the way I wanted her to and was tempted to drop a star in the rating, then realised I needed to check myself and accept that this is the sign of good writing, provoking a reaction towards a completely fictional character. This is great storytelling.
A 5 star all the way read, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
On a side note I don't think I've ever heard of a woman called Stuart!
The evocation of place and setting is perfect, I got a real sense of the buzz of New York City but the dichotomous loneliness that can come from being an outsider in a city full of strangers. Similarly, I got a great sense of the gritty sun-bleached langour of Florida and the kindness of Southerners.
I like that Pennebaker uses a fish for the portrayal of her sister's spirit. It hints of memories of Our Wives Under the Sea and Big Fish. She perfectly captures the difficulty of moving on from grief and tragedy. At one point I felt really frustrated that the protagonist wasn't acting the way I wanted her to and was tempted to drop a star in the rating, then realised I needed to check myself and accept that this is the sign of good writing, provoking a reaction towards a completely fictional character. This is great storytelling.
A 5 star all the way read, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
On a side note I don't think I've ever heard of a woman called Stuart!
November 21, 2025
After reading Monstrilio - perhaps one of the best reflections on grief I've read, this one fell short. Though, it's a commendable debut with some powerful moments, I was bored by the end.
August 19, 2025
Started and finished in a day because it stole my heart hook line and sinker. Ending made me sob but in the good kind of way that made me happy to be alive and surrounded by books.
September 12, 2025
very bittersweet! if you like maggie su or julia armfield you would probably like this
September 1, 2025
Just couldn’t get into it. I found the main character whiny.
May 15, 2025
Ghost Fish captured my attention right away. I felt the grief come off the page as we meet the main character for the first time. I could also feel her bravery through Stuart's well-crafted words. When it comes time to introduce the Ghost Fish, I was ready for the turn the story took. I thought the book reminded me of Shark Heart, and I loved that title. I think this will be an excellent book club choice.
April 4, 2025
Impressive debut novel from Stuart Pennebaker. She is a force. I hope this is the first of many.
October 23, 2025
Why am I not seeing this book everywhere?!? This is such a sleeper hit!!!! If you've ever lost somebody, or you love stories set in NYC about second chances at life, or you like your books with just a dusting of magical realism, you MUST read this.
Ghost Fish is such a beautiful book about coping with significant loss, sisters, starting over, moving forward with your life despite the many setbacks, putting yourself out there, friendship, vulnerability, home. From the very first page I knew this would hit so hard for me. Alison was one of the most heartbreaking MCs I've read in awhile - my heart broke for her and the amount of loss she suffered at such a young age. I wanted to give her a big hug and ask her to be my friend. I wasn't surprised when she latched onto her sister/ghost fish like she did. I was so grateful for Gabrielle and her friendship that helped pull Alison onward.
A lovely, heartbreaking, at times humorous book showing it is possible and necessary to move forward in life while still grieving our loved ones.
Ghost Fish is such a beautiful book about coping with significant loss, sisters, starting over, moving forward with your life despite the many setbacks, putting yourself out there, friendship, vulnerability, home. From the very first page I knew this would hit so hard for me. Alison was one of the most heartbreaking MCs I've read in awhile - my heart broke for her and the amount of loss she suffered at such a young age. I wanted to give her a big hug and ask her to be my friend. I wasn't surprised when she latched onto her sister/ghost fish like she did. I was so grateful for Gabrielle and her friendship that helped pull Alison onward.
A lovely, heartbreaking, at times humorous book showing it is possible and necessary to move forward in life while still grieving our loved ones.
September 3, 2025
This was so beautifully written, with such vivid descriptions of grief and friendship and sisters and finding your place in the world that, even though not much technically happened, I couldn’t put this down once I picked it up. Now, sadly, it’s 2:00 AM and I just cried my eyes out. I don’t think this will be for everyone, but if you don’t mind books that are mostly vibes, the beautiful writing and characters you feel like you know from page one are well worth giving this one a chance. I can’t believe this was a debut — I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
October 10, 2025
Grief is a silly, brutal thing— sometimes it howls, and sometimes it drifts quietly beneath the surface, waiting. This story moves with that same tide, tracing the small, unglamorous rhythms of a young woman trying to make sense of herself in the wake of everything she’s lost. Alison is twenty-three, newly unmoored in New York City, picking up shifts as a hostess, stumbling through days that sting of alcohol and crowded sidewalks and late-shift exhaustion. She carries her grief in a jar, both literally and impossibly— a tiny orange fish that shimmers with memory— and somehow this feels truer than any out loud confession could.
The writing is soaked with a sensory honesty I recognize: the ambient din of the restaurant, the ache in your feet (and chest) after hours of smiling at strangers, the way the city itself can feel like both punishment and promise. The improbable never feels like fantasy here— it’s the shape grief takes when the world is busy still turning. It dulls beside, swims through, asks quietly: how much can you hold before it starts to slip between the gaps in your fingers?
Every page feels touched by salt, the kind that stings, that preserves. The language ebbs and flows as a current, sometimes unhurried, sometimes carrying anger like water remembering a body that moved through it. What begins as a portrait of mourning becomes something more earnest: the slow rediscovery of aliveness— the fragile dignity of carrying on.
It is a novel that understands that to grieve is to love in the wrong tense, that it’s messy, that survival isn’t a triumph but a tide that keeps returning, reshaping you with every lap. It doesn’t offer escape, but teaches you how to breathe underwater; gives you your own set of fins.
And so, keep swimming, dear heart. Keep swimming.
The writing is soaked with a sensory honesty I recognize: the ambient din of the restaurant, the ache in your feet (and chest) after hours of smiling at strangers, the way the city itself can feel like both punishment and promise. The improbable never feels like fantasy here— it’s the shape grief takes when the world is busy still turning. It dulls beside, swims through, asks quietly: how much can you hold before it starts to slip between the gaps in your fingers?
Every page feels touched by salt, the kind that stings, that preserves. The language ebbs and flows as a current, sometimes unhurried, sometimes carrying anger like water remembering a body that moved through it. What begins as a portrait of mourning becomes something more earnest: the slow rediscovery of aliveness— the fragile dignity of carrying on.
It is a novel that understands that to grieve is to love in the wrong tense, that it’s messy, that survival isn’t a triumph but a tide that keeps returning, reshaping you with every lap. It doesn’t offer escape, but teaches you how to breathe underwater; gives you your own set of fins.
And so, keep swimming, dear heart. Keep swimming.
November 12, 2025
I have found my favorite genre of book, and that is grieving lost loved ones and then having them turn into various creatures (see: Monstrilio, Shark Heart, and now Ghost Fish). This is definitely one of my top books of the year. The ending had me sobbing. Highly recommend to anyone in general, but especially those who have lost a little bit of themselves after experiencing a loss. I can’t wait to see what Stuart Pennebaker comes out with next!
December 1, 2025
Sobbing, this was so good
December 29, 2025
Couldn’t read this fast enough. So sad and cute and happy all wrapped up in one. I wish it wasn’t over already
August 3, 2025
I laughed and I cried and I remembered how much I love the ocean and the kind of friends who quickly feel like family. I will read everything you ever write, Stuart Pennebaker! 🩵
August 26, 2025
Absolutely adored this book! It’s a quiet, whisper of a story that lingers long after you finish. I loved the magical realism woven into the NYC restaurant setting. Grief and early-twenties uncertainty were captured so viscerally, personified through the ghost fish. Beautiful prose and a delight to read, despite the heavy subject matter (death of a sibling/parent).
September 9, 2025
the most beautiful story and perfectly bottled feeling of what it means to carry sibling grief. i loved getting lost in this novel
Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews