Olivia's Book Review: Stargirl

Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinell
Publisher: Scholastic
Place and year of publication: New York, 2002
Number of pages: 184
Where did u find the book: School library


Story Review:
This story is about an unusual girl named stargirl. Her real name is Susan but she has changed it to pocket mouse, mudpie, hully gully, and now stargirl based on the way she feels. The main characters in this book are Stargirl, Leo, Kevin, and Archie. This story takes place in Mica, Arizona.

It was the first day of school and everyone was buzzing " Have you seen her?!"Seen who? Stargirl. She wore long dresses that looked like it could have been her Great-Grandmother's wedding gown, her hair was a sandy colour that came to her shoulders, she played her ukulele, carried around her pet rat, she believed in magical places, and she had a large canvas bag with a life-size sunflower on it. She knew everything about everybody, she sang happy birthday to everyone, gave gifts on special occasions, and cheered for both teams. She is different, she is elusive, she is today, and she is tomorrow. Even though Stargirl was different and had her own way of doing things, she became popular because everyone wanted to know what crazy thing she was going to do next. But after awhile everyone started getting annoyed with her and shunning her because she was just to different.

Leo and Kevin were best friends and ever since they first saw her, they wanted to put her on their T.V show called "The HotSeat". But when all the students started to shun her and not like her, Leo wasn't sure about putting her on the "HotSeat". But she did end up going on the show, she waved to him and called "Hi Leo!" he just froze, he didn't even know she knew his name, so he awkwardly waved back. On Valentines Day, she gave him a card that said "I Love You!" She sang Happy Birthday to him and called him cute in front of everyone. Leo didn't understand the feeling he had for her, he followed her to the dessert one day where she sat and played her ukulele. He decided to talk to Archie about it, Archie was like a grandfather to him and he could always to go him for answers. Suddenly, he wanted to know everything about her, he followed her to her house, and when she found him, they told each other how they felt, and they fell in love!

They would wave at each other in the hallway, go places together after school, but Leo never got really close to her because he was scared that she was too different. Since Stargirl was being shunned, Leo got shunned too, so he avoided her. He hated avoiding her, he wanted her, but he wanted his friends too. He couldn't choose. He told her that she had to change, wear makeup, normal clothes, and not sing Happy Birthday to everyone or cheer for both teams. She loved him so much that she changed for him.

One day she told Leo that she had a vision that she was going to win the Arizona state oratorical contest, and then everyone would cheer for her and she would become finally become popular. She did win, but no one was there to congratulate her, accept for some teachers, a girl named Dori Dilson, Leo, and her parents. She was heartbroken and then the next Monday she came back to school as her old self, Stargirl. She was done with trying to be popular. Does Leo finally accept her for who she is? Does she ever become popular? Find out in "Stargirl".

Christian Perspective:
Stargirl believed in magical places and meditation so I do not think that this book was written in a Christian perspective. I think that Stargirl was a good example of a christian (even if she was not) by the way she didn't care about how people thought about her, she always had a good attitude towards everyone, even the people who hated her, and she was very generous. Leo could have dealt with Stargirl by accepting her for who she is and not worrying about being shunned or made fun of. Leo and all the other kids were not acting like Christians because they were not giving her a chance and they were being very quick to judge her for the way she looked, dressed, and acted, without even getting to know her first.

Your thoughts:
I chose this book because it looked very interesting and some friends had read it and recommended it to me. I think the book was very good and a different kind of story, it wasn't the usual fairytale love story that worked out well in the end, it had a very different ending. For me it was the kind of book where you can't put it down because you have to know what is going to happen next. I would recommend this book to people who like a different kind of ending where you can decide what might have happened if...or what is going to happen in the future. I would also recommend this book to people who like a complicated love story.