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'm probably the last person on earth to read this book as it seems to be a YA staple. So don't tell me you haven't read it because I won't believe you.

First, I love, love, LOVE that the story is told by Leo, a male narrator, one of those rare creatures found sprinkled sporadically throughout YA. It was refreshing to find a love story, a story of first love even, written by a man and told by a man without once feeling a lack of emotional connection.

Stargirl was a unique character, as she was meant to be and I was very glad to meet her. She's supposed to embody "different" in a world filled with everyday and same. At times she was over the top, and probably a little too carefree to be believable but I like the idea that she could show more exist, even if I know she really couldn't. I just can't see that there could ever be anyone so unaffected and heedless of the norms of society to be as completely undefined as Stargirl. But isn't it nice to pretend?

"She was bendable light: she shone around every corner of my day."

I got caught up in Spinelli's writing, his grasp of human nature, his romanticizing of the mundane. I think he really understands people and even loves the ridiculousness of them. I'll visit his other works in the future. show less

Stargirl isn't like Leo. Or anybody else in Mica for that matter. Completely unbound by any social rules, Stargirl is unique. She serenades people with her ukulele in the canteen on their birthdays, dances in the rain, carries her pet rat to school with her every day and cheers when the opposing team score. The other students, including Leo, aren't sure how to react, aren't even sure if she's real. But their shock turns to love, as Stargirl's kind heart shines through, and then to hatred as she is rejected for being herself completely. Leo loves her, but can he love her when she is shunned, ignored and despised for being different by the students of Mica Area High School? Can he love her, when by association he is equally rejected by show more the people he has grown up with?

Stargirl reminded me very much of Tim Lott's Fearless, which is one of my very favourite books. Jerry Spinelli's writing sparkles with life essence, as the extraordinary nature of an extraordinary girl captures a small town boy's heart, and my heart too. This is a book that will have you longing to do something different, to start a porcupine necktie collection, to dance in the rain and be true to who you are deep inside. An absorbing and moving story that encourages the reader to consider human nature, and how people react when threatened with something different, someone who isn't afraid to show who they are and to love without limits. A beautiful read. show less

We are taught from an early age to use our inner censor. That is, we are taught to hold back, to close up, to shun those things that different. We don’t question our routine and we certainly don’t think about breaking the mold. Every now and then, though, we wonder, or at least I do, what would happen if we just took off for the desert to watch the sunset, hugged a stranger who was clearly having a bad day or stood on the lunchroom table and sang at the top of our lungs.

We, of course, do not do this. Humans are inward beings, acting in accordance with the social constraints placed on us by our team mates, coworkers or fellow students, even ourselves. We are never too nice or too happy, never too outwardly emotive unless our sports show more team or politician is winning. We, by our nature of self preservation can not be kind to everyone because that does not further our sense of security in maintaining at least the second step above nothingness.

Jerry Spinelli captures these fears and dreams in Stargirl. His fictional Mica High School is in the middle of the Arizona desert and is about as full of life and color as its surroundings. No, this is not Stepford; no one is perfect, they are just all the same. They wander about from mediocre lunch conversation to average grades to a losing football team. They continue skimming the bottom until Stargirl appears.

Bright, eccentric, happy and adventurous, Stargirl takes the school from behind in a sneak attack. At first she is viewed as peripherally weird but is soon embraced as fun and exciting. She represents everything the students do not. She sings Happy Birthday to students she doesn’t know. She sends card to people she’s never met. She is inherently kind and thoughtful and full of exuberance. She is the Judeo-Christian “good” and the Buddhist path to enlightenment. She is the ephemeral moment in which we let go of our inhibitions, climb up on the picnic table and yell “I love you world and I’m not afraid to show it!”

Of course, there comes a moment when we realize that we have mounted said piece of furniture and look around. We realize that we are still within the confines of social mores and we clear our throat, apologize and scuttle down from the bench, running for cover. This is, inevitably what happens to Stargirl after her initial success has worn off.

Stargirl is a beautiful commentary on how we live according to ourselves and others. It is content-appropriate for middle schoolers but high schoolers and adults will undoubtedly embark on a deeper, more thought provoking journey. show less

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

Typical Suburban High School in Mica Arizona... Enter Stargirl, a homeschooled, free-spirit, do-gooder. She does not care what people think, actually I don't think she notices what people think, that is until Leo points it out. She is pondered, she is loved, she is hated. Bottom line she makes a difference. She walks around with her pet rat, her ukulele, and an intense kindness for others. She's not like anyone else, until she is....

It seems like most people have either given this 5 stars or 1 or 2, so I guess it's weird that I am so middle of the road on this one. But I just am. I didn't not like it, but I didn't love it. The message was cool. It's hard to be yourself, but it's worth it. I guess I just wanted more from Leo. I have show more higher standards for the character narrating the book. I don't feel like he ever had that breakthrough moment that he should've had. Why didn't he go into the dance and dance with her?!? That was crap.
It was a nice short read with a good message, but I just wish Leo had a little more backbone. He needed to accept her and realize that by him trying to change her, he was wrong, and I never truly felt that from him. I don't think I'll read [b:Love, Stargirl|846984|Love, Stargirl (Stargirl, #2)|Jerry Spinelli|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320395760s/846984.jpg|23288] because I really don't want to know her perspective of Leo, I think I've already made up my mind on him.

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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