Name: Starfish
ISBN: 9781984814500

Lisa Fipps

Bullied and shamed her whole life for being fat, twelve-year-old Ellie finally gains the confidence to stand up for herself, with the help of some wonderful new allies.

Starfish

Bria

I think this book is too much for a middle schooler. I understand that it’s supposed to be realistic about fat-phobia, but this just feels more appropriate for freshmen in high school. Also if I knew fat people in middle school, I would never recommend this book to them. Maybe it was written for non-fat people to be more kind?

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules--like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space--her swimming pool--where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

Melissa Palmer

I read this book in one sitting. Ellie is an overweight tween and is bullied....by kids at school, her brother and her mother. With help of a therapist, she learns how to express her feelings. A must read for middle schoolers.

Kelsey Munson

I am in tears. This shows the worst in people, but also the very best. Starfish is a middle grade novel written in verse that highlights a child’s navigation of self-worth, standing up for yourself, and claiming your right to take up space in the world. Beautiful.

Jeannette Ordas

This book gutted me. I related so much to Ellie as a kid (even though when I look back at photos, I was never a fat kid). Her relationship with her mom was so much like my relationship with my dad and still is to this day - her mom can't even look at her because she's got so much of her own toxic stuff and that relationship is exactly like my dad (who told me the other day over the phone that he hates fat people). The only thing I didn't like about this book was that the family was rich which makes things so much easier: therapy, a backyard pool where Ellie gets comfort, flights to visit her faraway friend, new clothes at a plus size boutique, etc. Can't we have more YA and JA books where the characters aren't well off? Still, I read this free verse novel in one night and loved it and wished it existed when I was a kid, so five stars!

nora <3

the writing style was so different from what i usually read. and i didn’t expect it to really stick with me but i loved reading this so much and i was sad when the book ended because i just wanted to read more of it

Ashley Wendt

Holy smokes, did Starfish get to me! I felt so much of Ellie’s pain on her relationship with her mom. I will be blubbering about this one for awhile.

Avery Baumel

distinctly remember reading this with coveeeeeed as well

Torrey

Wow. I'm writing this review four days after I finished the book because its taken me this long to find the words to describe how amazing this book is. We follow Ellie, an 11 year old, plus-size girl who is learning to accept herself, even in the face of her bullies and mother. I didn't think a middle grade book that was written in verse could be as powerful as it was. I'm not even a part of the intended audience and it still resonated so deeply with me. Ellie is such a strong and amazing character who is so easy to love. Even during her missteps she is still a character that you root for. The friendships and the family elements are so strong, and the good moments are so heartwarming to read. I loved going on Ellie's journey to learning that it is ok to accept her for her as well as her learning to stand up for herself- against everyone. 

Some of the parts of this book is incredibly hard to read. Ellie's mom is horrible to her and says so many awful things. While this is a fictional work, it is even harder to think that these are things that truly happen to people. One of my favorite things about this book is the way it ends. There is no satisfying ending and there are many strings that are never tied up. However, life doesn't always have a satisfying ending. 

Reading over this review, my words aren't even close to describing how amazing this book is. I cannot recommend this book enough. 

*This was an arc that was sent to me to read and review but all opinions are my own*

KADY BURNS

What a fantastic book. I normally don't go for books in verse, but this one hooked me in and wouldn't let go until I finished.

Lily D

Lisa Becker

Ambitious graduate Marin Collins accepts a four-month internship at a prestigious public relations firm to work on a tech account, but her plans are derailed when she's assigned to go on the road with touring rock band Kings Quarters, hailed by Rolling Stone as the next big thing. Enter Brad Osterhauser, the reluctant rock star who would rather be coding computer games than penning Grammy-nominated songs. Traveling by bus, city to city with a group of practical joking bandmates and a greedy manager, Marin and Brad forge a friendship and forbidden romance over a shared love of Seinfeld episodes, stolen moments and Red Vines. But when Marin's accused of betraying her company and the band, will Brad come to her defense or believe she was disloyal to him for the sake of her career? Told in alternating perspectives of Marin and Brad, Starfish is a contemporary romance of unexpected love, the redemptive power of music and hogging the bed.

A Rock Star Romance

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: I believe this will a standalone, but it might be a new series?

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: May 21, 2019

Genre: Romance

Recommended Age: 18+ (mature love scene, language)

Publisher: n/a

Pages: 359

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Ambitious graduate Marin Collins accepts a four-month internship at a prestigious public relations firm to work on a tech account, but her plans are derailed when she’s assigned to go on the road with touring rock band Kings Quarters, hailed by Rolling Stone as the next big thing. 

Enter Brad Osterhauser, the reluctant rock star who would rather be coding computer games than penning Grammy-nominated songs. 

Traveling by bus, city to city with a group of practical joking bandmates and a greedy manager, Marin and Brad forge a friendship and forbidden romance over a shared love of Seinfeld episodes, stolen moments and Red Vines. 

But when Marin’s accused of betraying her company and the band, will Brad come to her defense or believe she was disloyal to him for the sake of her career? 

Told in alternating perspectives of Marin and Brad, Starfish is a contemporary romance of unexpected love, the redemptive power of music and hogging the bed.

Review: I thought this book was beautifully written. Lisa has a talent for writing and she can really pull at your heart strings. I was hooked quickly on this book and I loved the romance and I loved how she built the tension. The world building was also really well done. 

I thought the pacing was a bit slow for me, but it really helped with the tension of the romance. I also felt that some of the side characters could have been a bit more developed, but overall I liked this book!

Verdict: A book for the music lovers.

Starfish

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