What a Fish Looks Like is a post apocalyptic book about why we tell stories. The cover and title immediately caught my eye and the description didn't disappoint either so, going into this, I was very excited.

The start of the book is very light and enjoyable. The problem? It stays that way. I got around halfway through before DNF-ing. I was really rooting for this one but eventually got to a point where, even if the plot picked up, there wouldn't be enough room to tell the story Beker set out to tell.

As soon as I started reading this, I knew I was in for something special. Playing with form and including a metanarrative along short stories, I ended up absolutely adoring this. It so accurately depicted living on the edge of climate change/capitalism/of the feeling that disaster is always looming yet trying to find hope in the community around you, refusing to give in. It's gorgeous and tragic and speaks so much to right now. I cannot recommend this enough.

This was really weird even for someone like me who thrives on weird book but honestly I absolutely loved the weirdness. This book not only had a really unique plot but the way it's written was so unique. I loved everything about this. Its a really short book but still it tells such an amazing story in such a unique way. I can't wait to get more for Syr Hayati Beker

I overall enjoyed this apocalyptic queer metanarrative, but its experimental structure failed at times. I think it was weakest in the red riding hood and grandma parts, but otherwise I found it followable. I think I could discuss this book for ages with someone who’s down to tear into all its layers.

Ultimately, this book suffered for being in ebook format. It was somewhat unsatisfying to view what I imagine looks better on a printed page. Also sometimes I spent too long trying to wade through the language and I lost the story. And that sucks because the story at the heart of this book was great. The little mermaid part was my favorite.

I was excited to dive into this title, as I love Stelliform Press and their singular brand of queer eco-fiction. This one, unfortunately, was my least favourite of their releases so far.
Although I love many of the themes, imagery and ideas in it, I couldn’t push through until the end. The format of this book just didn’t work for me at all. It’s told through text-messages, threads, scraps and margin notes with barely any actual prose tying it all together. The whole felt entirely disjointed and due to this format it was impossible for me to get a feeling for any of the characters.
I’m keeping a keen eye on any new releases by this independent publisher, but unfortunately recommend this particular title.

Many thanks to Stelliform Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

On a seperate note: I truly hope Stelliform Press will work with this coverartist in the future. They've been knocking it out of the park with their covers recently, and this is another stunning one!

When I requested this book, I assumed it would be unusual. However, it was much more than that. It really bothered me when people began turning into animals and specifically animals that are each other's meals. For those reasons, I did not finish the book. I did not have a problem with the writing, it was well written.

I genuinely do not understand what I read. The format of the pages was so wrong. The content was not good. I’m sorry I didn’t enjoy this novel and I hope that someone who better understands the chaos gets to enjoy it.

I was reading Green Fuse Burning and fell down the rabbit hole of Stelliform’s catalogue, and knew I wanted to try every one. Seeing What A Fish Looks Like available for request felt like a sign, and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it. This is a very strange book, but I love how it weaves and distorts familiar fairy tales. This is extremely queer and full of messy interpersonal stories. I’m not quite sure if this is hopeful or tragic, but I do love how many stories are woven into one whole. What a Fish Looks Like is a very interesting book and I especially enjoyed how fairytales are a framework, but the whole story is really the letters and chats between the characters.

DNF at 55%.

I really wanted to like this book, and when the story started with the ghosting part I was so excited. It was a unique idea, and I would have been more than happy to hear more about that part. However the book itself didn’t do it for me. I had to constantly go back to previous chapters and reread them to understand what was really going on. I wanted to continue reading and finish it but I guess it just wasn’t my style.

Very unique and weird.
I enjoyed it most of the time.
Though the narrative was not for me mandatory some points it felt dragging.

I really enjoyed the ghosting part at the beginning so I was also disappointed that that wasn't developed any further.
I normally enjoy reading something with experimental prose but sadly this one didn't quite do it for me. Maybe it's because I don't know all of the original fairytales but especially the retellings towards the end just left me confused.