Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

[katekintailbc]

Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli
(Audio)

I earread this ages ago but I apparently forgot to add it to any of my lists so I forgot to journal it and record pages read. So here we go now. Just pretend I read it in April (was some time in the summer, I know that for sure).

This was... interesting. I went back and forth when reading it between loving the story and not quite liking what was happening in it. The best thing I can say about it is that there are some fantastic characters and some even more fantastic observations about people. It feels like the sort of book you can read and get a lot out of, no matter how you feel about what's happening in the book, because there's so much to think about.

There's Stargirl, who is 100% original, creative, caring, and wonderful. She chose her name herself and, as she descends into the high school for the first time, no one knows what to make of her (unlike the reader, I think. I was instantly in love with her!) She leaves special gifts for people, she keeps track of birthdays and serenades people with her ukulele. She wears strange things and says strange things and, at first, she's natural and true to herself and doesn't care what anyone thinks about her because she's happy and she feels like she's making other people happy.

Leo takes notice of her, and through his eyes we see how she fits in (or doesn't fit in). He'd drawn to her and ends up in a relationship with her before long. The mood around school goes from confusion to pure love to ridicule, though. Which just goes to show the fickle but realistic trends of high school popularity. People are less tolerant in the real world than we'd like them to be.

Tired of seeing the way people react to Stargirl's weird ways, Leo suggests/demands/asks that she change. So, to make him happy, she does. She transforms herself into a normal girl. But she's not being true to herself, and I was so devastated to see this change. Even if I KNEW she stood a better chance of being accepted if she did certain things... I didn't want to see it. Strangely enough, neither did the rest of the school either. There are some heartbreaking moments as her excitement and expectations are dashed... because kids are immatire IDIOTS.

I felt like people were being stupid across the board, though. And there's a lot to think about as far as being yourself, being normal, being a part of a conventional culture, having relationships (holding onto relationships), etc. The fact that she's homeschooled and so supposedly doesn't know some of the social conventions when she tries her hand at high school is also a highly-debated topic when discussing this book. Personally, I don't think that has as much to do with it as the fact that she's a unique individual and there's only so much room to be unique within society. How is she going to function when she grows up?

For example, I register books and release them into the wild all over the place, hoping to brighten people's days. If I were only concerned about getting the books out of my house, I'd recycle them. If I were only concerned with them finding new readers, I'd donate them. Instead, I leave them in public places. It's weird but it's the kind of weird that puts smiles on people's faces and I'm not going to stop.

Stargirl is an excellent book because there's really so much room for you to think about where you fall amidst all the weird craziness and dull normality of life. But it's also annoying because I really didn't find anyone who's completely likeable. The ending is mysterious and satisfying at the same time. Makes me a little sad... and a little happy. But Leo doesn't really end the book changed at all, and it's almost as though you're supposed to look down on him for not following her into her life of crazy. Relaly, I just felt sorry for everybody in the book.

Comments

[melydia.livejournal.com]

I read this a couple years ago and apparently was less enthusiastic about it than you. This is what I wrote on BookCrossing:

I read this in a single day of laziness. Though full of memorable characters - Archie, Stargirl - the story itself is kind of cliche: new student at school acts weird, stirs up the other students, leaves. This is not to say that it's a bad story. It's well-written and thought-provoking; it may just not translate as well to adults. I have no doubt that I would have found it perfectly charming when I was 14. I hope the next person who reads it enjoys it as well.

[katekintailbc.livejournal.com]

Soooo many Harry Potter fans recommended the book to me. In fact, quite a few called it one of the favorite books. And more than one said I reminded them of Stargirl. Which is why I gave it such a good shot.

I didn't realize my review came off as enthusiastic. Oops! I liked parts and I liked that it made me think about things. But I definitely am not "enthusiastic" about it.

I agree it doesn't translate as well to adults as it would to kids. I'm not sure I would have found it charming at 14, though. At 14, I would have thought Stargirl was an IDIOT for not trying to fit in better.