Starfish Girl [Paperback]

Athena Villaverde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2010

In a post-apocalyptic underwater dome, there lives a girl with a starfish growing from her head. Her name is Ohime. She is the starfish girl.

Alone in this world, Ohime must fight for her life against lecherous crabmen, piranha people, and a yellow algae that is causing humans to mutate into fish. Until she meets Timbre, a woman with deadly sea anemone hair. Ohime thinks she is safe with her new protector and friend, but Timbre is on the run from a violent past. Now they must escape Timbre's former master, the evil Dr. Ichii, who is determined to conquer the underwater dome . . . and destroy the starfish girl and her friend in the process.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Francesca Lia Block meets BioShock" - Carlton Mellick III, author of Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland

"I loved CLOCKWORK GIRL, and think Athena's brand of emotional Bizarro adds immensely to the canon. It's got the kind of weird wide-open heart I've been wanting to see more of. And here it is now! Mark me down as a fan." -- John Skipp, author of The Emerald Burrito of Oz

About the Author

Athena Villaverde is a bizarro fiction writer from Toronto. She is a fan of kawaii noir, fetish fashion, steampunk, Francesca Lia Block novels and Hayao Miyazaki films. Starfish Girl is her first novel. Her work also appears in The Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple).

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Eraserhead Press (October 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1936383306
• ISBN-13: 978-1936383306
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.3 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,982,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Athena Villaverde writes sexy and weird bizarro fantasy tales, often set in wastelands populated by colorful and magical characters. Part cyber-punk, part urban fantasy. Cute and disturbing.

Her interests include Tarot, knitting, fetish fashion, kawaii noir, chaos magick, hair dye, drawing and painting, dancing, Japanese anime, cult films, genetic mutations, parasites, survivalism, cosplay, steampunk, gothic lolita, mythology, burlesque, body modification, new wave, ska, punk rock.

She is influenced by the work of David Bowie, Hayao Miyazaki, Francesca Lia Block, Anais Nin, Jim Henson, Don Hertzfeldt, Salvador Dali, Vivienne Westwood, H.R. Giger, Edward Gorey, Robert Smith, Rube Goldberg, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, Guillermo Del Toro, Bjork.

Her novel Starfish Girl was released November 2010 from Eraserhead Press.
Her novella Clockwork Girl appears in The Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple).
Her novella collection Clockwork Girl was released December 2011.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Finding Nemo' of the Post-Apocalypse December 15, 2010

By Troy Chambers

Format:Paperback

This shining debut from Bizarro author Athena Villaverde is an absolute delight to read! Villaverde brings a feminine touch to Bizarro that has been sorely lacking. But, even with its cute, perky language and smiley young main character, Starfish Girl doesn't come up short on the weird sex and violence we've come to love in Bizarros novels. It just doesn't shove in your face as much as some others do. For any who have tried Bizarro and found it a bit too extreme for your tastes I urge you to give it another go with Starfish Girl. You won't be disappointed.

The story follows Ohime, the titular Starfish Girl, on her journey through a dying underwater bio-dome of slowly mutating crazed fish people. Her innocence sparkles through the slimy gloom of the desperate world as she searches for 'nice people' to take with her to a better world. Accompanying her is the not-so-innocent Timbre, a sea-anemone-mutated assassin with a harsh view of the world, acting reluctantly as Ohime's guide and protector. Chasing after both of them is the creepy bug-eyed barnacle-covered Evil Scientist Dr. Ichii.

'Starfish Girl' has the youthful exuberance and pace of a young adult book, but probably wouldn't be appropriate for most younger readers. The sex and violence might be more than some parents would like their child to read about. Then again, I was reading worse at 12. It really all depends on the parents- to whom I suggest picking up a copy to read first. You might not decide to give it to your girl, but at least YOU'LL get to enjoy this great book.

This book has a broad appeal that reaches past just Bizarro fiction readers- anyone with a love for Anime, water-themed steampunk, bright quirky girly adventure stories, etc need to check this book out. I'm really looking forward to more from Athena Villaverde, as this book shows she has great potential for making a large name for herself.

Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it June 18, 2011

By Christy Leigh Stewart

Format:Paperback

Starfish Girl fills the gaping hole in the bizarro genre that is cuteness! It's a kawaii-glitter-sea-shell valentine that reads "suck a dick." It also does a service to the squidpunk genre; the most fun you'll have with tentacles outside of Japanese squid fetish porn.

The writing style is generic but the imagery is anything but and it's impossible not to like the characters. Villaverde fit so much action, art and fandoms into one small book that you won't think it's possible to get out without drowning.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Neon Underwater Punk June 23, 2011

By Jonathan Moon

Format:Paperback

Starfish Girl is the cutest bizarro book I've read yet. Now, please don't go misinterpreting that statement, because somehow Ms. Villaverde has crafted a story equal part `AWWWWW'' and `AWESOME'. The cute (or `AWWWWW') comes in the form of the young starfish girl main character, Ohime, and her childish innocence and ever endearing positive attitude. The 'AWESOME' comes in the form of the red sea anemone dreadlocked assassin, Timbre, and her wicked fighting skills, poison darts and fierce tentacles.
Together the young girl and the assassin travel across an underwater world encased in a giant dome. Every stop along the way is described in vivid and vibrant detail as the two are chased by the evil Dr. Itchii and his crew of sea creature mutant henchmen through a landscape devastated by a strange yellow algae that mutates the dome inhabitants. Our heroines navigate the world encountering strange and dangerous characters every step of the way. The world is bright and colorful despite the apocalyptic feel that permeates the story. As I was reading I felt like I was watching a twisted neon cartoon with sex, violence, and heart.
Like the other story I've read from Athena, Clockwork Girl from the incredible Purple Bizarro Starter Kit, Starfish Girl is entertaining and reads quick enough you almost don't even realize you've become emotionally invested until the story reaches its end and you're left with a bittersweet smile on your face. Bright colors, fantastic scenery, odd and imaginative characters, and a surprising amount of grittiness make for one hell of an entertaining read. I highly recommend Starfish Girl to fans of anime, bizarro, and fish.