Written in free verse, Starfish hits hard emotionally. It's funny, sad, joyful, awful and beautiful. And it's all achingly real to me because it echoed many of my own experiences as a fat kid who became a fat adult. This is a middle-school novel that I think all kids and adults should read. It addresses bullying, fatphobia, weight bias in the medical field, the value of therapy and so much more. Ellie is afraid to take up room because of how everyone treats her because she takes up room. But through her telling her own story, we learn and Ellie learns how to expand and "starfish," to take up the space she and everyone deserves.

Oh my. What a wonderful book for girls (and even women). When I was young, I never worried about my weight, but my mom was always struggling with hers and always, always on a diet. There were times I was embarrassed by her. Why couldn't she be slim like some of the other kids moms? But then as I reached puberty, I started gaining a little here and there. My mom was less in control of my diet as I started spending more and more time away from home. I felt the shame too. So I feel Ellie's pain and her struggles. Haven't we all know that person who has said, "You would be so pretty if you lost some weight?" or that well-meaning person (sometimes the parent) who is (from their point of view) trying to help you by force you to lose weight? It all cuts like a knife. So I love that Ellie fights back in the only way she knows how. And I hope that this book makes young people realize two things: 1) To love themselves no matter what their size, and 2) To love others no matter what their size.

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Ellie has been heavy her whole life, and her mom keeps trying to "fix her" by putting her on diet after diet and policing her eating. Her mom makes her feel like she's not loved, and she's relentlessly bullied at school. Her dad loves her as is and arranges for her to go to therapy to discuss her feelings. Through therapy, good friends, and the support of her dad, she's able to push back and defend herself against her mother and her bullies. Oh how I wish this book existed when I was a kid. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Starfish is an utterly heart-breaking middlegrade novel about the constant abuse, neglect and bullying a fat child receives on a daily basis. The repetitive vile words and cruel actions Ellie experiences will definitely come as a shock to many readers, it may come across as unrealistic... but it is not. The author herself has experienced some of the scenes from this novel and has included them in Ellie's story because of this. It was difficult to read Starfish at times as an adult, so I can't begin to imagine how a child such as Ellie must feel from the fatphobia she experiences everywhere. I loved the character development we witnessed in Ellie, she hit a turning point around halfway through the story and the grew in strength and self-confidence from then on. All Ellie needed was a supportive friend, an adult who believed in her and the belief in herself that she was worthy of anything. We need to be that supportive friend or adult when instances of fatphobia occur, we need to realise the overall effect this has on individuals and make a stand against fatphobia.
The only reason Starfish isn't quite a five star read for me, is that I was slightly disappointed by the lack of development and repercussions for Ellie's brother. Starfish began as a very heart-breaking novel, but garnered a lot of hope and faith as Ellie stood up for herself but it never felt as though her older brother quite realised the effect he was having on her and that he was allowed to act cruelly towards her by her parents with very little consequences and this tarnished the overall breakthrough of the story for me.
I highly recommend Starfish, particularly to readers who've never experienced fatphobia first hand, it is most definitely an eye opening read.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps is such a delightful and relevant book! Every child, no matter their weight, should read it! Ellie is a big girl who is fat-shamed for her weight, even by her own mother. Her self-imposed Fat Girl Rules which connect her worth as human to her weight, control her life. But with a few allies in her corner, she learns to defend herself when bullies verbally attack her as well as confront her mom. Thanks to NetGalley for this digital ARC.

What an amazing story. I loved Ellie and my heart just broke for her as she struggled to stand up for herself. This is a beautiful story.

WOW. Lisa Fipps has given the world such a gift. STARFISH is a book that is powerful, poignant, and ABSOLUTELY necessary.

It's horrifying how accepted fat shaming is and how pervasive the damaging stereotypes of fat=lazy are. Our society has needed this book for a very, very long time.

Five beautiful stars for this beautiful girl's story. May she show others how to love -- and stand up for -- themselves.

Starfish is a sensitive honest book that addresses the topic of bullying a young girl who has weight issues. One wonderful attribute of the novel is that any young person who reads this will vicariously learn strong methods of building self-worth.

This is a heartfelt MG novel in verse about Ellie, an overweight girl dealing with bullies both inside and outside of her house. She finds her voice through therapy, and while things are tied up in a neat little bow rather quickly, I think that middle schoolers will find that these messages resonate with them, no matter their weight.

I was provided this book courtesy of #Netgalley and the Publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Learning to love your self and your own body is a relatable struggle for teenagers and adults alike. Ellie's been bullied about her weight since she as a little kid. But, her biggest bully...her own mother. Ellie's struggle to live by her mother's rules and her own self imposed Fat Girl Rules, make her miserable. This book tugged on my heartstrings while unfortunately ringing true to the real life experiences of many teens, girls and boys alike.

I received an electronic ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group through NetGalley.
Wow! This debut novel captures so much of the pain felt in childhood through teen years. Words hurt and do so much damage when someone does not fit the shallow cookie cutter mold. My heart broke as the main bully Ellie had to deal with was her mother. Fipps uses poetry to tell this story. Each poem shares a different scenario and the emotions that surround it. Readers see Ellie evolve with help from her therapist. Kudos for the positive portrayal of mental health professionals and the sad but often honest statement about how chubby children and teens are treated by the medical field. This book will stay with me and will become one I recommend.

Starfish is a great book for tweens. The main character, Ellie, has a mother who is obsessed with fat shaming her daughter. It doesn't help that Ellie's siblings and schoolmates feel the same way. Her only bright light is her father, and her bff who moves away at the beginning of the book. Ellie's father is a therapist and he takes her to a therapist. This normalizing of therapy will be helpful for readers. This book rings true to the way an overweight girl would think, feel and move about her world. Some of the content will make the reader cringe - her mother and siblings are cruel but the writing feels realistic. While I don't think it will make the bullies any nicer, it will make bigger girls feel seen and might be a lifeline for them! The only thing I might change is the cover - while accurate, some students (perhaps the very ones who need to see themselves in the book) may end up being teased by classmates for the book cover (much like what might happen to the book's own main character).

This book is a much needed book for all ages. Ellie is a character that anyone who has been made fun of overtly or subtlety for their body can relate to. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will fall in love with this story. This book should be on every teacher and parents bookshelf!

Wow! I just finished the book and it was not only amazing but so relatable! Although it’s written for middle graders, every teacher, parent, or older sibling needs to read this! One of my favorite quotes from the book is “the universe should warn you when something horrible is about to happen, give you a chance to take a deep breath before your breath gets taken away."

For every person told they would be 'beautiful, if only they weren't big.' Realistic middle grade novel about learning to not only love yourself but also how to stand up for yourself.

Ellie is constantly being bullied at home and at school for being overweight. Her father is her ally and sets her up with a therapist. During these sessions and with the help of a new friend, Ellie learns to defend herself at school and stand up to her biggest critic, her mother. My heart broke for Ellie as she dealt with bullying but I rejoiced as she found her voice and her worth. Excellent!!

This was an engrossing read; I was even stealthily reading it while traversing between hiking trails. It is also a very hard read; bullying can take many forms and come from many different people, including those who should be closet to you such as a parent or sibling. When you hear words (even out of hurtful ignorance) from someone who should love and support you, those words can stick with you for a very, very long time. Definitely would hand to a middle grader, but also to parents as a way to discuss issues related to weight, childhood, and obesity that are very much a part of our (United States at least) society.

Everyone should read this book. The things we put others through, put ourselves through, are so heavy. This is a book I needed as a child. So many points that made me stop and think. I am going to need a class set of this one!

I absolutely adored this. I think it can offer up so much hope to young people trying to find space for themselves in this world. What is so different about Starfish is how much is focused on self image and worth and not offering up this magical scenario in the end when everyone is friends, damage erased. That used to be the easy out in middle grade and a reality so many kids never got to enjoy. But Ellie is learning to demand her respect, to value her own opinions of herself above those who belittle her, her growth is the triumph of the story. It's a story I wished I had when I was younger. An absolutely beautiful debut that belongs in every classroom.