Stargirl

I feel like Stargirl is a strange little book, but it's a good kind of strange. The kind of strange that makes a bit more sense as an adult.

From an adult's point of view, Stargirl feels like an examination on the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope in a middle/high school setting with that middle/high school lens. You admire what's different and strange, you crave it, you want it for your own, but once you have it, appreciating it as it is becomes difficult since society (and you yourself) may want to change that strange, unusual and precious thing. Stargirl herself is a manic pixie dream girl for our main character, but we also see her growing and changing both for the betterment of the strained society that is high school, but also for show more herself. The story feels incomplete, but that's because our characters, and our titular Stargirl is still growing and still writing her life's story.

To my surprise, this book ended up getting a musical adaptation on Disney+ - and it's pretty faithful to the book save for changing up a few details regarding the main character's backstory (swapping out an uncle for a father), and some details with Stargirl's clothing choices (though I imagine that was just fashion crew having fun when filming), and the songs really helped bring the story to life in movie form. show less

I like the message about non-conformity, and the general success that Stargirl has with it. It's almost a philosophical treatise on the subject, and is a useful thought experiment, especially when you are in the middle of negotiating conformity and cruelty. That said, I'm not convinced that it holds up particularly well as an older title in the current world. The message about kindness and focusing on others is more relevant than ever. The methods Stargirl uses to basically stalk and spy on everyone around her are a more complex conversation. Didn't really love the audiobook narrator.

I was due to do a reread - in part because of the new movie adaptation, but more importantly, because I decided to give this book to a tween on her birthday and I wanted to be sure first that it was the right choice.
Rereading it as an adult, I realized a few things. Yes, Stargirl is what we now call a classic example of a "manic pixie dream girl," and it's considered a bad thing even if I'm still kind of attracted to the troupe.

Because I'm willing to over-look negative connotations, here's what I love about Stargirl.
⭐ Leo loves Stargirl. Yes, this book is a romance, but to me, this is one of the most authentic romantic and healthy relationships I've seen in fiction. Let me explain. To Leo, Stargirl/Susan is one of the most perfect and show more flawless people he has ever met. He's completely dazzled by her. At First. Does he romanticize her? Sure. But as a reader, I'm a little head-over-heels for her myself. The thing that keeps him grounded and her human is that he eventually gets irritated by some of her quirkiness. Wither because of outside influences or because the varnish of a new crush is starting to fade.
1. Leo thinks to be normal and popular is more important than being an individual, even though being an individual is what attracted him to Stargirl in the first place. Before long, Stargirl can't keep up the act anymore and reverts back, though not completely form having learned some things.
2. Before and after the Oration rally, Stargirl is a little in-her-head about how her school will praise her for winning, and in essence, finally accept her. Leo knows better and tries to talk her down from it. A good partner can do this without having to be a b**thole and be supportive without having to say "I told you so" and be there to help clean up the mess afterward.
⭐ Stargirl is wonderful. She's my hero. She's a wholesome individual and completely unabashed by this. Stargirl/Susan's sole purpose is to make people feel special, even at the sacrifice of her own reputation. There are times when she really is too naive to see that this isn't always a good thing. (In particular, that is something I have in common with her. Sometimes my strict morality ends up hurting myself and others, though my intentions are genuine.) But she pays attention to the little things and celebrates that. She is selfless and appreciative. In [b:The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts|23878688|The 5 Love Languages The Secret to Love that Lasts|Gary Chapman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432487272l/23878688._SY75_.jpg|832090] Stargirl's love languages would probably be Acts of Service & Gifts.
⭐ There's a lot of depth in this book about healthy self-expression. Take the "happy wagon" for example - she uses this as a coping mechanism to deal with the slings and arrows that would hurt her. It's not that she doesn't feel pain or that she isn't unrealistic after all. It's just emotional baggage she tries not to carry around with her all the time. And guess what? Sometimes you can be so sad and hurt that dropping marbles in a jar (or pebbles in a toy wagon) can't express adequately, and sometimes you have to just cry and be hurt for a while - and that's ok! You get to do that and still be human.
⭐ This book isn't just about individuality, but about banishing biases. Stargirl has a pet rat. 20 years after publication, there's still a whole lot of Americans who can't embrace rats as cute, smart, and clean little critters.
We still sorta think that fictional cheerleaders have to be shallow b***hes. (I'm 32 years old and some of my favorite people today had been cheerleaders in high school - and guess what? I'm a weird, shy, nerd and always have been. People are three dimensional!) Stargirl wants to be a cheerleader because she literally wants to cheer for humanity.

So yes, while some readers today will dismiss Stargirl, there's a lot packed into this wonderful book. Also, the audiobook is read by John Ritter, whose voice I can't believe how much I've missed after 17 years since his death. A beautiful surprise. show less

When I finished Stargirl, I was sobbing. Sad tears and happy tears blended together.
Stargirl comes to Mica High School after being homeschooled. She is the most unconventional, non-conformist person ever. She carries her pet rat, Cinnamon, everywhere. She serenades people on their birthdays in the cafeteria. She drops change everywhere she goes so that children can have the joy of finding it. And she joins the cheerleading squad, she cheers for both teams.
And she falls in love with Leo Borlock, the narrator. At first he feels like he has been touched by an angel. But in time, the students grow weary of Stargirl's antics - especially the cheering for the opposing team. They begin to shun her, and him, since he is with her. An elderly show more friend advises Leo, "You must decide whose approval you crave more. Hers, or theirs." He doesn't want to have to choose, so he tries to convince her to become more conventional.
It is a book about loving someone who is magical. And it is a book about the importance of kindness. show less

I picked this up on a trip to the library.
I read it all in one morning.
In all fairness, it was a morning where I skipped work because of a cold, but still.
I loved it. I cringed and wanted to cry, I blushed and seethed. I was Stargirl. I was Leo. I was Kevin and Hillary. I was Archie. I felt for all of them.
The book has moments that are tense and may bring back the ugliest memories of high school for some, but it also has utterly lovely moments that speak to the deeper truth of who we are when we are truest to ourselves.

I can’t recall exactly where I came across STARGIRL for the first time, though my guess would be I saw something about it on Goodreads. I’m not usually a reader of anything bordering on Middle Grade; it has a tendency to amplify everything I dislike about Young Adult. (This doesn’t surprise me, of course. The methods for writing to different age groups are like that. Someone in their late twenties isn’t exactly their target audience.)

But the blurb called to me. A mysterious girl known only as Stargirl, wandering around the school and fascinating people, until someone tries to make her normal? Why wouldn’t I want to read this?

Stargirl speaks to me. She’s very reminiscent of Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, except she show more doesn’t have the benefit of already being in a magical world, so when she enters the high school it’s not exactly to open arms. Leo, our main character, is caught between what he truly wants to do–and what peer pressure would have him do. In classic fashion, his love of the eccentric girl becomes his undoing as he tries to “save” her from the cruelness of their peers.

I wasn’t quite Stargirl when I was that age, but I know the feeling of being the odd one out and wanting to fit in. I could only wish to have Stargirl’s ability to shrug off so much of what the students throw at her. But what I like most about the book is that the characters are very real. Stargirl isn’t immune to the social pressure; she has feelings and they’re easily hurt. Leo isn’t a knight in shining armor; he’s a flawed high school boy who makes stupid mistakes. And the book doesn’t end the way we all might expect, and more than anything else I appreciate that. High school is full of messy mistakes and bad choices. Seeing that actually reflected in a book is a welcome change from the usual “happily ever afters” I see all too often. I want to be able to relate to a book; my high school story’s only happy ending was that I graduated and left. Now obviously, my schooling didn’t exactly end the same as this book either, but that’s neither here nor there.

There is a good balance in the characters between likable ones who we can root for, and the nasty ones who we love to hate. Much like real life, good people make stupid mistakes and stupid people are allowed to wreak havoc on the rest. I have a particular love for Leo–beside the fact that I love the name, he’s the most real of any of them. He’s closely followed by the titular character, however. The K-PAX reminiscent ending she garners just makes it all more intriguing.

Again, it’s good to keep in mind that this is Middle Grade bordering on YA. It’s a simple story, and it’s not very long, but it tells a nice complete tale and it’s well worth an afternoon of reading.

Rating: **** (Recommended) show less

Really funny, challenging and moving book about a girl who's totally different. I fell in love with Stargirl the character in a big, big way for her almost complete lack of self-criticism and self-consciousness. Its the complete adorableness of *her* which lingers in my memory long, long after finishing this book. She's the image of the invisible goddess! One criticism of it is that the author once or twice forgets he's not Leo - for example 'Leo' makes a comment about Stargirl being ego-free, not really the language of a schoolboy, however accurate!