Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: When I bought this book, I thought that I was going to get a good tale about three girls who are unlikely to become friends, but do, due to extreme circumstances. I was very, very disappointed. The author writes from the perspective of all three of the characters, and the only one she is able to make believable is the beautiful but shallow Emma. Her portrayal of both the giggly, naive Allie and the uptight perfectionist Jodine are terrible-- you don't feel as though you're seeing out of their eyes, even though it's in the first person, you're still observing them from an outside position. The Jodine and Allie portions of the book are way too contrived, it's like listening to someone speak in a horrendously fake accent-- they're not fooling anyone but themself.The girls do become friends, but I still don't understand why. They may have changed in small and big ways, but there isn't enough to bond them. They are still just roommates and acquaintances. It's almost as if we women delude ourselves into thinking that we have "true" friends, but we really don't, we just have other girls we passed certain periods of our lives with. Surely this is not the result the author intended. I didn't walk away from this book having gained anything-- not a good laugh, not simple entertainment, and that's $.. I'll never see again.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT BOOK!!
Review: This book was so great. It captures the spirit of the 20-something single woman who's dealing with roommates, friends, dating, parents, etc without being one of those "girl dates three thousand creepy guys until she meets mr. right" books. I loved Sarah's first novel, Milkrun, and her sophomore effort is just as good.
Fishbowl is funny, true, heartwarming, and sometimes even a little sad. A great read all around. Sarah's a really talented young author, and I can't wait to read more from her!
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!!!
Review: I haven't laughed out loud reading a book on the subway in ages. I read also read Milkrun and liked it, but just fell in love with Fishbowl!! Speaking from the point of view of a 26 year old woman, here is a book that's sorrowly missing for the other 20-something year old women out there. This is for all those who are just out of school or finishing school. It's for those living on their own for the first time with roommates in the ridiculously high un-rent controlled cities out there. It's for those who are caught in that in-between world of the teenage novels and not quite there 30-something year old realm of the Sex and the City girls and can't find their place in the literary world because there just aren't enough books out there targeting that age group. It's just SO funny and such a realistic portryal of what life can be like with roommates when you're on your own for the first time and all the challenges (kitchen fire exaggerated of course but I mean hey...it points out the value of renter's insurance). Between the boyfriends, to the post-grad jobs, the lingo, the backstabbing and the dreams of the mid-twenties girl, this takes the cake. Get it, read it, tell your friends!
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!!!
Review: I haven't laughed out loud reading a book on the subway in ages. I read Milkrun but this one is like 1000 times better!! Speaking from the point of view of a 26 year old woman, here is a book that's sorrowly missing for the other 20-something year old women out there. This is for all those who are just out of school or finishing school. It's for those living on their own for the first time with roommates in the ridiculously high un-rent controlled cities out there. It's for those who are caught in that in-between world of the teenage novels and not quite there 30-something year old realm of the Sex and the City girls and can't find their place in the literary world because there just aren't enough books out there targeting that age group. It's just SO funny and such a realistic portryal of what life can be like with roommates when you're on your own for the first time and all the challenges (kitchen fire exaggerated of course but I mean hey...it points out the value of renter's insurance). Between the boyfriends, to the post-grad jobs, the lingo, the backstabbing and the dreams of the mid-twenties girl, this takes the cake. Get it, read it, tell your friends!
Rating:
Summary: Best from Red Dress Ink Yet!
Review: This is the best book that Red Dress Ink has published. The characters were much more developed and actually funny! The one comment I would make to the author is that Allie, during her chapters, seemed confident and secure. During the other chapters, however, she came off as an airhead. Great book, Sarah!
Rating:
Summary: Oh Canada!
Review: How about that Canadian Chick lit, eh? Finally!
When I started Fishbowl, I was thrilled to see that the cast was all-Canadian. Jodine (from Toronto), Emma (from Montreal) and Allie (from Belleville) all move to downtown TO to share an apartment. The three women are totally different and the fun begins the moment they unpack. Lots of laughs and very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Peer into the Fishbowl
Review: Allie, Jodine and Emma are not your typical roommates living in Toronto. Allie is a naïve, sweet virgin who believes her childhood sweetheart Clint is her soul mate. Emma is the fowl-mouthed,..., smoking fashion designer who recently dumped her controlling boyfriend Nick. Jodine is a list-making phobic who keep sleeping with her fellow law student Manny, because well...he's there.
Having roommates means living in a fishbowl for these three women. When an accidental fire (the mystery is who set it...) leads to big repair bills, these girls need to bond together to raise some money. They throw parties and give "How To Pick Up Women" seminars. But can these three very different girls ever become friends?
The novel was freshly written in three different first-person perspectives along with one sarcastic omniscient narrator. Although these characters sometimes come across as unsympathetic, I found myself identifying with their character traits and falling in love with them anyway. Also, there were many laugh out loud "I can't believe she just said that" moments!
Rating:
Summary: Hysterical!
Review: This book is not your everyday boy dumps girl, girl gets over boy chick lit story. Fishbowl is about the relationship between three women who are forced to live with each other. After their kitchen burns down they have to bond and come up with creative ways to raise money...the novel jumps from Allie to Emma to Jodine's head and then into a hysterical omniscient narrator who basically makes fun of the three girls. Part satire, part relationship story, part romance....I loved it!
Rating:
Summary: Buy This Book!
Review: Refreshing rotating character perspective, well written, compelling story line and a little sex - what else could you ask for in a book? Fishbowl is an excellent follow-up to Mlynowski's Milkrun - she's clearly showing her progress as a writer (and a hotty - nice picture). This book is well worth the read....
Rating:
Summary: not as good as Milkrun
Review: I feel really bad, I bought this book because I really loved Milkrun but this book was not as good at all. Not only was it filled with really obvious editing errors but the characters were really annoying and the ending was completely predictable. I liked Milkrun because the ending kind of came out of nowhere. The editing errors are in the conversations. It seems like the names got mixed up. Jodine asks 'whose going to man the door' on one page and then, later in the conversation, asks 'why do we have to man the door at all?' Uh, cause you just asked if they should? Its a cute book and a cute idea but I was expecting a lot more.
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