Stargirl

This post can also be found here, except for the part at the end regarding what it says about alisonwonderland.

I read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli for the "Something About Me" reading challenge. It is a young adult novel that takes a look at the conflicting emotions teenagers face when presented with someone different than themselves. The character Stargirl is, well, weird. But in a sweet and endearing way. The other kids don't know what to make of her. Our narrator, Leo, becomes torn between his growing feelings for her and his desire to conform and be accepted by the rest of his peers. The novel was a well-written super fast read. It was enjoyable and I found it easy to relate to the characters.

What I liked:

I think it was a fairly realistic view of kids of high school age (well, except for the complete lack of smoking, drinking and drugging, but those issues weren't the point of the novel, so we'll forgive the omission). I think we all knew someone like Stargirl, an outcast for no other reason than that she was a unique personality and didn't bother to try to conform. Looking back, I think the reason other kids would steer clear of kids like Stargirl was that they envied them their fearlessness, the ability to just be who they were without worrying about the opinions of others.

I liked her random acts of kindness. In particular I LOVED what she does with spare change. So much so, that I intend to do it myself. Which leads me to my favorite excerpt from the book:

Throughout the day, Stargirl had been dropping money. She was the Johnny Appleseed of loose change: a penny here, a nickel there. Tossed to the sidewalk, laid on a shelf or bench. Even quarters.

"I hate change," she said. "It's so... jangly."

"Do you realize how much you must throw away in a year?" I said.

"Did you ever see a little kid's face when he spots a penny on a sidewalk?" she said.

I liked the old man who had become a kind of mentor to a group of the kids. He was a font of wisdom, yet he didn't just dole it out, he made the kids come to the realizations on their own.

What I didn't like:

Well, to be honest, I can't really think of anything. Oh, wait, there is something. Spinelli spelled Hillari with an "i." That replacing the "y" with an "i" thing for the sole purpose of... well, nothing really, annoys the hell out of me. A byproduct of growing up with a bunch of girls named Candy, Mandy, Tracy, Wendy, Becky, etc., who on the same whim everyone was having back then, became Candi, Mandi, Traci, Wendi, Becki, etc., I guess. They're parents didn't do it to them, they did it to themselves, and then they did it to their kids. Oh, the 80s. :) So I didn't like that, but that's just a petty thing.

Overall, great book! My daughter said she hadn't gotten to it yet, so I'm going to push her on it. And I will be getting her the sequel, which I will also read.

So what does this book say about alisonwonderland? I could state the obvious and say that I think she picked it because Stargirl reminded her of herself or of who she wanted to be as a teen but maybe didn't have the courage. And then I could say that I would think it's the former, because hey, look at her name here in cybertopia: alisonwonderland. Kind of like Stargirl. After that I could say that I looked at her list of choices and why she chose them and they all have a lot to do with finding yourself, that is, figuring out your place in the world in relation to everything around you, embracing it and exploring it and being true to it. To conclude, I could say that alisonwonderland has made this journey herself, and is satisfied with the results. I could say all that. So I will.



I borrowed the image from 3M's review, because the image from Amazon looked like it was glowing like neon.

Stargirl - 3M's Review

Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli

2002, 186 pp.

Rating: 4



Stargirl is a high school girl who, refreshingly, does NOT try to be like everyone else. She marches to her own drummer. She is kind to everyone, almost to a fault. But does everyone love her for it or think she's too much of an oddity?

I enjoyed this book, though I winced a bit at the too familiar (though long ago) high school culture. A very good story for teens.

Stargirl

I just finished reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I picked this book from alisonwonderland's list for the Something About Me Reading Challenge. After I'd already decided to read it my sister in law, who is a high school English teacher, called me up and raved about it. So, I knew it was a must read.

Stargirl reminds me of all the worst parts about high school. I hated the constant worrying about what the cool kids were doing and trying to pretend like I didn't care. When I was in school nonconformity was cool so we were all busy imitating each other but trying to look like we were doing our own thing. It was exhausting. The main character of Stargirl, also named Stargirl, is just the kind of nonconformist that I always wanted to be...until her boyfriend encourages her to be more "normal."

What is normal, anyway? And what do we lose when we give up everything to attain normality? I like the message of this book. It's a quick read but Spinelli is a great storyteller and he captures your interest from the start. Thanks, alisonwonderland, for suggesting this book!