Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli
Mica High School doesn’t know what’s hit it. Everyone follows the social norms, and then Stargirl shows up. She wears pioneer dresses and serenades people on their birthdays with her ukulele. She brings flowers and a tablecloth to each class and sends cards to people she doesn’t know. She’s a cheerleader, and she cheers for both sides. 16-year-old Leo doesn’t know what’s hit him, either. Stargirl is an anomaly… and she likes him. And he’s surprised to find out he likes her, too. But this little town finds it can’t handle star people. When it comes down to it, whose attention and approval would Leo rather have: Stargirl’s or everyone else’s?
Things I loved about this book: the way we are introduced to the characters – two pages in and I’m hooked; the narrator is not the title character; Stargirl has the face of a girl I know; my heart ached at the end. I downloaded this ebook on a whim (I’ve been meaning to read it), and I read it on my phone in two days. That’s a tiny screen to read a book on. I couldn’t stop. Spinelli’s writing is just so… perfect for Stargirl. If you’re looking for a book about real people, I’m going to hand you this one.
Image taken from http://www.amazon.com.
Tags: book review, cheerleaders, fitting in, high school, individuality, jerry spinelli, realistic fiction, romance, uniqueness, young adult books
August 17, 2011 at 10:11 pm |
I agree with your review. I read this book a couple of years ago and found it memorable. Jerry Spinelli seems to be able to understand and empathize with his audience.
January 31, 2012 at 12:01 pm |
[...] Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli I had forgotten that I read this book until I was looking at my past blogs. But I hadn’t forgotten how much I loved it. The characters were so real. A definite diversion from all the fantasy I’ve been reading that gently made my heart break for the real world. [...]