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Reel Friends #1
Starring Kitty
Sometimes the greatest love stories happen behind the scenes…
Kitty's keeping secrets. Like how she's struggling to cope with her mum's illness. And how she's falling for the girl with the purpley-red hair... A fun film competition with her friends Sunny and Hannah seems like the perfect distraction. But then Dylan wants to be more than Kitty's secret. Is Kitty ready to let her two worlds meet or will she risk losing Dylan forever?
Starring Kitty is the first in a new series about first love and friendship by much-loved teen author Keris Stainton.
Kitty's keeping secrets. Like how she's struggling to cope with her mum's illness. And how she's falling for the girl with the purpley-red hair... A fun film competition with her friends Sunny and Hannah seems like the perfect distraction. But then Dylan wants to be more than Kitty's secret. Is Kitty ready to let her two worlds meet or will she risk losing Dylan forever?
Starring Kitty is the first in a new series about first love and friendship by much-loved teen author Keris Stainton.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2014
6 people are currently reading
1336 people want to read
About the author
Keris Stainton
22 books523 followersMy mum always claimed that when she lived in America for a year, my dad wrote to her every day and, in one of his letters, proposed. My dad denied this. But when she got home they got married anyway. In 1966 they emigrated to Canada. They'd wanted to go to New Zealand, but it was full.
I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which, by all accounts, is very cold. And also hot. But when I was four months old, my parents moved back to the UK.
When I was 18 I moved to London and worked in the music industry (eventually). A few years later I moved back up north. Now I live in Lancashire (which is lovely, particularly when it's not raining... which is about two weeks a year) with my two sons and two guinea pigs. All four are cute and hairy.
I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which, by all accounts, is very cold. And also hot. But when I was four months old, my parents moved back to the UK.
When I was 18 I moved to London and worked in the music industry (eventually). A few years later I moved back up north. Now I live in Lancashire (which is lovely, particularly when it's not raining... which is about two weeks a year) with my two sons and two guinea pigs. All four are cute and hairy.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 41 reviews
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March 26, 2014This is a really lovely book that I would definitely recommend, and I'm looking forward to reading the later books in the series…but I had to stop reading this one (which I got as an early ARC) for embarrassing personal reasons. Kitty's mum has a serious chronic illness which shares a lot of symptoms with my own. The situation is written beautifully, and Kitty's emotional reactions to it feel absolutely true and wrenching…
…but I just couldn't keep on reading it after one particularly wrenching scene because I know my own kids will have similar reactions to my own similar illness as they get older, and - even if this makes me the worst kind of wimp - I can't let myself fully enter into imagining that pain right now or it'll make me break down.
On the other hand, I'm planning to buy them a copy of this book when they're old enough to read it - because kids who have parents with chronic illnesses NEED to see their situations mirrored empathetically in fiction. It's so important.
And that's not all that's going on in this lovely book. Kitty is a fantastic heroine, quiet but creative and brave. She's going through her first real crush, and it is ADORABLE. (It's also the first time I can remember reading an MG book where one girl has a crush on another girl. And it's done so well!) She and her friends, who are a fabulous group, are also entering into a movie-making competition. It's handled in such a fun way.
So, this is me in the odd situation of saying: this is a FABULOUS book, you guys should read it when it comes out…even though I couldn't read it all the way through because of my own very personal emotional triggers. But I really wished I could, because I was loving everything else about it, and I truly admire the way Keris Stainton writes about the chronic illness issue. I'm not the right reader for it, but I expect my own children probably will be.
…but I just couldn't keep on reading it after one particularly wrenching scene because I know my own kids will have similar reactions to my own similar illness as they get older, and - even if this makes me the worst kind of wimp - I can't let myself fully enter into imagining that pain right now or it'll make me break down.
On the other hand, I'm planning to buy them a copy of this book when they're old enough to read it - because kids who have parents with chronic illnesses NEED to see their situations mirrored empathetically in fiction. It's so important.
And that's not all that's going on in this lovely book. Kitty is a fantastic heroine, quiet but creative and brave. She's going through her first real crush, and it is ADORABLE. (It's also the first time I can remember reading an MG book where one girl has a crush on another girl. And it's done so well!) She and her friends, who are a fabulous group, are also entering into a movie-making competition. It's handled in such a fun way.
So, this is me in the odd situation of saying: this is a FABULOUS book, you guys should read it when it comes out…even though I couldn't read it all the way through because of my own very personal emotional triggers. But I really wished I could, because I was loving everything else about it, and I truly admire the way Keris Stainton writes about the chronic illness issue. I'm not the right reader for it, but I expect my own children probably will be.
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May 3, 2017This is really cute, and I don't know if it's coming to the US, but I really hope it is - it fits in exactly a huge gap in LGBTQ kidlit, featuring an MC and LI who are 14 and 15, respectively, and absolutely appropriate for younger readers reading up. She also has a hijabi best friend, and race/microaggressions are addressed along with the story, and I think she might be a future main character as well, since my sense is each of three best friends will get her own book. (ETA: Apparently she already has, and it's called SPOTLIGHT ON SUNNY!) I would really, really love to see this on American shelves. (I bought my copy via The Book Depository.) It's sweet, charming, and I'd really love to see it get wider readership.
February 20, 2015
Kitty is a gloriously 'real' character. After calling Dylan for the first time in a fluttery panic/moment of excitement, she hangs up ‘and then hit[s] herself on the forehead with the phone’ and after speaking with Dylan face-to-face, she ends up saying she lives in a completely different part of town than she actually does just so that she can walk a little while longer with Dylan. The reader will empathise with Kitty at every step of the story - she's not some elaborately-drawn fictional character; she's very believable. Though her life is far from straightforward (Kitty’s mother is suffering from MS and hasn’t left her bedroom for weeks and Kitty is developing feelings for a girl that she’s terrified about her friends discovering), Stainton gives us a warm and very special portrayal of first love. But set against bitchy girls at school, Kitty needs to be strong if she’s going to remain true to her feelings.
Luckily for Kitty though, she is flanked by two fantastic friends: Sunny and Hannah. Sunny’s relentless optimism and drive to make their school film project a winner is adorable: ‘High concept: car chase along the prom… Low concept: sitting in car pretending to drive.’ And Hannah’s obsession with trying to set Kitty up with boys is very funny: ‘You could do a lot worse… he’s hot and he doesn’t honk of Lynx.’ But bubbling inside Kitty are feelings far stronger than a desire to win the film competition – at first, that is. Stainton creates a gorgeous character in Kitty – self-deprecating, kind and damaged – and as author, Karen McCombie said when reading the book, you'll be ‘rooting for her all the way!’
Luckily for Kitty though, she is flanked by two fantastic friends: Sunny and Hannah. Sunny’s relentless optimism and drive to make their school film project a winner is adorable: ‘High concept: car chase along the prom… Low concept: sitting in car pretending to drive.’ And Hannah’s obsession with trying to set Kitty up with boys is very funny: ‘You could do a lot worse… he’s hot and he doesn’t honk of Lynx.’ But bubbling inside Kitty are feelings far stronger than a desire to win the film competition – at first, that is. Stainton creates a gorgeous character in Kitty – self-deprecating, kind and damaged – and as author, Karen McCombie said when reading the book, you'll be ‘rooting for her all the way!’
March 20, 2018
This is a well written story about a young girl, Kitty, not even 15 years old, who has known she likes girls for a long time but has not done anything more about it than worry and stress. So yes we meet her shortly before coming out. We watch her as she tries not to stare at Dylan in the coffeeshop, a sophisticated girl she has come to fancy. Kitty's thoughts are frequently cute or hilarious throughout the book.
She's grounded by two best friends, Hannah and Sunny and glad of them as her mother battles a recent diagnosis of MS and has not gotten onto a regular regimin of medication. How would her friends react? Her sick mother? All of this adds to the stress she already has about Dylan (who has little idea she is the center of such a storm) and imagining the two of them holding hands, living in London in the future (London Kitty will drink real coffee).
The cast of minor characters was very well done and I would have loved to have seen more of Kitty's hip, all-seeing Grandmother. I will get around to knowing more about Sunny, a hijab wearing Asian Muslim with strict parents in the author's next book.
She's grounded by two best friends, Hannah and Sunny and glad of them as her mother battles a recent diagnosis of MS and has not gotten onto a regular regimin of medication. How would her friends react? Her sick mother? All of this adds to the stress she already has about Dylan (who has little idea she is the center of such a storm) and imagining the two of them holding hands, living in London in the future (London Kitty will drink real coffee).
The cast of minor characters was very well done and I would have loved to have seen more of Kitty's hip, all-seeing Grandmother. I will get around to knowing more about Sunny, a hijab wearing Asian Muslim with strict parents in the author's next book.
July 29, 2014
I really really enjoyed this book, even more than I thought I would! I loved Kitty, especially the way she worries about whether what she is saying is stupid. I especially loved her family, her teasing brother Tom, sweet little Grace, and her parents both struggling to know exactly what to tell their children.
Thank you Keris Stainton, for another utterly delightful story. Now I just need a time machine so that I can read the next books sooner!
Thank you Keris Stainton, for another utterly delightful story. Now I just need a time machine so that I can read the next books sooner!
August 10, 2014
This review was posted on AbsoBookingLutely.
My mum reviews books for Letterbox Library and reads a LOT of children's and 'middle grade' books. It's not often that she is seriously impressed by something, so when she said she had been sent something I absolutely had to read, I was pretty excited about it. When she revealed it to be Starring Kitty, I was even more excited because I've been wanting to read this ever since I first heard about it. So naturally, I smuggled it home and returned it the next day without her ever realising it was gone. Well, what are you supposed to do when borrowing books illegally? Ask?
Plot & characters
This was an absolutely gorgeous book. Although the main characters themselves are aged 14-15, it reads a lot younger which goes perfectly with the idea that children & teenagers will often read about characters a few years older than them. I'm seriously impressed with the way Stainton was able to make the characters read true for their age while still making them accessible to younger readers and not exclude older readers. Kudos!
My favourite kinds of plots (in general) cover a very short span of time. I find it very difficult to gauge accurately how much time has passed if there are lots of time jumps, and so I loved that this story happened over quite a short timeframe. I like that we land in Kitty's head when she has pretty much come to terms with the fact that she likes girls, and that it's not just a coming-out story.
I love the diversity of the characters, in age, race, religion, sexuality and health. They don't feel artificial and it's clear Stainton has done her research, because to me (admittedly, a white able-bodied woman), they rang true. Nothing felt forced or shoe-horned at all, which is a great feat, especially for middle-grade and young adult fiction where I think generally issues of diversity can read as afterthoughts.
Writing
Like I said before, I'm seriously impressed with the pitching of this book. It is written in a very straight-forward way, which I think will help to make it accessible to younger girls. It's not that there are no frills, it's that it's written beautifully and trimmed right back to what needs to be said. I never felt like I was reading anything unnecessary to the story, and I could truly appreciate the experience and crafting brought to the story.
Overall, an absolutely fantastic, much-needed, and astoundingly written book. I'm buying a copy for my school library immediately and recommending it to any Year 7-9 girls that come in looking for a book!
If you liked... you'll like this
Children's/middle grade: Smart; The Savage
YA: Geek Girl; Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery
Trigger warnings
Parental illness (specifically MS)
My mum reviews books for Letterbox Library and reads a LOT of children's and 'middle grade' books. It's not often that she is seriously impressed by something, so when she said she had been sent something I absolutely had to read, I was pretty excited about it. When she revealed it to be Starring Kitty, I was even more excited because I've been wanting to read this ever since I first heard about it. So naturally, I smuggled it home and returned it the next day without her ever realising it was gone. Well, what are you supposed to do when borrowing books illegally? Ask?
Plot & characters
This was an absolutely gorgeous book. Although the main characters themselves are aged 14-15, it reads a lot younger which goes perfectly with the idea that children & teenagers will often read about characters a few years older than them. I'm seriously impressed with the way Stainton was able to make the characters read true for their age while still making them accessible to younger readers and not exclude older readers. Kudos!
My favourite kinds of plots (in general) cover a very short span of time. I find it very difficult to gauge accurately how much time has passed if there are lots of time jumps, and so I loved that this story happened over quite a short timeframe. I like that we land in Kitty's head when she has pretty much come to terms with the fact that she likes girls, and that it's not just a coming-out story.
I love the diversity of the characters, in age, race, religion, sexuality and health. They don't feel artificial and it's clear Stainton has done her research, because to me (admittedly, a white able-bodied woman), they rang true. Nothing felt forced or shoe-horned at all, which is a great feat, especially for middle-grade and young adult fiction where I think generally issues of diversity can read as afterthoughts.
Writing
Like I said before, I'm seriously impressed with the pitching of this book. It is written in a very straight-forward way, which I think will help to make it accessible to younger girls. It's not that there are no frills, it's that it's written beautifully and trimmed right back to what needs to be said. I never felt like I was reading anything unnecessary to the story, and I could truly appreciate the experience and crafting brought to the story.
Overall, an absolutely fantastic, much-needed, and astoundingly written book. I'm buying a copy for my school library immediately and recommending it to any Year 7-9 girls that come in looking for a book!
If you liked... you'll like this
Children's/middle grade: Smart; The Savage
YA: Geek Girl; Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery
Trigger warnings
Parental illness (specifically MS)
April 16, 2016
This review was originally posted on my blog on 2nd April 2015. You can find it here.
There is a moment when you start reading a book and you just know that you’re reading a book that you’ll love. This happened to me on the very first page of Starring Kitty. I just instantly knew this book was going to be fantastic and I was not wrong. There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe how much I loved this book. It was cute, quirky and just full of wonderful and amazing characters. This is a short book but it works so well that way; it was the perfect length. It was sad to say goodbye to the characters but also just right. I am highly excited for Spotlight on Sunny.
This book actually has a very simplistic plot but it made this book so good. This story was about Kitty and this huge moment in her life – her first crush – or the first one that could lead to something more anyway. I thought the whole “coming out” part of this book was dealt with so well and realistically. What made this plot and Kitty’s life so enjoyable was the magnificent writing style. Keris pulls you in subtly and just writes in a brilliant way that truly transports you into Kitty’s world.
I truly loved all of the characters in this book. They all had distinct and interesting personalities that I enjoyed reading about. All of them helped to make the book that much better – including the evil bullies! But it was Dylan that I loved the most. She was by far my favourite character. She was quirky, confident, and really cute. But she was also worried, afraid and sensitive too. Faults and flaws that made her a very realistic and lovable character – and the perfect fit for the shy and cute Kitty!
This book quickly moved itself into my favourites. It is fun, quirky, full of real emotions and will quickly suck you into a wonderful and intriguing story. Keris dealt with the issues in this book so well and that just made it all the more enjoyable. I will definitely be re-reading this book when I get the chance and cannot wait to read about these characters again in Spotlight on Sunny. I would highly recommend this book! So go read it if you haven’t yet!
There is a moment when you start reading a book and you just know that you’re reading a book that you’ll love. This happened to me on the very first page of Starring Kitty. I just instantly knew this book was going to be fantastic and I was not wrong. There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe how much I loved this book. It was cute, quirky and just full of wonderful and amazing characters. This is a short book but it works so well that way; it was the perfect length. It was sad to say goodbye to the characters but also just right. I am highly excited for Spotlight on Sunny.
This book actually has a very simplistic plot but it made this book so good. This story was about Kitty and this huge moment in her life – her first crush – or the first one that could lead to something more anyway. I thought the whole “coming out” part of this book was dealt with so well and realistically. What made this plot and Kitty’s life so enjoyable was the magnificent writing style. Keris pulls you in subtly and just writes in a brilliant way that truly transports you into Kitty’s world.
I truly loved all of the characters in this book. They all had distinct and interesting personalities that I enjoyed reading about. All of them helped to make the book that much better – including the evil bullies! But it was Dylan that I loved the most. She was by far my favourite character. She was quirky, confident, and really cute. But she was also worried, afraid and sensitive too. Faults and flaws that made her a very realistic and lovable character – and the perfect fit for the shy and cute Kitty!
This book quickly moved itself into my favourites. It is fun, quirky, full of real emotions and will quickly suck you into a wonderful and intriguing story. Keris dealt with the issues in this book so well and that just made it all the more enjoyable. I will definitely be re-reading this book when I get the chance and cannot wait to read about these characters again in Spotlight on Sunny. I would highly recommend this book! So go read it if you haven’t yet!
June 13, 2015
Put simply I adored this book. It is a perfect romantic YA read and I cannot recommend it enough.
For me this book did several things perfectly.
Firstly the storyline was effortless to follow meaning I couldn't put it down. I have always been a fan of Keris's books so it isn't a huge surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed it because I love her writing style and characterisation. If you've not read any of her books I'd compare this book in particular to a Sarra Manning title but aimed at a slightly younger audience.
I adored how brilliantly diverse this book was in its characters but also how it wasn't done in a gimmicky way. I loved that not all the characters were white straight girls and actually therefore so much more representative of the diversity of modern Britain. This story in particular is about a teenage girl called Kitty who realises she is gay and explores her realising this and the blossoming romance with a girl she has just met. I loved just how normal it was. The story could have easily been the story between a girl and a boy in the feelings that were developed between them but I loved how actually the romance just happened to be between two girls. I adored Kitty and Dylan as a couple and seeing their relationship develop.
Special shoutout needs to also go to Kitty's family who were all just lovely from her liberal minded grandmother and to her gay older brother. I also loved loved loved that Kitty had the extra family pressures of her mother being ill. By that I mean that I loved how she went home and cooked dinner for her family because she was needed to step up to it because of the pressures the family unit were facing and it was just done in a matter of fact way. So many times in YA fictions parent's just don't exist or are there to purely facilitate their children's existence by means of providing food, housing, money. Again I loved the realistic normalcy of it all and the potential role model Kitty is to those kids out there who aren't waited on hand and foot by stay at home parents whose sole existence is to serve them.
Bravo to Keris and Catnip for this wonderful little book which is heartfelt and gorgeous throughout. I cannot wait for the rest of the series.
For me this book did several things perfectly.
Firstly the storyline was effortless to follow meaning I couldn't put it down. I have always been a fan of Keris's books so it isn't a huge surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed it because I love her writing style and characterisation. If you've not read any of her books I'd compare this book in particular to a Sarra Manning title but aimed at a slightly younger audience.
I adored how brilliantly diverse this book was in its characters but also how it wasn't done in a gimmicky way. I loved that not all the characters were white straight girls and actually therefore so much more representative of the diversity of modern Britain. This story in particular is about a teenage girl called Kitty who realises she is gay and explores her realising this and the blossoming romance with a girl she has just met. I loved just how normal it was. The story could have easily been the story between a girl and a boy in the feelings that were developed between them but I loved how actually the romance just happened to be between two girls. I adored Kitty and Dylan as a couple and seeing their relationship develop.
Special shoutout needs to also go to Kitty's family who were all just lovely from her liberal minded grandmother and to her gay older brother. I also loved loved loved that Kitty had the extra family pressures of her mother being ill. By that I mean that I loved how she went home and cooked dinner for her family because she was needed to step up to it because of the pressures the family unit were facing and it was just done in a matter of fact way. So many times in YA fictions parent's just don't exist or are there to purely facilitate their children's existence by means of providing food, housing, money. Again I loved the realistic normalcy of it all and the potential role model Kitty is to those kids out there who aren't waited on hand and foot by stay at home parents whose sole existence is to serve them.
Bravo to Keris and Catnip for this wonderful little book which is heartfelt and gorgeous throughout. I cannot wait for the rest of the series.
February 11, 2015
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
I've heard quite a few people rave about Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton, and as it's LGBTQ UKYA, I thought I'd give it a read.
Kitty has a lot on her mind. Her mother has Multiple Sclerosis, her friends want them to enter a film competition, and she thinks she might be gay. Dylan has recently moved in next to Kitty's Gran, and Kitty has trouble keeping her eyes off her when she visits. Soon things blossom between the two of them, but what will people think if Kitty tells them she's gay? Her parents? Her friends? But Dylan doesn't want to be Kitty's dirty secret, so Kitty has some decisions to make; keep hiding, or be true to herself.
I knew Starring Kitty wasn't really going to be my cup of tea when I bought it, simply because I could tell even from just reading the blurb it was going to be a bit too young for my tastes. However, I decided to read it to read a LGBTQ YA novel for slightly younger readers, and for them, it's stellar.
Starring Kitty isn't my bag because there's enough detail for my personal tastes on most things, such as actually making the film, editing it, etc, and on Kitty's mother's MS. However, for it's target audience, it's actually really beautiful. The romance between Kitty and Dylan was really sweet and innocent, with all the first relationship butterflies and second guessing. Kitty does have a few problems worrying what other people might think of her because she's gay, and it comes between them, but the way the story goes is really lovely.
This is the first book in the Reel Friends series, the second is Spotlight on Sunny, and has one of Kitty's best friends Sunny as the central character. As she's Muslim, I think it will be a really interesting story, and this looks to be a really diverse series.
A really cute book for early teens.
I've heard quite a few people rave about Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton, and as it's LGBTQ UKYA, I thought I'd give it a read.
Kitty has a lot on her mind. Her mother has Multiple Sclerosis, her friends want them to enter a film competition, and she thinks she might be gay. Dylan has recently moved in next to Kitty's Gran, and Kitty has trouble keeping her eyes off her when she visits. Soon things blossom between the two of them, but what will people think if Kitty tells them she's gay? Her parents? Her friends? But Dylan doesn't want to be Kitty's dirty secret, so Kitty has some decisions to make; keep hiding, or be true to herself.
I knew Starring Kitty wasn't really going to be my cup of tea when I bought it, simply because I could tell even from just reading the blurb it was going to be a bit too young for my tastes. However, I decided to read it to read a LGBTQ YA novel for slightly younger readers, and for them, it's stellar.
Starring Kitty isn't my bag because there's enough detail for my personal tastes on most things, such as actually making the film, editing it, etc, and on Kitty's mother's MS. However, for it's target audience, it's actually really beautiful. The romance between Kitty and Dylan was really sweet and innocent, with all the first relationship butterflies and second guessing. Kitty does have a few problems worrying what other people might think of her because she's gay, and it comes between them, but the way the story goes is really lovely.
This is the first book in the Reel Friends series, the second is Spotlight on Sunny, and has one of Kitty's best friends Sunny as the central character. As she's Muslim, I think it will be a really interesting story, and this looks to be a really diverse series.
A really cute book for early teens.
February 26, 2015
Starring Kitty is the kind of book that needs to be in school libraries across the UK, no scrap that, across the world! I started it and finished it in one weekend because I just couldn't put it down.
It was a pocket full of perfect hope and hugs, the kind of book you want to talk about and share and buy as a gift.
Kitty, Hannah and Sunny feel like real people by the end of the book, the kind of girls you would want to be friends with in real life. I'm really looking forward to book 2 which will follow Sunny's storyline and I'm guessing book 3 will deal with Hannah.
I was going to lend this to a friend but I'm hanging on to it as I want to read it again.
This book was funny, emotional, full of heart and warmth and I love the cover, so cute!
It was a pocket full of perfect hope and hugs, the kind of book you want to talk about and share and buy as a gift.
Kitty, Hannah and Sunny feel like real people by the end of the book, the kind of girls you would want to be friends with in real life. I'm really looking forward to book 2 which will follow Sunny's storyline and I'm guessing book 3 will deal with Hannah.
I was going to lend this to a friend but I'm hanging on to it as I want to read it again.
This book was funny, emotional, full of heart and warmth and I love the cover, so cute!
May 18, 2015
I love this book so much it's making me come over all emotional. I read it in one evening, interrupted only by walking home from the train station, making dinner and GBBO. I read it with a huge smile on my face from start to finish.
This is a sweet, beautiful, utterly heartwarming story, the kind there just aren't enough of.
On a personal note, my own mother has MS, and Keris did a beautiful job of conveying the worry and confusion that affects the whole family in those difficult early days after diagnosis. That this was interwoven so well into the narrative without distracting from the main storyline is just one more reason why this is such a solid 5 star book.
I just LOVED it. I'd recommend it to everyone with a heart. And anyone without, for that matter.
This is a sweet, beautiful, utterly heartwarming story, the kind there just aren't enough of.
On a personal note, my own mother has MS, and Keris did a beautiful job of conveying the worry and confusion that affects the whole family in those difficult early days after diagnosis. That this was interwoven so well into the narrative without distracting from the main storyline is just one more reason why this is such a solid 5 star book.
I just LOVED it. I'd recommend it to everyone with a heart. And anyone without, for that matter.
March 13, 2015
What a fabulous read! Kitty is a brilliant character, so easy to warm to and root for. This is a sweet romance and a great friendship story at the same time (such a rare thing!), as Kitty balances having a first relationship and embarking on a film project for a competition with her two best friends. This is the first in a series, in which each book focuses on a different character, and I am looking forward to the next which came out last week. My 11yr old adored this too and was so happy I read it and we could talk about it! Fuller review will definitely follow (I want to count this for the British Books Challenge and the Dive Into Diversity Challenge).
August 13, 2014
Completely gorgeous teen fiction.
April 5, 2015
Such a great romance with real feelings, fantastic characters and a great story! I definitely recommend this book! :D
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January 25, 2015This book has to be one of the most insiring books i've read in a while you see TFIOS And everything about but this was just Spectatular it showed what real romance is about.
March 25, 2016
I loved this book. It really captured me.
April 20, 2019
This is a very light, quick read that's like a little blast of sunshine, transporting you to the beach where a lot of the story is set. It's cute, it's romantic, and despite some slightly more challenging themes - Kitty's family is coming to terms with her mother's serious illness - overall is a happy, pleasant read that will leave you with a smile on your face.
Kitty and her friends, Hannah and Sunny, face a lot of the problems that teenage girls have at school - bitchy popular girls, ex-boyfriends that they may or may not be over, and strict parents. The nice difference here is Kitty has the additional issue of finding a way to tell her friends that she's not interested in a boyfriend because she has her eyes on a girl, and Sunny is Asian, and her family have a different cultural dynamic. The diversity in the story is refreshing, and especially so because it's not necessarily a book 'about' LGBT or racism. It's a book about three girls, with more focus on Kitty, trying to find their way at school and in life. Just like all girls of that age have to do. Kitty feels so much like any girl in school, and her clumsy attempts to engage with her crush Dylan are so relatable, I think you'd struggle to find a teenage girl who couldn't see elements of herself in Kitty.
It's not the sort of book that's going to stay with you for a long time, but that's okay. It's a fluffy romance book, perfect for the upcoming summer days in the garden or on the beach. And I hope the success of books like this continue to raise the profile of LGBT fiction for young people.
Kitty and her friends, Hannah and Sunny, face a lot of the problems that teenage girls have at school - bitchy popular girls, ex-boyfriends that they may or may not be over, and strict parents. The nice difference here is Kitty has the additional issue of finding a way to tell her friends that she's not interested in a boyfriend because she has her eyes on a girl, and Sunny is Asian, and her family have a different cultural dynamic. The diversity in the story is refreshing, and especially so because it's not necessarily a book 'about' LGBT or racism. It's a book about three girls, with more focus on Kitty, trying to find their way at school and in life. Just like all girls of that age have to do. Kitty feels so much like any girl in school, and her clumsy attempts to engage with her crush Dylan are so relatable, I think you'd struggle to find a teenage girl who couldn't see elements of herself in Kitty.
It's not the sort of book that's going to stay with you for a long time, but that's okay. It's a fluffy romance book, perfect for the upcoming summer days in the garden or on the beach. And I hope the success of books like this continue to raise the profile of LGBT fiction for young people.
May 21, 2017
3.5 stars
I'm not sure if this book is upper MG or low YA so I'm shelving it as both. The language is rather simple and the story is not the most fleshed out thing. It jumps forward every now and then quite a bit instead of simply showing more of this universe.
The story is about Kitty, who's part of a three person friend group and she has a giant crush on this girl Dylan who lives next to her grandma. Of course none of her friends know she is a lesbian and she is scared to come out to them.
The girls are in year 9 in the UK school system hence my confusion as to whether this is YA or MG.
Adding to Kitty's troubles is the fact that her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which turned her home life upside down. Her father is trying his best to do it all and Kitty has stepped up as well especially taking care of her younger sister Grace but it's not the same. And so, when Kitty may need her mother most, she is hesitant about going to her because she doesn't want to add any more trouble to the whole situation.
I could identify with that last part so much because my mom was terminally ill when I realised I was gay and I just waited it out instead of telling her.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot even though it had me close to tears a couple of times. The story between Dylan and Kitty is really cute and I didn't want the book to be over as quickly as it was.
I'm not sure if this book is upper MG or low YA so I'm shelving it as both. The language is rather simple and the story is not the most fleshed out thing. It jumps forward every now and then quite a bit instead of simply showing more of this universe.
The story is about Kitty, who's part of a three person friend group and she has a giant crush on this girl Dylan who lives next to her grandma. Of course none of her friends know she is a lesbian and she is scared to come out to them.
The girls are in year 9 in the UK school system hence my confusion as to whether this is YA or MG.
Adding to Kitty's troubles is the fact that her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which turned her home life upside down. Her father is trying his best to do it all and Kitty has stepped up as well especially taking care of her younger sister Grace but it's not the same. And so, when Kitty may need her mother most, she is hesitant about going to her because she doesn't want to add any more trouble to the whole situation.
I could identify with that last part so much because my mom was terminally ill when I realised I was gay and I just waited it out instead of telling her.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot even though it had me close to tears a couple of times. The story between Dylan and Kitty is really cute and I didn't want the book to be over as quickly as it was.
February 26, 2019
This was a really sweet book. Usually, books have an agenda or something they want to say. Starring Kitty seems to be a lovely story about friendship and growing up. Kitty meets Dylan and soon realises she likes girls. This all happens whilst she and her friends are trying to make an advertisement video for where they live. The resident bullies are trying to put them down at every turn and they expose Kitty's sexuality in the process. Kitty also has a mum with MS and it's really interesting to explore as I have not seen this in any other book.
Despite all these issues Stainton never shouts about them and instead her casual tone makes them hit home more than anything over the top would. Its just a really nice story and the dialogue feels real - in fact the whole story feels like it could take place in the real world. Some other YA seems a tad over the top to feel realistic.
Nothing mental happens in this book and it was refreshing to read.
Despite all these issues Stainton never shouts about them and instead her casual tone makes them hit home more than anything over the top would. Its just a really nice story and the dialogue feels real - in fact the whole story feels like it could take place in the real world. Some other YA seems a tad over the top to feel realistic.
Nothing mental happens in this book and it was refreshing to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2020
I loved this book – I read it in a single sitting. The characters were realistic and endearing, and although Kitty’s struggle with her orientation was a recurring theme, it was not the only focus of the book. Starring Kitty is a story about high school friends entering a silly film competition together, and a girl’s encounter with first love. It just so happens that the main character is gay and she has troubles typical of a questioning teenager. Kitty’s mother’s illness and Sunny’s encounters with racism are also well handled. I hope the rest of the books in this series will continue the positive trend!
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March 21, 2023Another case where I think I'm a bit too old for this book nowadays, but I'm sure if I was the age of its target audience I'd've loved it. Fairly simple low-stakes plot but I thought it captured Kitty's anxieties about coming out and her concerns over her mother well, and I'm sure it'll make some kids feel seen, which is the main thing.
December 25, 2017
Cute and sweet
March 28, 2018
SO CUTE. Very cute! I speeded through this lovely short story.
February 23, 2020
This book is adorable and fluffy and I loved it with all my heart
October 16, 2025
SO CUTE. Very cute! I speeded through this lovely short story.
did-not-finish
May 9, 2017DNF @ page 26.
March 23, 2015
I was struck, very much, on reading this how adorable a book it is. The initial title in a new series from Stainton, Starring Kitty is a book about friendship and being who you are - and realising how important a bond true friendship is. Set around a trio of friends, Sunny, Hannah and Kitty, each title focuses on one particular member of the group and this initial one is Kitty's moment to shine.
Kitty has secrets. Her mum's ill, her little sister's panicking, and her dad's struggling to cope. And Kitty's starting to fall in love with a girl named Dylan. As Kitty and her friends work through a film competition with school, she starts to realise that secrets quite often have a habit of being found out. How is she going to deal with when people find out her truth? And how is she going to keep Dylan?
It's a poignant and quite beautiful book this. Stainton has the substantial gift of sympathy. Her writing is warm and gentle and precise, colouring each moment of Kitty's slow realisation of how much she loves Dylan with a sort of very genuine hue. You believe this girl so much. Kitty is lovely. She has this rich, timeless quality about her that is again a testament to Stainton's writing.
I would recommend this very much for somebody looking for a bridge into young adult literature. Stainton handles some quite powerful themes here - severe illness, sexuality, pressure at school - with a lightness and deftness that is very much a pleasure to read. I know that's an odd sentiment to express when it comes to such themes, but it's sort of the best way to describe it. Stainton's created story here and it's story that is coloured and shifted by these moments, but not about them. Not wholly. This is Kitty's story through and through, and what shines is the glorious warmth and humanity of it all. An adorable and quite wonderful little book.
Kitty has secrets. Her mum's ill, her little sister's panicking, and her dad's struggling to cope. And Kitty's starting to fall in love with a girl named Dylan. As Kitty and her friends work through a film competition with school, she starts to realise that secrets quite often have a habit of being found out. How is she going to deal with when people find out her truth? And how is she going to keep Dylan?
It's a poignant and quite beautiful book this. Stainton has the substantial gift of sympathy. Her writing is warm and gentle and precise, colouring each moment of Kitty's slow realisation of how much she loves Dylan with a sort of very genuine hue. You believe this girl so much. Kitty is lovely. She has this rich, timeless quality about her that is again a testament to Stainton's writing.
I would recommend this very much for somebody looking for a bridge into young adult literature. Stainton handles some quite powerful themes here - severe illness, sexuality, pressure at school - with a lightness and deftness that is very much a pleasure to read. I know that's an odd sentiment to express when it comes to such themes, but it's sort of the best way to describe it. Stainton's created story here and it's story that is coloured and shifted by these moments, but not about them. Not wholly. This is Kitty's story through and through, and what shines is the glorious warmth and humanity of it all. An adorable and quite wonderful little book.
February 19, 2017
A really good book and I really enjoyed it.
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