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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
Each character in the book has a Shakespearian counterpart and they aren't necessarily the roles they've been cast in the play. Being familiar with the play (though there is enough explanation of the roles in the context of the novel) helps to understand the school dynamic and the growing relationship between Mattie and Gemma.
Thankfully for our two star-crossed lovers, their school romance isn't a tragedy. They do get a chance at a happily ever after — though what happens after the play is left to the imagination.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comments_03/star-crossed.html
Thankfully for our two star-crossed lovers, their school romance isn't a tragedy. They do get a chance at a happily ever after — though what happens after the play is left to the imagination.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comments_03/star-crossed.html
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love that middle grade is starting to see more books with LGBTQ+ protagonists and I definitely think that both MG and YA need more f/f books in general. Anyway, I thought that Star-Crossed was cute, but I also think that it was rather bland.
The Good: Again, F/F stories in MG are an amazing thing, so I loved that Star-Crossed has this. I also loved the relationship between Mattie and her sister, Cara. I thought it was great that everyone was so accepting of Mattie and that there were very few (if any) negative reactions.
The Eh: Star-Crossed is more Shakespeare than actual plot. And if you love Shakespeare, great! You'll love this book. I'm 'eh' on Shakespeare and so was 'eh' on that part of the book. I also thought that the writing was slightly clunky. There was too much detail that led nowhere and there were instances where very little dialogue took place. I also expected more from the mom relationship. Both Mattie and Cara seem to have a contentious relationship with their mom and yet it's never fully explored. I found myself disappointed in that.
In the end, I thought Star-Crossed was just okay. While I'm glad that there are more f/f MG books out there for young people to pick up and see themselves reflected in them, I did expect more out of this book. Part of that can be because I read Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World (another f/f MG novel that was absolutely amazing) about a month ago that I kept comparing Star-Crossed to it and it just did not leave the same impression that the former novel did. Still, Star-Crossed was a cute read.
The Good: Again, F/F stories in MG are an amazing thing, so I loved that Star-Crossed has this. I also loved the relationship between Mattie and her sister, Cara. I thought it was great that everyone was so accepting of Mattie and that there were very few (if any) negative reactions.
The Eh: Star-Crossed is more Shakespeare than actual plot. And if you love Shakespeare, great! You'll love this book. I'm 'eh' on Shakespeare and so was 'eh' on that part of the book. I also thought that the writing was slightly clunky. There was too much detail that led nowhere and there were instances where very little dialogue took place. I also expected more from the mom relationship. Both Mattie and Cara seem to have a contentious relationship with their mom and yet it's never fully explored. I found myself disappointed in that.
In the end, I thought Star-Crossed was just okay. While I'm glad that there are more f/f MG books out there for young people to pick up and see themselves reflected in them, I did expect more out of this book. Part of that can be because I read Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World (another f/f MG novel that was absolutely amazing) about a month ago that I kept comparing Star-Crossed to it and it just did not leave the same impression that the former novel did. Still, Star-Crossed was a cute read.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Really enjoyed this!
Star-Crossed had the recipe for success from the get-go. The ingredients: Shakespeare and Queer. Barbara Dee did a fantastic job with this story and the characters. It was all so fun and lovable and enjoyable. The only — the ONLY — downside is that there’s no sequel. I would love to continue reading about these characters and their stories.
So 5/5 stars, is anyone surprised?
Star-Crossed had the recipe for success from the get-go. The ingredients: Shakespeare and Queer. Barbara Dee did a fantastic job with this story and the characters. It was all so fun and lovable and enjoyable. The only — the ONLY — downside is that there’s no sequel. I would love to continue reading about these characters and their stories.
So 5/5 stars, is anyone surprised?
This is a cute and sweet, utterly predictable but very enjoyable girl meets girl story. There's no depth to the characters, but it's refreshing to have a bisexual-positive story for tweens, that I think they will actually relate to. I'm rating it up a star for that. I especially enjoyed all of the quotes from Shakespeare.
Types of books that I love: middle-grade books; books about theatre and the work that goes into it; books where the author remembers that characters can be incredibly diverse.
So it isn't really surprising that I'm giving this book five stars. The theatre drama was absolutely delightful, and incredibly true to form. Of course, as a stage manager, I'm a little sad that we never got to see any kids being techies, but the struggles of rehearsals, of understanding Shakespeare's lines, of memorizing lines, of falling in love with your part-- it was all so incredibly realistic. I thought it did a great job of emphasizing all the work that goes into putting on a theatre production, while also never taking away from the sheer magic of theatre. It's a tricky balance,
and one that the author achieved admirably. (Tangentially, I don't agree with some of the teacher's interpretations of Romeo & Juliet, but that's neither here nor there!)
Mattie coming realize her crush on Gemma was also incredibly well done. For anyone out there who pearl clutches at the idea of queer romance in middle reader books, you needn't worry; this was very organically done, very sweet, and not "too mature" for the reading level. Mattie has a crush on a girl, and it's handled just as naturally as every middle-grade book out there where the main character has a crush on a person of the opposite gender. Furthermore, this never turned into an Issues book, something I truly appreciated. This was just a nice school story, with a play, and complications from a number of things, not just Mattie liking a girl. There were also a number of children who weren't white, although it was largely indicated by last name rather than by descriptions, something that I found somewhat disappointing- I do prefer some visual descriptions.
Mattie's friends, Tessa and Lucy, are equally wonderful characters. It is hard not to laugh at poor Tessa and her loud, obnoxious quoting of Shakespeare- I was that kid when I was in middle school- or appreciate Lucy so thoroughly for how willing she is to keep her friend's secrets and defend them from whatever comes up. Also, I was SO APPRECIATIVE that the author didn't make Liam into a stereotype; there were many reasons Liam wasn't the right fit for Romeo, in the end, but intelligence (no matter what some characters said) wasn't part of it. I didn't expect to like Liam as a character, but I find myself incredibly fond of him and wishing his parents would help him adjust the balance in his life so he isn't so overwhelmed.
I thought this book was incredibly well done, and I'm so thankful that I found it in my library. I'll have to make a point to pick up my own copy soon!
So it isn't really surprising that I'm giving this book five stars. The theatre drama was absolutely delightful, and incredibly true to form. Of course, as a stage manager, I'm a little sad that we never got to see any kids being techies, but the struggles of rehearsals, of understanding Shakespeare's lines, of memorizing lines, of falling in love with your part-- it was all so incredibly realistic. I thought it did a great job of emphasizing all the work that goes into putting on a theatre production, while also never taking away from the sheer magic of theatre. It's a tricky balance,
and one that the author achieved admirably. (Tangentially, I don't agree with some of the teacher's interpretations of Romeo & Juliet, but that's neither here nor there!)
Mattie coming realize her crush on Gemma was also incredibly well done. For anyone out there who pearl clutches at the idea of queer romance in middle reader books, you needn't worry; this was very organically done, very sweet, and not "too mature" for the reading level. Mattie has a crush on a girl, and it's handled just as naturally as every middle-grade book out there where the main character has a crush on a person of the opposite gender. Furthermore, this never turned into an Issues book, something I truly appreciated. This was just a nice school story, with a play, and complications from a number of things, not just Mattie liking a girl. There were also a number of children who weren't white, although it was largely indicated by last name rather than by descriptions, something that I found somewhat disappointing- I do prefer some visual descriptions.
Mattie's friends, Tessa and Lucy, are equally wonderful characters. It is hard not to laugh at poor Tessa and her loud, obnoxious quoting of Shakespeare- I was that kid when I was in middle school- or appreciate Lucy so thoroughly for how willing she is to keep her friend's secrets and defend them from whatever comes up. Also, I was SO APPRECIATIVE that the author didn't make Liam into a stereotype; there were many reasons Liam wasn't the right fit for Romeo, in the end, but intelligence (no matter what some characters said) wasn't part of it. I didn't expect to like Liam as a character, but I find myself incredibly fond of him and wishing his parents would help him adjust the balance in his life so he isn't so overwhelmed.
I thought this book was incredibly well done, and I'm so thankful that I found it in my library. I'll have to make a point to pick up my own copy soon!
Kudos to Barbara Dee for writing a bisexual character in a book appropriate for elementary school readers.
In the midst of a production of Romeo and Juliet, Mattie, a smart grade eight girl, discovers that she doesn't have a crush on Elliott who she has been swooning over for the past year. Instead she has a crush on Gemma, the girl playing Juliet.
Mattie's awareness of being bisexual is really not such a big deal here. Sure there is the usual teen age angst about romance, but overall, Mattie's attachment to Gemma and fear of being found out by others seems pretty sensible. This is especially true once Mattie ends up taking on the lead role of Romeo.
I appreciate how supportive and matter of fact teachers and other students are about sexual identity.
Unfortunately this cover doesn't do this book any justice. The characters look more like they are in grade four than in grade 8. This is very sad, because it's actually a pretty good book.
In the midst of a production of Romeo and Juliet, Mattie, a smart grade eight girl, discovers that she doesn't have a crush on Elliott who she has been swooning over for the past year. Instead she has a crush on Gemma, the girl playing Juliet.
Mattie's awareness of being bisexual is really not such a big deal here. Sure there is the usual teen age angst about romance, but overall, Mattie's attachment to Gemma and fear of being found out by others seems pretty sensible. This is especially true once Mattie ends up taking on the lead role of Romeo.
I appreciate how supportive and matter of fact teachers and other students are about sexual identity.
Unfortunately this cover doesn't do this book any justice. The characters look more like they are in grade four than in grade 8. This is very sad, because it's actually a pretty good book.