Stargirl
By Jerry Spinelli
Sophie (Grade 9)
4.5/5
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is the book of my soul. After reading so many depressing books where all the main characters die, this one was a breath of fresh air.
This book is about a sophomore named Stargirl who moves to a high school in basically the middle of nowhere, where everyone conforms to acting a certain way. Everyone is shocked at her strange ways and can't believe she's a student. The story is told from Leo's perspective, who had learned to blend in to avoid being singled out and made fun of by the other students. Stargirl and Leo eventually become friends.
It sounds pretty uninteresting from the description, but trust me, there were so many layers of depth hidden between the lines. It was also pretty relatable to a teenager's everyday life. It has an honest view on being yourself and the pressure to be like everyone else. It opened my eyes to the reality of not caring about what others think of you.
I enjoyed reading about the wholesome things Stargirl does, which were always pretty unexpected. There were some moments of secondhand embarrassment at what she does, but it was refreshing to see a character so unashamed to be herself. It sounds cheesy, but it was great anyways.
My favourite part was when Leo had to choose between her and everyone else. I found it painfully true to the pull the world has on us. It's hard to be true to yourself when everything screams at you to act a certain way.
I learned a lot from this book, but the only thing I took negatively was the message at the end.
I wanted to be as unique as Stargirl, so I tried my very best to do strange things as she does. I cringe when I think back to then because I learned the hard way that being yourself doesn't only mean being different than everyone else. Blending in to please people is wrong, but standing out to boost your ego is wrong as well.
In the end, I learned that the best way to be yourself is not to give a crap about what everyone thinks. It's hard but possible.
Anyways, this book has taught me a lot about life, and it's worth reading if you're sick of your favourite characters dying.
Happy reading!