With the help and support of a loving father, her pet pug Gigi, two best friends, and a gem of a therapist, she is able to reclaim her self-worth, and turn the mirror around on her abusers. What Fipps’ Ellie is able to do by the end of the novel is nothing short of amazing. Mothers are our mirrors when we are young, teaching us how to see ourselves and the world around us. Fipps is not afraid of tackling such a painful and very real topic for today’s kids. Fipps is very open about the fact that everything in this book is based on real events that actually happened to her as a child, and I believe this is why, and how, she is able to delve into the emotional depth that she does.Įllie’s bullies include her dysfunctional family, most notably her well-meaning but misguided mother, who wants to “fix” her at all costs. She is not the showpiece of the novel–she is the human voice and the beating heart of it. As a result, Ellie’s own feelings, observations, and insights take center stage. Written entirely in verse, Fipps’ Starfish achieves a powerful first-person narrative, boiled down a bit from the traditionally-written format of a middle-grade novel.

Though both books tackle childhood bullying in all of its raw, merciless glory, beyond that, the texts diverge significantly. In one scene, Ellie even gives an oral report to her class on a book about whales, channeling Blume’s character Linda so clearly that it seems unmistakable. The similarities are there, to a point, and I believe, playfully embraced by Fipps, whose main character, like Blume’s, endures whale-themed nicknames. By this point, your mind is likely recalling a similar-sounding middle-grade novel by the name Blubber, written by Judy Blume in the 1970’s. Lisa Fipps’ debut novel Starfish is one of the most beautiful and groundbreaking that I have read.Īt first glance, it is a book about a tween-aged girl living in Texas named Eliana (Ellie, for short) who struggles with being overweight, or perhaps more accurately, with the bullying and harassment that comes with being overweight. These types of books lure me in, partially because I find them fascinating, but also because I believe they make me a more understanding and empathetic person for having read them.

I tend to gravitate towards children’s books that tackle emotional and mental health issues- issues that are pervasive, and not often discussed in day-to-day life.

Starfish lisa fipps book review