Elizabeth Jorgensen's Reviews > Starfish

I started to see this book everywhere on social media. It was nominated on the Goodreads best book of the year lists. Middle grade, YA, novel in verse. First time author. I read it quickly and felt unsettled the entire time...even after.

The protagonist, a morbidly obese sixth grade girl, deals with verbal abuse from her mother, classmates and others, focused on her obesity. Troubling is how I felt reading this book; troubling is how I felt about how young people navigate comments about their weight or bodies, mostly alone. But also troubling is how I felt as I realized we little we do to help youth understand nutrition.

In addition to a therapist, I wanted Ellie to see a wellness or licensed nutritionist/coach to work on lifelong habits of health. I have transformed my body and know the work it takes, both physically and mentally. I kept coming back to the solutions everyone around Ellie avoided. To what could have been done for Ellie but wasn't. To why our country continues to suffer from obesity.

In the text, Ellie seemed a bit too old, too mature. I teach high school juniors and seniors and they don't have the wit or insight of Ellie. I'm also not sure the verse was necessary.