Customer Reviews

Stargirl

5 star:		(313)
4 star:		(107)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

Stargirl Caraway is an enigma. She's the type of girl that you either love or hate--with no room for any emotions in between. When she first comes to the high-school as a sophomore in small town Mica, Arizona, her name reverberates throughout the hallways. What kind of a name is Stargirl? Was she really home-schooled for all these years, or did she just magically appear in Mica? How can she seem so calm, so serene, while eating quietly alone in the crowded lunchroom, then strumming her ukulele as if all by herself ?

The boys in school are immediately struck by her quiet, unassuming beauty. The girls are both jealous of her innate naturalness and excited to have her enthusiasm in the school. For Leo Borlock, it's a mixture of fear and excitement that has him falling in love with the mysterious Stargirl--and a desire to see her on the Hot Seat, the in-school television show he runs with his best friend, Kevin.

The kids at school embrace Stargirl--her quirkiness, her individuality, her enthusiasm and exuberance for everything she does. She discovers friends and cheerleading, and she's popular. Popular, that is, until she starts rooting for the opposition, determined to bring joy and happiness to everyone, not just her home team. Suddenly, she's not the popular girl that everyone wants to be around. The same individuality that was once embraced is now snubbed, literally, by almost everyone in school. Except for Leo, who's in love with the enigmatic Stargirl, a girl who whole-heartedly loves him back.

Until Leo is forced to choose between the affections of an entire school full of classmates and the maybe too individual Stargirl. When faced with the choice of one person versus many, Leo might not be strong enough to make the right decision.

Jerry Spinelli has penned a book that goes straight to the heart of wanting to fit in, of sometimes being too good to believe, of life and love and heartbreak and the desire to be different, yet the same as everyone else. STARGIRL is a pure delight, and you won't be able to help being drawn into this very believable story, and its truly unbelievable characters.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

This is a great book to read. The beginning is kind of boring though. Who cares about the ties and stuff. All I can about is Stargirl. Somehow when you finish the book you will want more of it. It kind of feels like there's still more but it's not done.

Stargirl, with a name like that she would have to be an original and she is. No one at Mica High has ever met anyone so non-conformant to the group norm. Stargirl sings happy birthday to student in the cafeteria while playing her ukulele. She drops money on the sidewalk for little kids to find. She cheers for BOTH teams at sports tournaments. Can anyone this selfless and caring survive the pressure to "follow the unwritten school rules" of behavior? Will her individuality be squashed or will the town of Mica, Arizona never be the same?

Karen Woodworth-Roman

WOW! I got this book in a small book shop in an upstate town. It had an interesting cover and so i thought it would be interesting. I believe in the phrase "you cant judge a book by its cover". So i thought i would give it a shot. I read it in one day!!! I was shocked when i found out that it was narrorated by a boy. Usually girls narerate. Besides the point... It is a great book about how a boy falls in love with a girl who is not what everyone else is. When the whole school stops liking Stargirl, Leo is torn between stargirl and the school. It is a great book about how being different has its ups and its downs. It showed me that being different is something that everyone should try and that not following the croud is something that is not always a good thing. It tought me how to be different in a good way.

I'm not the biggest fan of Spinelli. Although he's a wonderfully artistic writer, his works usually depress me. He has changed my mind with his book, "Stargirl". Reading the book, I recognized the pressures for conformity not only from my high school days, but even now, during my lasT years of college. I both wanted to be and hated the character Stargirl. She's everything we SHOULD be, but never come close to becoming. I hope this book doesn't remain in the young adult circle, but spreads to the adult section as well. A winner.

STARGIRL is the story of an unusual outcast who brings peer resentment on herself by being the epitome of a nonconformist. Mica High isn't a "hotbed for nonconformity" so, as expected, her peers deem her strange. She dons kimonos and prarie ensembles. She laughs when there are no jokes and dances when there is no music. Her name is Stargirl. Stargirl Caraway. She could be an alien, a product of homeschooling, or the daughter of circus acrobats. Those are just a few of the theories of her peers.

Because when people don't know, they talk. When they don't know, they make up information of their own and pass it down the halls of typical high school.

And Leo Borlock is fascinated by her, which earns him the nickname of "Starboy." The story is narrated through his eyes. In typical Spinelli fashion, this is an ideal way to go about a YA novel. We come to understand his blossoming feelings for this nonconformist. Soon, everyone at Mica is drawn to her, just like he is. Her bright laughter is contagious and people marvel over her peer praise and undeniable charm. Stargirl becomes increasingly popular, even taking a spot on Mica's cheerleading squad.

But why does she cheer for the opposing team? Why does she run to help their injured athletes? Why does she attend the funerals of people she doesn't even know? Stagirl had been embraced for her differences - now the Mica population is reverting to their original state of resentment and misunderstanding of Stargirl. Popularity is a fragile, absurd thing.

Stargirl is ethereal and superhero-esque, extraordinarily confident and oblivious to how Mica students constantly shun her. Her beauty lies in how generous and loving she is, how she opens her heart to the world, despite the fact that her love is not always reciprocated. Readers come to wonder if a relationship between Leo and Stargirl will blossom more than it has, or quickly crumble. Leo must choose between his high school friends or Stargirl but he doesn't want to have to pick one commitment out of the former and latter. Either way, he cannot imagine his life empty of either choice.

This Spinelli novel was quite a shock, coming from the man who authored one of my favorite comedic coming-of-age books, CRASH. I read this when I was 14 and would recommend it for the 10-14 crowd but would also advise them not to expect doses of laughter, being this is a far cry from CRASH and THERE'S A HAIR IN MY TOOTHBRUSH. It wasn't humorous yet never tried to be. It had quite a few slow-moving pieces in the plot, making it somewhat tedious. Overall, however, it was a rather good effort for Spinelli, though I do prefer his humor, a la CRASH...

this book looked so simple when i first stumbled upon it, didnt even seem to be too pricey, yet, the moment i opened the first page, i was captured..
this book is seriously profoundly moving and opens your heart and mind to smaller pictures in life... it even tells of the hidden sixth sense some are gifted with..
If you're looking for a good reflecting book, something to think and reflect upon, this book is waiting to be shared with you.
Simple, yet so much more.. You'll be captured by Leo and Stargirl's honesty and the pureness of their hearts... Not to mention the classic fairytale of first love,even if it ain't always good :)

This book is now my favorite book in the whole entire world. It's funny, sad, happy and all feelings you can think of, they are all in this book. I especially loved the rat, Cinnamon, because I loved his personality. I totally recomend everyone to read this book because it's sooo great!!! Two-Thumbs-Up!!

Stargirl is a great book. I read it in one day. I think it's great that Stargirl goes to that school thats plain and boring, mostly like any school, and changes everyone. Also that Leo falls in love with her even thoguh shes really different. Also that Stargirl cheers for the other team at basketball games. But the Leo makes a bad decision and doesn't invite Stargirl to the dance and go with her. That's why Stargirl is one of the best books I've ever read.

Stargirl is a character who is obviously meant to be sweet and endearing. Her flaws are passed off as quirks.

Realistically, though, she is a pretty annoying character. And creepy too. She knows all the birthdays of everyone in her class. She takes pictures of neighbours while they aren't looking. While she is portrayed as more innocent and naive than disturbed, one can't help but feel the need to give her a shake.

Obviously, Spinelli intends this to be a fantasy of sorts. But I feel he betrays his message of treating "different" people with more respect by making his Stargirl character too "saintly" in personality. Everyone is flawed, even those who are "different". And all of them are never purely wholesome like Stargirl is.

Yet when Leo finally does get to know her, Stargirl seems to exhibit a mischievous and sarcastic side. She understands sarcasm, and she seems to know how Leo is feeling. He also finds she has a "pebble wagon" which measures how happy she is. If the wagon is nearly empty, she's sad. If it's almost full, she's happy. That's a great, honest scene right there. Spinelli has her become more realistic, which makes you wonder if her shenanigans really ARE an act. How can she be so perceptive and street-savvy around Leo but be totally naive about the feelings of everyone else? Personally I enjoyed the Stargirl-Leo moments much better than her school moments, which seemed to ring false to me.

Personally I buy the idea that Stargirl is more of a lonely and somewhat disturbed person needing to be someone else in public rather than the purely wholesome saint Spinelli wants her to be. Because it's quite obvious to me she is a different person when she is with Leo than when she is at school. She's both wiser AND quirkier around Leo than she is at school (where's she's just somewhat idiotic), and a much more likeable person too. I prefer the more mischievous Stargirl around Leo over the dense and overly saintly Stargirl in school.

That said, it's well written and is entertaining either way, even if I have strong disagreements with the author about Stargirl.