There were so many passages that struck a chord with me, but this one was quite poignant, as it is Ellie talking about her school librarian, Mrs. I wanted to take my time with the book and savour Lisa’s words but I also needed to get to the end to find out how Ellie confronted her bullies. I found myself stopping and writing down quotes from the book so many times. She captures emotions perfectly in just a few words. Lisa Fipps’ writing is just so beautiful and lyrical. I didn’t want to be a bystander and say nothing, but instead confront Ellie’s mum and tell her what she was doing was not OK. Even a couple of days after reading the book I still can’t believe some of the things that Ellie’s mum did and said to her. The bullying that Ellie faces at school is pretty horrible, but it’s the words and actions of her own mother that really make you angry and so sad for Ellie. Ellie’s story takes you on a roller-coaster of emotion, laughing one minute and then in tears the next. Ellie is a character who you feel an immediate connection to and empathise with. I love Starfish so much! It is such a powerful, emotional story that is perfectly suited to the free verse format. With the support of Doc, her dad and her friends, Ellie learns to love herself and the body she’s in. However, Ellie warms to Doc and the more they talk, the more Ellie is able to process how she feels. Ellie’s parents make her see a therapist, which Ellie is not keen on. As she gets to know Catalina, Ellie discovers she may have a new best friend. At first, Ellie doesn’t trust the new girl who has moved in next door. Her best friend, Viv, has always been there for her, but now she’s moving away. The only one in her family who seems to accept her and show her any love is her dad. Her mum has made her try different diets and puts articles on the fridge about weight-loss. At school the bullies call her Splash and are constantly making fat jokes, and at home her mum is always on at her about her weight. I have read many verse novels for middle grade and YA but Starfish is my absolute favourite.Įver since she wore a whale swimsuit to her fifth birthday pool party, Ellie has been bullied about her weight.

I don’t think anybody can be unmoved reading Lisa’s story. Starfish is a book that I guarantee will make any reader feel some strong emotions.

This is just one of the quotes that I loved from Lisa Fipps debut middle grade verse novel, Starfish, and it perfectly describes this book. That’s what the best books do./ They make you think/ And rethink/ how you see/ yourself,/ others,/ and the world./ Most of all/ they make you feel./ Feelings toward people/ who aren’t like you./ Feelings you didn’t know/ you had.

Books like starfish by lisa fipps