Starfish

A novel-in-verse is a novel written entirely in poetic form. It may be a long, unbroken poem, or a series of individual poems. While the genre retains other conventional novel elements, such as developing characters and advancing a cogent plot, it may be communicated more abstractly than a prose novel. A novel-in-verse may portray characters and conflict primarily through internal narration or dialogue; the plot may be advanced through individual moments rather than progressing along a linear flow of events. This type of novel often tells an emotional story more so than a concrete one (although they are not mutually exclusive), encouraging readers to make connections via personal interpretation.

Blank or free verse is commonly utilized in this genre, but the author may experiment with multiple poetic forms. Blank and free verse are similar yet distinct from each other with regard to meter and rhythm. While both blank and free verse usually do not rhyme, blank verse strongly adheres to a consistent meter to create a particular rhythm. By contrast, free verse does not structure itself according to rhyme or meter. Although the poetic form is foundational to the novel-in-verse, the author may not always adhere to traditional poetic conventions; they may experiment with language, line breaks, and rhythm to form an intersection between poetry and prose.

The novel-in-verse is an increasingly popular genre in children’s and young adult literature, and is often used to explore heavy topics. Because poetry lends itself to abstraction and immediacy, the poetic form allows authors to express serious topics in a more nuanced, impactful way, without having to explicate them as they would in prose. The emotions in poetry are often more intense and immediate, creating a stronger connection between readers and characters. This heightens the reader’s identification with the characters and allows them to process themes on a deeper level using empathy. Verse encourages readers to make connections between ideas using imagery, symbolism, metaphors, and other literary devices, reinforcing their cognitive and emotional understanding of the text.

Starfish is mostly written in free verse, a popular choice for middle-grade novels-in-verse. Free verse gives the author more room to experiment and suggests greater room for the characters to express themselves as well. Self-Acceptance: Being Comfortable Taking Up Space is an important theme in Starfish: As 12-year-old Ellie journeys toward self-acceptance, her poetry becomes a powerful tool for finding her own voice. The author also uses free verse to reinforce one of the novel’s other themes—The Power of Words. Ellie’s poetry not only gives her an identity as a storyteller, but also offers her a space to process the difficult emotions and situations she faces. The reader connects with Ellie through her poems, experiencing her emotions on a more personal level than prose might have allowed.