A charming little Star. (Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli)

Member Name: Napally

Product:	Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
Date:	06/06/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic characters, lovely plot, not expensive to buy new.

Disadvantages: Sometimes a little hard to follow.

Stargirl is a novel first published in 2000, written by Jerry Spinelli.

The plot revolves around the narrator, Leo Borlock. He is your average, conformist teenage; he doesn't want to be the centre of attention and is comfortable blending in with everyone else in his like-minded high school (Mica Area High School, Arizona, just in case you were wondering!) However, these feelings are soon turned on their head when Stargirl arrives at the school. She is non-conformist, compassionate and has no hatred for other people. Soon Leo develops a soft-spot for her and they start a relationship. It is at this point when the problems start and ultimately the book ends without a proper dénouement (but I won't spoil the ending!)

This book is beautifully written. It is easy to fall into the mind of Leo and you find yourself both empathising with him for some of the more troublesome situations in the book but also being frustrated with him for not accepting Stargirl as she is. Likewise, the eccentric character Stargirl is both frustrating but charming. She breaks the mould and rebels against the mind-numbing conformity that is so prevalent in the school but in a innocent, almost naïve way. Both Leo and Stargirl are likeable characters and it is easy to find yourself drawn into the narrative of the book because of these two.

However, the book also does touch on some more serious matters. Stargirl is bullied and shunned by the rest of the school for not being like everyone else; likewise, when Leo associates with her, he is ignored by the school. At some points, it really is a little uncomfortable to read but please don't let this put you off completely. There is light at the end of the tunnel J

At the moment, this book sells (for a new copy) as:

Amazon.co.uk- £4.19 exc. p&p
Play.com- £4.99 inc. p&p
Waterstones- £4.19 inc. p&p

So, as you can see, it is a cheap book and readily available online.

I would recommend this book for young adults (13+) simply because of some of the themes it discusses and for not always being completely easy to follow. It is charming and one of my favourites though so would definitely recommend it!

Summary: A wonderful book about non-conformity!