At first glance, Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over seems like a retelling of the classic high school story. Sadie Starr moves to a new school in a different state, she makes some questionable new friends and struggles with leaving an old friend behind. The cast of characters we’re introduced to seem like vague reinterpretations of classic characters from teen movies, the popular girls, the jocks and the nerds.

However, as the story progresses, the characters reveal themselves to be incredibly nuanced – especially Sadie herself. Sadie struggles with binge eating, maintaining an inconspicuous cover while suffering greatly from her self-sabotaging behaviours.

Sadie yearns to start over but she also wants to make the right choices.

Miranda Luby subverts the classic high school characters to highlight her message that the world isn’t simply black and white, and that people have complex and unique emotions and experiences.

The plot of the novel was paced well, the beginning suggested that the book would be slightly predictable, but the speed picks up once Sadie starts attending her new school.

Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over is a realistic portrayal of teenage friendship and growth.

An enjoyable and enlightening read!

Reviewed by Jenny, Year 8
Pymble Ladies College, Pymble NSW
Age Guide 14+

View Teachers’ Notes for Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over by Miranda Luby

Visit Miranda Luby’s website

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Miranda Luby is an author, freelance journalist and copywriter living on Victoria’s Surf Coast. She has won several awards for her short stories, and her journalism features in publications such as National Geographic, the BBC and the New York Post. Miranda was shortlisted for the Text Prize for her debut novel, Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over (previously titled Therefore I Am).

Miranda has been:

Shortlisted:

• Commonwealth Short Story Prize
• Text Prize
• Margaret River Short Story Prize
• Sean O’Faolain Prize at the Cork International Short Story Festival

Awarded:

• ACT Writers Centre HARDCOPY fellowship
• Varuna Residency Fellowship
• Australian Society of Authors Award Mentorship
• Katherine Suzanne Prichard Fellowship
• Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund Gran