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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
I really loved this book. It's a fantastic way for kids, specifically middle-schoolers, to become more familiar with LGBT relationships and possibly find themselves in Mattie.
I was blown away by how accepting everyone was of her bisexuality: her friends, her sister, her teacher. Even the book's mean girl reprimands another student for using gay as an insult. At every turn, her crush on Gemma is seen as a normal thing and treated as well as every other relationship in the book.
While this book is a great conversation starter, it doesn't exactly fill a conversation, if you know what I mean. It is rather simple, but, considering the audience, I understand that decision. It doesn't really go in depth about Mattie's coming out or her feelings other than the typical fears that arrive once you figure out you're really not like everyone else. By the end of the book, the two technically don't even get together.
But you know what? For middle school, that's kind of how it goes. You get a crush, you see where it goes, and if it goes nowhere, well that's it. It doesn't have to be anything grand or spectacular or life changing, it just is what it is. And really, what this relationship is is very cute and worth trying out. They have a good chemistry and all the way you root for the both of them.
I definitely recommend this book for drama kids or those in the beginning of trying to understand their sexuality. It's a good introduction to understanding that part of yourself, but you may want to look elsewhere if you want a deeper look.
I was blown away by how accepting everyone was of her bisexuality: her friends, her sister, her teacher. Even the book's mean girl reprimands another student for using gay as an insult. At every turn, her crush on Gemma is seen as a normal thing and treated as well as every other relationship in the book.
While this book is a great conversation starter, it doesn't exactly fill a conversation, if you know what I mean. It is rather simple, but, considering the audience, I understand that decision. It doesn't really go in depth about Mattie's coming out or her feelings other than the typical fears that arrive once you figure out you're really not like everyone else. By the end of the book, the two technically don't even get together.
But you know what? For middle school, that's kind of how it goes. You get a crush, you see where it goes, and if it goes nowhere, well that's it. It doesn't have to be anything grand or spectacular or life changing, it just is what it is. And really, what this relationship is is very cute and worth trying out. They have a good chemistry and all the way you root for the both of them.
I definitely recommend this book for drama kids or those in the beginning of trying to understand their sexuality. It's a good introduction to understanding that part of yourself, but you may want to look elsewhere if you want a deeper look.
What an absolutely perfect book. This has got to be my favorite Middle Grade read in recent memory. The plot of a childhood crush and a budding awareness of attraction to a girl when it'd only been boys before was done with sensitivity and nuanced understanding.
Mattie is a likable character, as are her friends Tessa and Lucy. Gemma was adorable, and none of the characters felt forced or two-dimensional (I was a little clueless about why Willow kept excluding Mattie from her parties, as that didn't feel like it was explained very well). The story never dragged, and it never devolved into the stereotypical 'outing' story. There's a question of how Mattie's parents might have reacted to her liking Gemma, but it never really came up because the pair's relationship was left with a bit of a cliffhanger (a hopeful one though).
There are a lot of reasons this could have fallen flat or even come off as insensitive. I love that there was no out of the blue revelation that Gemma was gay, or even that Mattie knew how to identify at her age since she was just starting to explore this part of herself. In that way, the ending was perfect.
I want more stories like this. If anyone has any to recommend (MG or YA), please hit me up in the comments. This left me with such a warm fuzzy feeling after reading. More, please.
Mattie is a likable character, as are her friends Tessa and Lucy. Gemma was adorable, and none of the characters felt forced or two-dimensional (I was a little clueless about why Willow kept excluding Mattie from her parties, as that didn't feel like it was explained very well). The story never dragged, and it never devolved into the stereotypical 'outing' story. There's a question of how Mattie's parents might have reacted to her liking Gemma, but it never really came up because the pair's relationship was left with a bit of a cliffhanger (a hopeful one though).
There are a lot of reasons this could have fallen flat or even come off as insensitive. I love that there was no out of the blue revelation that Gemma was gay, or even that Mattie knew how to identify at her age since she was just starting to explore this part of herself. In that way, the ending was perfect.
I want more stories like this. If anyone has any to recommend (MG or YA), please hit me up in the comments. This left me with such a warm fuzzy feeling after reading. More, please.
I stumbled across this LGBTQ+ middle grade audiobook and I’m so glad I gave it a listen! It’s narrated by my favorite audiobook narrator, Jorjeana Marie. We follow Mattie as she navigates her feelings towards the new girl in school, Gemma, as they both are participating in the Romeo and Juliet play. This is a book I would have really appreciated reading when I was younger, but still really adored it reading as an adult!
This was too cute for words and I'm so glad that this book exists.
I wish that anyone who identifies as a girl, who's ever had a crush on a girl in the eighth grade could read this. It's so soft, so pure, so precious. And I love it so much.
I wish that anyone who identifies as a girl, who's ever had a crush on a girl in the eighth grade could read this. It's so soft, so pure, so precious. And I love it so much.
this book is everything I needed when I was a young queer, I'm so glad it exists now
What a sweet, heart-felt, and important story! I hope this book finds its way into the hands of every young girl who has had crushes on boys, and girls! The characters all felt unique from each other and I was so invested in Mattie's story. It wasn't insta-lovey either, which was appreciated. More books like this please!
this was really cute but also being gay in middle school is nothing like this
This was quite a cute book, and I’m glad it exists, because we need more lgbtq+ representation in children’s books! The story was quite simple and predictable, but still very sweet and enjoyable. The fact that nobody reacts negatively to Mattie’s crush is very important and appreciated. Also Mattie’s communication problems with her friends are pointed out, and the importance of trusting your friends is emphasized. I would recommend this book for any kid!
Full review: https://lokereads.home.blog/2020/02/29/star-crossed-by-barbara-dee/
Full review: https://lokereads.home.blog/2020/02/29/star-crossed-by-barbara-dee/
I just need to quickly squeal and hop around hugging this book for a couple of minutes. This book is Adorable. It’s cute, it’s geeky, it’s relatable & I thoroughly loved it!
Star Crossed is a middle grade read about Mattie - a young girl who realises she has a crush on Gemma just as she’s cast opposite her in the school play - Romeo & Juliet! With wonderfully sweet panicking about on-stage kisses, a constant stream of Shakespeare references & the fact that it not only treats Mattie’s crush on Gemma exactly the same as her crush on Elijah but ALSO uses the word bisexual (yes really!) made me so so happy to read. It’s truly a wonderfully sweet book!
Star Crossed is a middle grade read about Mattie - a young girl who realises she has a crush on Gemma just as she’s cast opposite her in the school play - Romeo & Juliet! With wonderfully sweet panicking about on-stage kisses, a constant stream of Shakespeare references & the fact that it not only treats Mattie’s crush on Gemma exactly the same as her crush on Elijah but ALSO uses the word bisexual (yes really!) made me so so happy to read. It’s truly a wonderfully sweet book!
One of the things I loved about this book was how unbelievably kind it was. The mother tried hard. The older sister listened. The best friends had the main character's back. The primary teacher cared about his students and handled difficult conversations with sincerity and carefully considered advice. Don't get me wrong--the plot was ripe with conflict. The main character fretted over decisions and difficult relationships and frenemies. And the ending wasn't neat and tidy, which I also loved. But at this time in our country's history, it just felt good to see people acting ideally how people should act--as a unified support structure for teens/tweens questioning themselves and trying to figure out how they fit in.