33 Snowfish is told from the perspective of three characters: 10-year-old Cumulo Nimbus (known as Boobie), who has recently escaped from his abusive older brother; 14-year-old Curl, who is on the run after he killed his parents; and 15-year-old Pedro, who was recently released from juvenile detention. The three young boys find each other and start a journey through the Midwestern U.S.
Boobie is the most innocent of the three young boys. Like all three of the boys, Boobie wants a better. He thinks that he will be able to have one if he can find his estranged mother. Curl, the group's leader, is a hardened survivor. Prone to violence, Carl carries the 33 snowfish (frozen fish) with him so that he can remind himself of the night that he killed his parent. Finally, Pedro is rapt with guilt over the loss of his brother and is traumatized by his experiences in juvenile detention.
The trio's journey is filled with moments of violence, theft, and desperation. However, on their journey, the boys learn to care for and support one another. On their journey, they also learn to rely on one another; they meet several people who want to exploit them. However, they also meet others who show them tremendous kindness. In time, they become a makeshift family.
Ultimately, when the three main characters make a concerted effort to change themselves and confront their pasts, their life changes substantially. For instance, Curl decides to go to the house where he killed his parents. That decision, which was difficult for him to make, ultimately helped him. However, because of Pedro's internal mental struggles, their group dynamic begins to fracture. Pedro starts to act out, ultimately causing the boys to split up for good.
