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PJ McDermott

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Small Fish Big Fish: A Coming of Age Novel Kindle Edition

by PJ McDermott (Author), Rachel Blackbirdsong (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 113 ratings

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The descent to hell is gradual...

When Jamie McCarthy sees some money lying on the floor of the corner store, he thinks his luck is in. But sometimes, what seems like Fortune’s kindly smile can be a mask hiding a twisted and cruel face. So it is with Jamie.

The seemingly harmless act of keeping the money triggers a series of events that drags Jamie into a quagmire of deception and criminality, pursued by an adversary who appears determined to destroy his life.

Small Fish Big Fish is a powerful coming-of-age novel about a boy's struggle against teen violence and bullying, the power of courage and friendship, and the cruciality of family.

Young adults and older teenagers will relate to the authentic 20th-century setting and the suspense brought to life by PJ McDermott’s gritty biographical fiction.

Paperback and Hardcover versions are also available.

What Readers Say

'I found myself unable to put it down after the first twenty pages.'

'Every young person wants to know they're not alone. We are all Jamie at some stage in our lives, lost, confused, trying to fit in, struggling to come to grips with our lives and who we are. This book does this flawlessly.'

'A wonderful story that all young people can relate to. It takes an age-old battle and puts it splendidly into words that many will appreciate. I could not believe the climax.'

‘Reminds me of Frank McCourt's biography of his life growing up in Ireland.'

'A fantastic story and a great read.'

'A great book for teen discussion.'

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"What drew me in were the different layers the author weaved into the plot, ranging from philosophy, violence, immigration, and love. Small Fish Big Fish is an ambitious story, and the author does a very impressive job in tying the different elements together." K. Kumar

"McDermott's writing clearly conveys a solid sense of character, setting and time. I felt like I was really 'there' throughout the story. The plot is complex and requires attention, but McDermott's writing make that easy. This book has multiple elements: mystery, action, romance, and excellent characterization. If you're looking for a new and different twist on the coming of age story, read this now!" PM (Amazon)

"Wow! What a great read, I couldn't put it down!! Loved the story and all the characters Hope there's a part 2, would love to read it" Roseanna Morales (Amazon)"

"This book is fantastic any way you look at it and I think it has a very wide appeal. The author's writing contains the perfect blend of each element of the story. Characters feel like real people and scenery pops off the pages. As to the story, the main character is a teenager facing very typical issues. You really learn to sympathize with him right away. He is having a rough time but his luck seemingly turns around when he finds a lot of money. He clearly struggles with how to handle it - does he turn it in, or find a way to spend it carefully without drawing attention? Then there's the neighborhood bully who gives him trouble. It really reminds you of those kids from your school days who used to be jerks and rubbed you the wrong way. Seriously, this is a great read and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!" D. Egglesten (Goodreads)

"A cracking story." - TomPorter

"Passionate and authentic." - SherrodM Wall, Goodreads
"Unforgettable." - Dave,Amazon reader
"A riveting read." - Gloria Ng, Goodreads
"I couldn't put it down!" - K.R. Slifer, Goodreads

About the Author

PJ McDermott lived in Ferguslie Park, the setting for his debut novel, Small Fish Big Fish, until he was fifteen. At twenty-one he went backto study full-time at Langside College, and from there to GlasgowUniversity, graduating Bachelor of Science.

A regular on theScottish Folk Club circuit, PJ played guitar and sang with hisfriends and cousins for pocket money. He lived in Paisley until, at theage of twenty-six, he met and married Sue, who convinced him to returnwith her to Australia, a move he has never regretted.

In 2011,PJ discovered a talent for writing and has since published several short stories and the novels, Small Fish Big Fish, and Books 1 and 2 of the science fiction series, The Prosperine Trilogy. Book 3, The Scarf will be published in August, 2016.
PJ lives with his wife, in Melbourne. They have two beautiful daughters, and two seriously cheeky grandchildren.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00NQH9RIU
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Patrick McDermott (September 18, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 18, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 781 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 298 pages

Customer Reviews:
4.0 113 ratings

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PJ McDermott

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PJ McDermott was born in a one-bedroom tenement flat above the local cinema in the main street of Paisley, Scotland. Soon after, his parents moved into a council house in the impoverished suburb of Ferguslie Park. The author's first published book, the acclaimed coming of age novel, Small Fish Big Fish, reflects this early upbringing.

As a schoolboy PJ spent his free time in the library reading science fiction books day and night, reveling in the genius of Asimov, Herbert, and Le Guin. These days, he enjoys the fantasy novels of Robin Hobb and Alex Weir.

The author published the 4-book science fiction series, Prosperine, comprising The Alien Corps, Rise of the Erlachi, The Scarf, and Fractured Prophecy. All are available in e-book and print and the first two books are also in audiobook format.

The author lives in Australia with his wife, Sue, two daughters and three grandchildren, Mia, Ryder Patrick, and Ethan.

Visit him at his website: www.pj-mcdermott.com

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

113 global ratings

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Patricia

good read

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2015

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For those of you who enjoyed "Angela's Ashes," you'll enjoy this "coming of age" tale of Stephen McBride in Scotland. I did until the last chapter or so where everything gets wrapped up neatly in no time at all - all the hardcore bad guys confess or are caught within a few pages and everyone finds it in their hearts to forgive the good boy gone bad - even the good girl who wanted nothing more to do with him when she found out what he'd done. Given the way the plot and characters had been developed throughout the book, I felt the last chapter or so was just too unbelievable - like the author wanted to end it and didn't know how which was surprising given the rest of the book. I will be looking forward to this author's next book to see how the story continues!

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2014

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This is a great book for a first time writer! The story kept me enthralled from beginning to end. The insights into growing up in an impoverished suburb in Scotland during the swinging sixties were colourful and felt very authentic.The themes of bullying, dealing with exuberant hormones, and just trying to discover who you are and your place in the world are dealt with in a refreshing way. I am a mother and a nurse with grown up children and I enjoyed this book even though the characters are in their late teens. Stephen and Julie's love story is beautifully presented and contrasted against that of Stephen's nemesis, Archie Stewart and the delightful Tianyi. The author delves into the personalities of his characters bringing them to life, sometimes in a sad way, sometimes joyfully. I felt sorry for Archie's mother. Given the hardship of her background, I don't know if I would have coped any better. Although this is a work of fiction, I imagine there's some truth to the way of survival there at that time. I look forward to the next book by this author. Five stars from me!

5 people found this helpful

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Diane A. Morrison

Easy Read

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2017

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A little slow at the beginning but worth reading thru to the end. The characters were well developed and it was a fun easy read.

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Aric C. Carter

A gritty coming of age tale set in 1965 Scotland.

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2014

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Jacob Carlisle's Small fish Big fish, gritty coming of tale tell is a well written period piece. Set in 1965 Ferguslie Park, Scotland, Carlisle has faithfully recreated the atmosphere and nostalgia of the time and place.

Stephen McBride's life takes a turn down a darker road from seemingly innocent decisions. Similar to the movie Crash, several lives intersect along his path. In the end, Stephen has to accept responsibility for his actions and pay the price, or run from them and pay an even higher price.

If you want to be transported back and in time to 1965 Scotland and follow Stephen through his trials and tribulations, you will enjoy Small fish Big Fish. Be warned there is strong language and adult themes that some younger adults and adults may find shocking.

4 people found this helpful

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G Mary M

Excellent debut novel

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2014

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I loved this debut novel from Jacob Carlisle. The story, set in the 60s in Scotland, follows the main character Stephen on his journey to discover what kind of man he really wants to be. I was immersed in the timeframe and the setting. Ferguslie Park is like a character itself, and Carlisle writes in a way that transports you into Stephen's world so that you feel like you're right there, looking over Stephen's shoulder as he attempts to work out the solution to his problems. There are plots and subplots in this story that held my interest to the last page. The protagonist Archie is portrayed as a victim of his upbringing, and Carlisle blends the nurture versus nature argument skilfully into his story. This book has everything from humour to mystery to heartache, but at its core it is a really great message about the choices that make us who we are. Loved the characters (especially D'Angelo and Tianyi), loved the setting, loved the writing. Just a really great book.

2 people found this helpful

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Bernadette

Does a great job of showing how the descent into hell is a gradual one

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2015

Small Fish, Big Fish paints an eerie portrait of slum life, showing readers a dog-eat-dog world entangled with liars, murderers, rapists, and thugs. It’s definitely a rough read, dark, gritty, violent, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for anybody under 18 years old. That being said:

Pros: It does a marvelous job of displaying the proliferation of sin and how the descent into hell is a gradual one. With meticulous care, Carlisle lays out specific ways in which our bad decisions damage not only us, but society as a whole; we end up hurting people that we never even dreamed of affecting. Indeed, he nails into your head (with vicious abandon) the chilling (yet true) idea that when you dance with the devil, you can’t beat away his flames by saying that you’ll just go for “one more round”; you will merely fan the fire until it gets so large that it spirals out of your control.

Cons: It contains a rather explicit sex scene, and this is damaging to the book simply because it seems to exist for no reason other than to meet a page quota. Unlike the violence and language (which help emphasize the setting), this particular passage does little to enhance the overall story. In fact, if it was absent altogether, it wouldn’t have impacted the themes, plots, or characters. So one really has to wonder why it exists in the first place?

Overall, (older) readers should give this one a go if they are interested in a modern novel that isn’t afraid to call “sin” “sin,” and that doesn’t shirk from dealing with tricky moral dilemmas.

4 people found this helpful

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Rhonda Wruck

Message of life in this book.

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2015

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A frustrating start because you just want to give the main character a good shake but I could then see how he was drawn into a bad situation and how he learnt from his mistakes.

One person found this helpful

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Roseanna Morales

WOW

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016

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What a great read, I couldn't put it down!!
Loved the story and all the characters👏
Hope there's a part 2, would love to read it😀

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Excellent read even for adults

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2021

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I enjoyed this book which explored the difficulties many teens have to learn to cope with. It is set in the 1970s in an area where gangs abound. Jamie's family are decent and have taught him good values but one little mistake leads his life into spiraling out of his control. He has to learn how to regain control of his life and it is only through his best friend and family that he can get help. An excellent book for teen discussion.

Fi

Hard to put down.

Reviewed in Australia on January 3, 2015

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Intriguing drama set in Glasgow. Keeps you guessing and hard to put down.

BrainybirdAA

A good first Debut story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2015

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I was intrigued by the title and decided to try this debut novel. For YA readers I think this novel would be a great read. It covers bullying, family ties, ideas of integrity and ethics, that most teenagers will come across at some point in their lives. Set in the Glasgow region of Scotland and written form the point of view of a seventeen year old lad, who is struggling to find a comfortable place in society. It highlights the tough and hard existence of some of the poorer families and the camaraderie and friendships that can develop as well as peer pressure from some unsavoury quarters. Is being a coward different from being scared? I would definitely promote this book in the young adult section as a good read. Any Scottish or Glaswegian readers will get a thrill out of this book as the author obviously knows the area and has used local places to set the scene.

MC&SM

True to life

Reviewed in Australia on January 18, 2015

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My first impression first: the creation of the bully and the victim of bullying is brilliant. Next, I thoroughly enjoyed the time period and location. I’m old enough to remember a little of the 60s. This book took me there. I also grew up in an underprivileged neighbourhood. This book dragged me back there too. The quality of the storytelling blotted out the here and now completely. Those are the aspects of this novel I want to praise highly. The story itself is solid and quite intriguing. It’s raw and violent, and has plenty going for it. A terrific array of characters brought to life – they feel real. It’s like the whole novel is neither under nor overstated. Just real… I’d recommend reading a sample and seeing if you can put it down.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Paisley culture

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2017

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Typical story of what was going on in that area of Paisley at the time, what spoiled the read was the " Americanisins " and American spelling littered throughout the book . Seems a strange format for a story about Paisley.

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