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Stargirl: YA fiction for those who hate high school
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Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl is not new to the world of YA fiction. However, it is a book that all teens who find high school simply unbearable should consider reading. The story deals with the dangers of popularity, the lack of individuality in high school, and the pain of first love.
Stargirl is about a new girl in school, who has named herself Stargirl. She had been home-schooled and her introduction to the class structure and politics of the high school clique hierarchy is hard to read. A free spirit, Stargirl comes to school complete with her ukelele, and takes it upon herself to sing to every student on his or her birthday. She is invited to become a cheerleader, and she does so, but cheers when either team scores because she likes to make people feel good. She is nothing like anyone else at school, which is both her strength and her downfall.
The story of Stargirl is a less than subtle attack on the way adolescents favor people, only to tear them down as soon as they build them up, if they do not continue to please the masses. In the midst of Stargirl's rise and fall in high school popularity is Leo, the boy whom Stargirl loves. Leo falls for Stargirl, too, but he cannot come to terms with her disinterest in the way people look at her, and he is forced to choose between the girl and the group.
The ending of the book is painful. It is not painful in the sense that it is cruel or unreasonable, but simply in its honesty and the way it leaves the reader wishing there was another way it could end. This is a highly recommended read for all teens, and ideally everyone can learn a little in the process.
Score: 9/10
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