Fishy Sci-fi ish book...

[lcms mom]

I remember a book about a boy/teen whose world was turning "fishy?" the air was thicker, it was raining fish, I think, he was growing gills, but alas, the title & name escapes me,. T
There might have been an "uncle" adult male (not the boys dad) who lived/worked in a shed nearby..?

Also perhaps a digging machine???? BEFORE 1997....

This was recommended to me growing up by a friend who likes, blaylock, gene wolfe, etc.
Any thoughts?? BTW,LOVE the lost coin.. but that's not it.

[lcms mom]

YIPPIE!!!!!!!! Found it! It was a blaylock after all..... Hahahahaha! now to find it..... :D

THE DIGGING LEVIATHAN
James P. Blaylock


Southern California. Sunny days, blue skies, neighbors on flying bicycles ... ghostly submarines ... mermen off the Catalina coast ... and a vast underground sea stretching fromthe Pacific Ocean to the Inland Empire -- where Chinese junks ply an illicit trade and enormous creatures from past ages still survive. It is a place of wonder ... and dark conspiracies. A place rife with adventure -- especially for teenagers Jim Hastings and his friend, Giles Peach -- who was born with a wonderful set of gills along his neck.