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5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, Aug 28 2007
This review is from: Love, Stargirl (Hardcover)
Fans of Jerry Spinelli's STARGIRL will jump and shout when they hear about the sequel, LOVE, STARGIRL.
This was not a book that I expected to have a sequel, but in true Jerry Spinelli tradition, Stargirl's story lives on.
Moving from Arizona to Pennsylvania has Stargirl missing the desert, the cactus, and especially Leo. Although she is not absolutely certain about their continued relationship, Stargirl uses her year-long letter to keep Leo up-to-date on the events of her new life. She doesn't ever anticipate sending the letter. In fact, she mentions that Leo will most likely only get to read it if she actually sees him again.
Filled with fantastic memories and new adventures, Spinelli will have readers falling in love with Stargirl all over again. Memories of the past will remind readers of her wonderful spirit, while her new neighborhoods offer great variety. There's cute and always curious Dootsie, who introduces herself as a "human bean." Dootsie takes Stargirl to meet Betty Lou, who fears anything beyond her trailer door. Then there's Charlie, who haunts the local cemetery and his late wife's grave. Alvina, the hot-head, and Perry, the thief, add further color to the cast of characters.
Stargirl's fascination with the changing seasons and the Winter Solstice take her to Enchanted Hill to plot her own personal calendar. It feels right and it offers a way to remember the past.
Stargirl's tale is tender and honest in its straightforward simplicity. Thank you to the author for bringing back this famous character.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
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31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
better than the first, Aug 14 2007
By Yumi - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Love, Stargirl (Hardcover)
how i've missed stargirl! i loved that she's not the typical girl. i loved that she doesn't care what others think of her. i envy that her mother homeschools her and sends her on interesting field trips. none of that changes in this book but we do get to know her better. the mystery falls away and reveals a girl who is just as vulnerable and confused about growing up as other girls her age. she wants what every girl wants: for the boy she loves to see her, really SEE her and love her entirely.
in a series of letters to leo, stargirl tells her own story. she befriends the people others would overlook or ignore. while some might think of her as a busybody, to the misunderstood, she is an angel. her best friend is a 6-year old, her favorite neighbor is an agoraphobic, and the boy she might be interested in is a thief. but in the center of it all, is her heartache for the boy in arizona. somehow, jerry spinelli makes all of this believable and creates characters you can't help but fall in love with. told simply, sometimes poetically, he brings us to calendar hill at the solstice, to the moment when she truly shines. if i wasn't reading in a public place, i may have let a few tears fall.
and the ending was perfect. a true stargirl ending.
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different from Stargirl...and Vive Le Difference!, Aug 27 2007
By Diane B. Wilkes "Diane Wilkes, Voracious Reader" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Love, Stargirl (Hardcover)
I found Stargirl in a bookstore and, for some reason, was intrigued enough to read a page or two. I had never read any of Jerry Spinelli's books before...but before I knew it, I was completely caught up in the story and read it from cover to cover before leaving the store.
It soon became a favorite of mine and a friend gave me a copy, which I have re-read several times. To me, it's a wonderfully inspiring story of individualism that young girls today need now more than ever, when presented with role models like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.
Just recently I discovered there was a sequel to this beloved book, and as several other reviewers have noted, it's quite different from Stargirl.
Not only has the narrator shifted from Leo to Stargirl, Stargirl shifts as well. We see her as less of a charming enigma and more of a vulnerable teenager who can't seem to get over her lost love. So she begins writing him a very long letter in daily journal form, and as she does, we see her find herself again as she develops healing relationships with an interesting cast of characters: an agoraphobe, a six year old girl, a man whose devotion to his late wife is all-consuming, and a potential replacement for Leo who has a harem and, possibly, a criminal record.
However, the original novel shows Stargirl's humanity and vulnerability or it would not have been believable. I disagree with the other reviewers who miss the enigma, because Stargirl's great triumph is that she is who she is in spite of--and because of--her humanity and vulnerability.
But I agree with the other reviews that say the ending is perfect. Indeed it is.
Both books inspire me. Both books made me very happy. I want to buy copies for every young woman I know and even every young woman I don't.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Skip the Sequel, July 16 2008
By John P. Price "jpprice" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Love, Stargirl (Hardcover)
I loved Stargirl, the first book, because it had a point, it taught us something about the way we treat each other, and the way we should treat each other. It challenged us to look beyond appearances and assumptions, to appreciate differences.
Love, Stargirl, has none of that depth. It is about Stargirl pining for her old boyfriend, a boy who really did not treat her well anyway. Yes, she does crazy things in a very Stargirl fashion, yes, she makes new friends, all of them on the fringe in their own way, but the book simply does not touch the reader in the same way as the first book.
Perhaps if, as one other reviewer seems to be, you are in love with Stargirl the character, not Stargirl the message, you will enjoy this book, because that is all it is, Stargirl the character, and her very typical teenage thoughts. However, if, like me, you appreciated the message that the character brought, then you can skip Love, Stargirl, because it's just not there.
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