I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I am an adult who I'm sure was not the intended audience for this title but it was still very profound and meaningful for me. I have been a genetically plus size girl all my life and it was so beautiful to have a character who experienced the same feelings of shame that I have felt even now. I hope this book can help so many others as it has me. It is a beautiful example of how self love can make or break us in life.

STARFISH is a middle-grade verse novel about Ellie, a girl with a big problem. Because of her weight, many people feel Ellie is fair game for teasing, ridiculing, and bullying. Yet Ellie has true friends who love her and care about her no matter how she looks. Are loyal friendships enough to get a girl through a mean, fat-shaming world?

I LOVED this novel. Everything about it is thoughtful, careful, and kind — which is to say, it walks its talk. Ellie is a poet, a lover of words and music. She is also a girl with finely tuned “fatdar”: her awareness of people all too willing to remind her how to manage herself: “No making waves. / You don’t deserve / to be seen or heard / to take up room, / to be noticed. / Make yourself small.” The novel’s verse is finely balanced; even readers who don’t normally enjoy verse novels shouldn’t mind this one, and readers who prefer verse novels will love the poetic flourishes here.

Ellie is unquestionably the star of this novel. The plot is a relationship-based growth arc. Ellie is surrounded by friends and bullies, and her task is to affirm “I’m not a whale. / I’m Ellie” — no small feat when her bullies include her own family members. But Ellie is bright, caring, determined, and fabulous; she refuses to follow the conform-lose-weight-and-be-ordinary path. With the help of her friends and a compassionate therapist, she will find her own way. I was cheering for Ellie on every page, even while I was crying for the cruelty she experiences. We need more starfish in this world. We need more Ellies.

Without question, STARFISH is one of the best middle-grade books I’ve read this year. I was utterly overwhelmed by how beautifully told the story is — and by how badly needed books like this are. Brava, Lisa Fipps, for writing this gorgeous book.

[This review originally appeared on LibraryThing on August 30, 2021.]

To cope with being bullied, 11-year-old Ellie Montgomery must live by “The Fat Girl Rules.” Finding solace from the judgement in her backyard pool, sprawling like a starfish. When her new boisterous neighbor, Catalina moves into town, the two strike up a friendship. Can this friendship help her to find her voice and stand up to the bullies in her life? The author does a great job of helping readers to see things through another’s skin. The plot is charming and thought-provoking. Readers who struggle with bullying, enjoy realistic fiction, or books about friendship will enjoy reading this book. 4 stars, Gr 3 to 6
Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

This book packs an emotional punch in the best way possible. Ellie is a smart, creative, funny 11-year-old who has been fat-shamed by kids and even her own family members as long as she can remember. The story, told in verse, shows how she navigates the ups and downs of starting middle school with the added stress of being bullied for her weight. Luckily, she finds allies in her Dad, a new neighbor, her best friend who has moved away, and her therapist. There are some scenes in this book between Ellie and her mom that are hard to read. This is a great book to read with a parents/teacher or friend and discuss important topics such as bullying, empathy, and diversity.

This is a must read for all adults and all middle schoolers-to high schoolers. It speaks so much to how people talk about weight and how that may effect someone else. I loved watching the main character grow in herself and her confidence.

Such an important read for all ages. Loving, and embracing our bodies is crucial to happiness, but that often comes through a journey of hurt, forgiveness and grace. Written in verse, this novel is mesmerizing, empowering and a step in the right direction for body positivity and inclusiveness.

This book was amazing, and I had my 9-12 year old Book Club kids read it. They all really enjoyed the book and it's message, and we talked for a long time about the different things that Ellie faced throughout the story.

A quick read about fitting in and weight shaming. A great story for empathy building and for strategies for dealing with being bullied. This will be a hit in many libraries and award lists!

The best book I've read so far this year. Will be recommending to kids 10+. & displaying in our collection.

It's a moving, witty novel that tackles fat-phobia and self-advocacy. I would let readers know about bullying, both verbal and physical, happens in the story.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Ellie was so, so relatable and I think that any kid who is struggling with bullying from peers (or family) could find solace in this book.

This book was provided as an ARC from NetGalley. The review is all mine.
I absolutley loved this book, and that is saying a lot since middle grade realistic fiction is not really my jam. Ellie is a swimmer, a loyal friend, witty and clever. Ellie is also overweight. She has always been overweight. From early in her childhood her family has made her painfully aware of her size and how it bothers them. Kids at school also make sure Ellie never forgets her size. Ellie has support from her father and best friend, but the damage of bullying at home and at school has caused her to try to shrink herself - physically, emotionally, and mentally. She doesn't feel she has the right to take up space. With some help from a therapist, Ellie works on speaking up for herself and silencing the negative self-talk.

Ellie feels so authentic from her quippy sense of humor to her struggle to defend herself without becoming mean as well. I love the relationships she has with her father, English teacher, and librarian (of course, being a former English teacher and a current librarian - I admit some bias). More importantly, though, I loved watching her work on her relationship with herself. This is the journey that readers need - whether they have a weight problem or they've been the one to judge someone with a weight problem. Seeing how words injure Ellie and witnessing her transition from negative self-talk to a young woman that realizes she deserves to take up space was empowering. While reading, I admit that I thought many things said to her were too harsh to be realistic, but I was able to hear Lisa Fipps discuss writing this book, and I recalled that this was all based on her experiences growing up. The result is painful to witness, but so important.

I laughed, I cried, and I read this in two nights because it was that good!

This book explores the life of an overweight middle school girl who is dealing with bullying and a difficult mom, on top of life at that age. It's a wonderful book.

This was one hell of a book. I could not put this novel down. It was so perfectly written that I plan. to tell everyone about this book.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps gave me so many feels! It is a story of a young girl who is SO tired of being fat-shamed when she is not ashamed of being fat, but it seems like everyone else has an issue with it–including her family. Beautifully written and heartfelt.

Loved the relatability factor, for young girls and boys as well, should they choose to read this book.
Hated the mom, of course, which is equally relatable for so many young people.
Redemptive in the end, thank goodness

'Don't mind me, just cried through 90% of this book. I do wonder what a conversation b/t Liam would've looked like. Otherwise, a lot of this book hit home.

Excellent novel in verse about self acceptance and self love in the face of bullying and body shaming. This is a must read. I found it interesting that in the author's note the author said she originally set out to write a young adult novel around this topic, but her agent saw that it was more needed in the middle grades.

I need to begin by saying that normally I'm not a fan of books written in verse. I struggle with getting fully involved with the characters and the plot. While I struggle, I see that this is a format that is growing in popularity and is important for many reasons- so I keep trying, and keep reading them.

That said, I loved this book. I loved Ellie, loved her voice, loved how she came across in the verse format.

Ellie is being bullied because of her weight. Not just by kids at school, but by her mother as well (which broke my heart). She is put into therapy and resists it strongly at first, but over time she opens up to her therapist and together they find ways for Ellie to find her voice.

Read it.

If you are overweight or ever have been- read it.
If you work with kids- read it.
If you have ever bullied someone- read it.
Been bullied? In therapy? Lonely? Sad? Family problems?
Read it.

An absolutely fabulous book I free verse that tells the story of Ellie who has been fat all her life. Ellie is constantly bullied by her classmates, her brother, and even her mother.. When Ellie reluctantly goes to counseling she learns to face up to her mother, and to come to terms with the rules of being a fat girl and might finally accept her own fabulous self. Told with heart and humor.

This book lived up to all my expectations. Ellie’s story is heart-wrenching, but also empowering. It addresses self-acceptance, standing up for oneself, and bullying, making it an important book for middle grade students to read. Written in verse, it's a quick read.