Review - Stargirl (Stargirl, #1) by Jerry Spinelli

Title: Stargirl (Stargirl, #1)

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Publisher: Orchard Books

Release date: 7th April 2016

Blurb from NetGalley: 

Before ELEANOR AND PARK, there was STARGIRL. The seminal life-affirming YA novel celebrating first love and self-acceptance - now in a beautiful new edition for the next generation of readers.

She's as magical as the desert sky. As mysterious as her own name. Nobody knows who she is or where she's from. But everyone loves her for being different. And she captures Leo's heart with just one smile.

STARGIRL is a classic of our time that celebrates being true to ourselves and the thrill of first love. A life-changing read that touches souls of all ages.
 

 Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

-Contains minor spoilers-

 

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley*

Leo's life and school are turned upside down when Stargirl arrives.

Stargirl is unlike anyone Leo has ever met - she wears long skirts, plays a ukulele and has a pet rat.

Where did Stargirl come from?

Is Stargirl her real name?

Will her unusual ways be accepted by the other students?

I know a lot of people rave about this book but, as usual, I seem to go against the norm.

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this. Stargirl is pitched as YA, probably because the characters were around sixteen, but it felt more MG to me - mainly due to the writing style.

Leo was an okay protagonist but he wasn't really a big part of the story. I didn't like that he ignored Stargirl at times but I could understand why he did it - teenagers want to go through high school unnoticed and Stargirl went against that.

I had mixed feelings about Stargirl; I thought some of the things she did were nice and cute but others were a bit weird. Surely she wouldn't have been allowed to take a rat to school? She didn't exactly hide the fact that she had one.

One thing that bugged me was Stargirl's parents - she didn't know that you can't just turn up randomly to a stranger's funeral. Didn't her parents teach her anything when she was homeschooled? Did they just let her roam around town all day?

The plot was alright but I lost interest.

I liked the message in the book; that you shouldn't change yourself just to fit in. You should be yourself.

Overall this was an okay but disappointing read.