4/5 Gritty and real
  by aisela (Sacramento, CA United States)
I haven't finished "Finding Fish" yet (I'm about three-quarters of the way through), but I was compelled to write this review anyway. I am an avid fan of memoirs, and "Finding Fish" is the most indescribably sad books I've ever read. Antwone Fisher's hardscrabble life, so lacking in the simple pleasures and creature comforts such as love and affection, is almost painful to read; as you turn the page you'll find yourself hoping that this will be the paragraph where his life begins to take a turn for the better. What you get instead is continuous accounts of cruel, heartless treatment which starts from the time Antwone is a toddler and last into his young adulthood.

Fisher recounts his life story with the same emotional detachment that must have been necessary for him to survive his childhood surroundings, but as you get further into the story you realize that he doesn't need to "dress up" is words. The power of his pain does not need embellishment. Be prepared to cry as you read this book, but also be prepared to feel joy for and pride in Fisher for struggling through, perserving, and ultimately finding success. This story will make you take stock of your own life and feel grateful.

5/5 A Spectacular Memoir
  by (Philadelphia, PA United States)
This memoir took me through a lot of emotions as I read it over the course of three days. I appreciated my upbringing much more at the end of the book and I was hardly given a bed of roses. I am disheartened at the reviewers who didnt like this book because they felt as if Fisher didnt endure as much as many other children in the foster care system. That's exactly what made the book so compelling. Mental abuse over a long period of time can be just as devastating as physical abuse. Yes, there are kids who turn out worse or who may have had it harder bouncing from place to place but Antwone's story is incredible. He was broken down mentally and spiritually but he still endured. His story is simple but it's so powerful at the same time. Immediately after finishing his memoir I knew right away that it is a book that I would recommend to the young men in my mentor program. This insightful book is a great read, especially for young black men living in 2002 who think that the world owes them something. I am truly inspired by Antwone Fisher's work.

Mister Mann Frisby
Author of "Blinking Red Light"

5/5 A heart-wrenching inspiration
  by Brenda J. Christian (Matawan, NJ USA)
I came upon this book by chance while browsing through an airport book store. From the first page, I was hooked, as the writer opens with a narrative about his father; a father he never knew because he was shot by his mother before he was born. Fisher eloquently allows the reader to share in the horrors he experienced as a ward of the state of Ohio. With each page, one can feel the disappointments, the physical and emotional pain this child endured every day of his life. The story tells of his life in an orphange, followed by what one would believe, his salvation, in the home of his foster parents. Unfortunately, life with his foster parents resulted in a slow demise of his spirit. He endured physical, sexual, and emotional abuse on a daily basis, and grew into adulthood with an extremely low self-esteem and no self-worth. How he survived is truly miraculous.

This book not only gives you insight into the child welfare system, but it carries you into the hearts of the orphaned children that the system often fails.

This book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you thank God for your blessings. and make you realize just how powerful determination can be.

5/5 "Uninvited"--the story of Antwone Quenton Fisher
  by
A few weeks ago, the wonderful woman who keeps our library clean told me that she had watched the TV show "Montel" as he interviewed Antwone Quenton Fisher, a screenwriter and producer. Fisher had written a memoir called "Finding Fish" about his life as a foster child, and she was so impressed and overcome by the story that she asked if we could get the book for her.

I did. She read it and gave it to me to read on Thursday. She asked that I talk to her after I read it to see what I thought. Friday was our first day of summer vacation so I began to read. I couldn't put it down, except for a few hours of sleep last night, finishing it this morning.

What a heartbreaking story of abuse, emotional, physical, sexual. The story of a boy who was not "invited" as he puts it, into this world. The story has a positive ending, but the vivid descriptions of being unwanted, and the cruelty that human beings can inflict on a child, are guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.

For me, one of the most powerful scenes involves three of four foster children being told not to expect any presents at Christmas because they are bad. Presents appear under the tree, but, sure enough, when they come down hopefully and expectantly Christmas morning, the presents that have appeared are for one child only, not anything for the others.

When Fisher describes being "sent back" (to Social Services--he had no one else to go back to) I could barely deal with it. I will let you experience it on your own if you choose to read this book. I highly recommend it!

5/5 whoosh!
  by pamela l. moye (fayetteville, nc USA)
I read a small ad for this book in a library journal and decided to attempt to locate it through my local library. The public library in Fayetteville, NC is a wonderful resource. They had the book. I just completed it. I say "whoosh" because this book has the effect of inflating a balloon, and slowly letting all of the air out. That's what happened to this young man's life. His testimony is a "must read". There were times during my reading when I had to put it down. It was such a powerful narrative, and a demonstration of "what's wrong" with the child welfare system. I pray that the foster mother, Mrs. Pickett, is alive and in full control of her faculties at this time. She is clearly identified as a vicious, sick human being, who should have never been licensed as a foster parent. The child welfare agencies, also, are glaringly neglectful in their care of this child, Antwone. My heart went out top this young man. As a social worker, who has worked with foster children for many years, Antwone's story is another clear indictment of the "system" and its flaws. I never thought I would say this, but I almost feel that orphanages are superior to "foster" care. At least in an orphanage, a child knows where he or she is, and can grow to accept it. This was a beautifully written narrative, portrayed with angst and soul. God bless this man and his family. I have told many people about this book, and will continue to laud it's worth and magnificence.