My Review of Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

This was a great book. It didn't start off so great, but it eventually got better and I eventually began to love it.

Spinelli did a fantastic job with this book. It really tugged at my emotions throughout most of it.

I loved almost everything about the book. I loved Stargirl and her independence. I loved how she was not afraid to be different and was even willing to change for someone she loved just to make them happy. I loved the positive messages that could be taken away from the book. I loved the romance between Stargirl and Leo. It really made my heart flutter when I read about their first kiss. I also loved most of Leo's personality. I loved how he was willing to encourage her to continue being herself no matter what other people thought.

The one thing that I hated most about the book was how Leo tried to force Stargirl to be normal. He was not happy that no one was talking to him and he wanted to make her normal so that people would start talking to him. He didn't even consider how Stargirl might feel about having to change. He was basically going to leave her if she didn't change. That really made me angry. Also, I was also upset reading about how Leo was wanting to stand by Stargirl's side and encourage her to continue being her original self, but was too afraid to. He was afraid of being shunned and having no one talk to him. He was also afraid that people would judge him as well as Stargirl. That was the part of his character that irritated me most. If he truly loved her like she loved him, then he wouldn't have made her change. He wouldn't have even considered leaving her if she didn't become normal. He obviously didn't love her because in the end, he knows he lost out on a great girl and wonders if he will ever get another chance. Frankly, I hope he doesn't because he had his chance but he blew it big time. He should have let her be the way that she was instead of trying to make her more like everybody else. It was a horrible and rude thing to do to her, considering how much she was willing to do for him, even if it was something she really didn't want to do. He was a total jerk to her and he never deserved her in the first place. Personally, I am glad she took off and never came back. She didn't need the crap that everyone, including Leo, continued to dish out on her on a daily basis.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a touching story about a unique teenager's short experience in high school told through the eyes of someone she loves.