June 23

‘Starfish sisters’ by J.C.Burke

Starfish sisters“I liked the pain, it got the bad thoughts away.”

Do you like true, heart-filled, drama stories? Well, this is the book for you because it is full of drama and heart-filled moments and there is a lot in this book that happens in real life.

Starfish Sisters is a book by J.C.Burke based on four girls: Georgie (15), Kia (15), Micki (12) and Ace (17) who are at a surf camp and are struggling to get along with each other. Their dreams are to be the greatest surfer ever and get into the the surf boot camp. Georgie is a really good surfer who is trying to decide if she wants to be a surfer or a soccer player because she is starting to think that surfing is getting way too competitive. Kia is best friends with Georgie but she is starting to feel like she is a misfit to everyone, including Georgie and decides to self harm and struggles to stop herself. Micki is the youngest at the camp and is the first to find Kia self-harming. She lost her mom when she was little and doesn’t want anyone to know how her death happened.

I really liked this book because it is based on things that happen in real life. Kia goes through a really tough time with self-harming because she thinks that no one wants to believe in her and give her credit for anything. It is also a book about friendship because although not everyone is going to be friends, you need to find a way to get along because otherwise it just makes things even more difficult. I also like this book because it is very heartwarming and brings a lot of emotion.

Charlotte F, Year 8

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“How could she have done that? She knew nothing about me and my life. I hated her. Perhaps now I hated her more than she hated me.”

Do you like books filled with drama, complications and you can relate to? Then this book is the one for you. It will keep you up past your bedtime just to finish the next chapter or two.

There are four main characters: Micki, Ace, Kia and Georgie. Micki is 12, turning 13 at the camp. She’s the youngest at the surf camp. She is shy and has many family troubles but still manages to focus on her surfing. Ace is 17. She is sponsored by one of the major surf stores in Australia, Ocean Pearl. She enters the camp in a relationship with Tim Parker, a world famous surfer. Kia is 15 and struggles with her self esteem. She wants to impress her dad and doesn’t want to be compared to her best friend, Georgie, or family friend Micki. Georgie is 15 and her best friend is Kia. Together they created a surf wear brand, Bikinia. They go to the camp hoping to make some sales. Georgie isn’t very confident but always sees the best in people. She’s not sure if she still wants to continue her surfing career. But she still goes to the surf camp anyway.

The book starts with all four girls on their own journey each with different reasons to enter the surf camp. Every girl at this camp is fighting for one of the four spots to go to the next level. It’s going to be tough, as each girl has been specifically picked to go to this camp. With fierce competition it’s not going to be easy. Will friendships last, or will they go down in flames? Not everyone is going to be good enough to make it to the next level.

I could relate to this book on many ways, and levels, which just made it so much more enjoyable. Even though this book was published in 2007 it is still very relatable, even more so today than it would’ve been eight years ago. This book falls under three genres: true, edgy and heart-filled, which are three genres that make a fantastic teenage girl book.

Olivia H. Year 8.

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“How could she have done that? She knew nothing about me and my life. I hated her. Perhaps now I hated her more than she hated me.”

Are books with friendship, a story you can relate to and filled with drama your kind of books? Then this is the book for you.

In Starfish are four main characters: Micki, Ace, Kia and Georgie. Micki is 12 and the youngest at surf camp. She is shy and not very wealthy, she has many family troubles but manages to focus on her surfing career. Ace is 17 years old. She is sponsored by one of the major surf stores in Australia, Ocean Pearl. She enters the camp in a relationship with the world’s most famous surfer, Tim Parker. Kia is 15 and struggles with her self esteem. She wants to impress her dad and doesn’t want to be compared to her best friend, Georgie. Georgie is 15 and her best friend is Kia. Together they created a surf wear brand. Georgie isn’t very confident but always sees the best in people. She is not sure if she wants to continue her surfing career.

The book starts as all the characters enter their dream surf camp very nervously. They get introduced to their roommates not having a clue that they would soon become best friends. It was time to have their first surf. Most of the girls were the most nervous they have ever been besides Ace. Ace has always known that she was the best surfer but participating in this camp may test her skills. Georgie has always struggled with her confidence so coming to the camp was a hard decision for her to make but knowing that only the best surfers in Australia get invited, gave her faith. Kia and Micki are having some troubles becoming friends but throughout the book they have a breakthrough.

Starfish Sisters is a great novel that is very easy to relate to for teenage girls. It has a fantastic storyline that has many complications to overcome which also creates drama. They were all thrown in together, and not being friends yet, there was jealousy, lies, secrets and insecurity to deal with. They then realise that they need to stick together as their friendship bring out the best in all of them.

Olivia L., Year 8

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“For the first time, three people knew who I was. The real me. And the best bit about it was that they still wanted to be my friend.” This is the reality for Kia, Georgie, Micki and Ace who are thrown together for a whirlwind of a summer and a once in a lifetime experience.

Four girls are chosen to take part in the Australian Elite Young Surfers’ Camp and by chance are put into the same bungalow, the Starfish Bungalow. Ace, also known as Courtney McFarlane, is the star of the camp and is always the centre of attention, after all her boyfriend is the one and only famous surfer Tim Parker. Carefree and confident, she never worries about putting in any effort. Although she’s Ace’s biggest fan, Kia lacks in all these traits. She never feels good enough for her dad and can’t stop comparing herself to others. Self-doubt is something that is also common with her best friend, Georgie. Georgie struggles to cope with the piling amounts of pressure and can’t seem to grasp the enthusiasm she once had. Whenever faced with competition she fails to reach her full potential. Micki is the youngest but far from the least mature. She’s been exposed to more than you’d think for her age, and hides many secrets about her past. Winning a place at the camp gives her chance to finally get away from her terrible home life and to be able to focus on surfing.

Throughout the book, the girls have to compete with eight others for just four spots on the junior training team. Expecting a summer of competition and hard work, they end up learning more about themselves and each other than they ever could’ve imagined. Discovering that there is more to each other than they thought, the girls leave with a bond of sisterhood and lifelong lessons.

I really enjoyed the book, ‘Starfish Sisters’ because it shows four girls coming together and putting aside their differences to help one another. There are many unexpected twists and turns in the plot that make it hard to put down. J.C. Burke does a great job of showing there are more layers to people than what meets the eye. The story also moves along at a great pace and never fails to catch your attention.

I recommend this book to teenage girls who love heart-filled stories that are slightly edgy and packed with adventure. This book addresses serious issues with youth today and sheds light on normally unspoken topics. It truly is a captivating book and I rate it four out of five stars.

Charli B, Year 8

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Posted June 23, 2015 by marjk in category Realistic fiction, Student Reviews

About the Author

Teacher-librarian at Aquinas College, Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

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