Love, Stargirl- Book Review

My review of Love, Stargirl, the companion book to Stargirl. Hope you enjoy. :)

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Sequel to Stargirl

Realistic Fiction/Romance

288 pages

**** (four stars)

    Through a yearlong letter to her former boyfriend, Leo, Stargirl reflects on her experience at Mica High and her new life in Pennsylvania. At her new home, she befriends her new, strange neighbors and finds herself drawn towards the nonchalant Perry Delloplane. As Stargirl struggles to find herself again, she thinks about Leo and tries to sort out her feelings for both him, and the strange delinquent, Perry, whom she finds herself oddly curious about. With new and old characters from Stargirl, this companion book allows us to follow Stargirl along her journey.

    "When a stargirl cries, she sheds not tears but light." (p. 182). This quote from Stargirl takes on a new meaning in Love, Stargirl. As a character in this book, Stargirl went through major changes. She lost her confidence and this quote didn't seem as true anymore as Stargirl lost what made her so special. However, throughout the book Stargirl transformed again to her refreshingly eccentric self, and these developments made me feel more invested in the story. I liked the format of the book as well, as they were organized in simple journal entries that made it easy to read and understand when it took place. Because of this, I was able to get through the book quickly, but I actually enjoyed it more than the first book, which is somewhat surprising. This book seemed to have more depth, and I liked Stargirl as a narrator better, though I did miss Leo's physical presence in the book. However, I was disappointed in Stargirl at first because she transformed from this unique, amazing character to an average teenage girl. I think Spinelli chose to write this from Stargirl's perspective to both reveal more about her character and way of thinking, and how she changed after meeting Leo. I admired how Stargirl rediscovered herself and realized she never had to change who she was, which was the theme of the book. Love, Stargirl inspired me to recognize and appreciate the little things that make our life special.