Book Review: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Book Review: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

"Many girls have been romanced under the moon, and I don't mean to say moonlight is overrated, but few I think have known the magic of a sunrise kiss."

Title: Love , Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers on 14th of August 2007 (first published on January 1st of the same year.
Series: Stargirl #2
Genre: Young Adult, Children, Contemporary, Romance
Setting: Pennsylvania
Format: Ebook, 288 pages
My Copy Source: Internet

Following Stargirl's adventures from when she left Mica highschool all of a sudden to her new life in Pennsylvania where she was back to homeschooling. In this sequel, she meets new people, a new bestfriend and a potential new boyfriend.

This book was dubbed as the world's longest letter where we see a brand new story now in the eyes of Stargirl, whereas in the prequel, we heard Leo Borlock's POV.

Stargirl writes letters to Leo everyday in which she's still debating whether to send it or not but still she continues to write everyday and it served as her journal for her journey. She was devastated to the point of losing pebbles in her wagon everyday. She contemplates on a lot of things as she misses Leo everyday.

Now, I was stunned. Though I liked the first one a little more than this, but it doesn't make me love this less. There were two  different Stargirls that I have met. The first one being the sure and confident one, and doesn't care what others have to say as long as she is herself (although somewhere in the middle, she's lead astray, she still managed to get back to being Stargirl, the quirky and weird one). The second one, which I had the pleasure to meet, was another story. She's the unsure and the unhappy one, although she still managed to keep the sadness to herself to show the world a happy and cheerful facade that some might hate and some might adore.

In this book, I saw the vulnerable side of Stargirl, whereas in the first one, in Leo's POV, she's everything that the second book's Stargirl is not. I also met new people in Stargirl's life that I came to love, especially Dootsie, the spoiled but adorable kid (that I sometimes want to grab in the hair) and Charlie, the oh so loving husband who never leaves Grace's side even she's already lying in a tombstone and other characters that I adored like Alvina and Perry, and let's not forget Betty Lou, the woman who never left the comfort of her home (Just like in one of Spongebob's episode).

I can blab as much as I want here but all I can say is, this is even more magical than the first book. If you think Stargirl is MAGICAL, I dare you to try reading Love, Stargirl and you'll probably be "pfft-ing" the bunny hop at the Ocotillo ball. It is so far the most magical ending that I want to witness in real life. And I can also say that it's not only the ending that's magical, it's all of what she's done, experienced and seen. It's the night blooming Cereus and the mockingbird and the Thursday trips and all sorts of unconventional. (I am actually referring to a different kind of magic because this book is different than the first one.)

So I'm just gonna go back to my first-few-pages-impression of this book. I wasn't actually thrilled when I read the first few pages of it because I never thought Stargirl could be such a person, or a human for that matter. I thought her magical and rare but in this book, as I have said earlier, although she is still the kindest person in the universe, she is just a normal person who can be unhappy to the point of zero pebbles in her happy wagon. But the thing is, I witnessed the other side of her and I understood that even someone like her could still feel pain (though I already know that!). It's like she undressed herself and left her mystery and magic somewhere to be a real person. And I liked that, I liked knowing what's deep in her heart and what's buried in her thoughts and this book gave me that.

The first one may be different because it's how other people see Stargirl but this book is where you unravel a girl who is loved then hated then missed by people who once knew her. This book is not about her magic because it's about herself, so I'm sorry to the people who hated this one, but I really do think that finding the magic again is not the key to loving this book. It's about walking with her as she become more and more unsure and less and less confident but trying to seek answers just like a child who is contemplating so hard and in the end finds the answers to her never-ending questions and you'll finally see the real magic of Stargirl.

I am really hoping that there is another sequel. I want to know if Stargirl and Leo will be together, or just what happens next after Pennsylvania? I hope they will also make a movie. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

"I liked knowing what's deep in her heart and what's buried in her thoughts and this book gave me that."

Book Review: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Book Review: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Monday, January 12, 2015

"And... I see. I hear. But not with eyes and ears. I'm not outside my world anymore and I'm not really inside it either. The thing is, there's no difference anymore between me and the universe. The boundary is gone. I am me and it is me. I am a stone, a cactus thorn. I am rain." She smiled dreamily. "I like that most of all, being rain."

Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Published by: Scholastic on September 2002
Series: Stargirl #1
Genre: Young Adult, Children, Contemporary, Romance
Setting: Arizona
Format: Ebook, 149 pages
My Copy Source: Internet

Stargirl is not your typical type of girl. She's not the bitch-y type and she's not the school girl type either. She's neither anything that you can think of when you think of girl types. She's beyond words, beyond any stereotypical girls you may know from anywhere.

She's home-schooled for fifteen years and doesn't have an idea of what people normally does. That explains why she's different, but doesn't hinder her either to show who she really is.

Then she met Leo Borlock. He was fascinated by this weird girl and he learned her ways. But at some point, not everybody can accept her and Leo was faced with a decision: stand by her or stand by them. 

I haven't been a reader long enough to leaf through every pages of books ever written but I can tell you I love the ones that make me cry. Especially when I still cry even when I'm just retelling the story to other people.

My sister is not an avid reader and I never stop convincing her to try and do so, that's why I'm very fond of retelling my recent book adventures with her. But I tell you, I only tell those stories that I like so it means that if my sister knew that book, I must have loved it well enough that I have told her the story after I finished it.

As I have been blabbing just seconds ago, I told my sister about Stargirl and how she is like this and like that while recounting her weirdness and adventures and I was crying while telling her pieces of what I could still remember. I may not have cried buckets like I did in Allegiant (Veronica Roth's 3rd installment of Divergent Trilogy) but the tears I've cried for Stargirl is pure heartache and just... heartache.

Stargirl is different, she's magical and at first I don't want to believe that she's real, just like the students from her school, who made up stories as to who she really is. They can't grasp the idea of someone being different from them so they thought she's an alien or whatsoever. And as much as I wanted to scream at them, I knew how they felt. I knew that if we all live in the same situation as them, we would all be weirded out by the girl who has a pet rat, sings and dance with a ukulele around the cafeteria and cheers every basketball team who scores the point even if it is the opponent. It's just hard for us to accept something different because we are all scared to be on a different side of everything that is the same.

I love how this book was written. It makes my imagination twirl around every word and every movement of Stargirl makes me want to crawl into the book and join her in her adventures, and dance numbers and just everything that she does. This book is written simply, the words are just there to tickle our imagination but it is truly compelling and magical that at some point you may wonder what comes next, Stargirl? What other unusual thing are you gonna show us? Yet we are still surprised by her compassion for everything that we're afraid to do because no one will accept it. We are still in awe that she can surprise us with things that she does for other people.

It's everything that she is that is the child in all of us. And at some point, we all want to change a person just so they can fit our expectation of a friend or a lover, but somehow changing a person erases who he/she really is. All of us are the people behind Leo and somehow, while reading this book, we all secretly want to be Stargirl. The girl who showed the world that she can be who she wants, she can try to be who everybody wants but in the end would still love to be the girl that she really was and really is. We all want to and you'll know what I mean after reading this book.


This book is about individuality that we are yet to discover within ourselves. I think the book invites us to be better and hope that somewhere out there, kindness still exists in all of our hearts. It teaches us that happiness doesn't just come from the things that come through our doors, but rather, it comes from the ones that we offer on the hands of other people. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you should. I'm off to read the next one called Love, Stargirl and I hope it's as promising as this one.

"We always say we love to be unique but we can never really accept something that is different from what we normally are."

My January Reading List

My January Reading List

Saturday, January 10, 2015

My January reading list came in a bit late because I just started this blog this 2015 and I really don't have the luxury of time since coming back from the holiday season that's why I haven't prepared the list. Although this list was only published this almost mid-January only, I have already finished reading one book and already started reading three from the list.

As you can see, I have two classics in my reading list and I admit that I won't be able to finish them by the end of the month. Reading classics are not an easy read since I'm not really good with the language and I always have to have a dictionary whenever my nose is on it. Anyway, even though I won't be able to finish it, I will continue to read it until I finish the two classic in my bookshelf. You know why? It's my resolution to read those great literary works and really, I am having fun with their language and lifestyle in the old eras especially the Vicforian one where etiquette are really distinct in men and women.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli


I've already finished this book and I'm already looking forward to the Love, Stargirl. My review will be up this next week.

I was intrigued by the title, really, that's why I decided to read it and besides, I heard Stargirl from my friends and I got curious. Like, "who's Stargirl? Did she came from the stars?" And you know, just hearing the name can really pique one's interest.

Not only the title, though. The book cover was very simple but eye-catching. Not grand like others but simple enough to catch your attention.

 Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli


Since I've loved the first book, I have decided that I should continue to read the next one. And besides, I have this habit of finishing every book in a series because I think that's what they're meant to, right? To be read right after the last one.

I think this would be more interesting and I'm excited that this would be in Stargirl's POV. I would be invited in her head!!! *squeals*

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern


Before I watch the movie, I want to finish the book first.

This book recounts all conversations between Rosie and Alex, and their families and friends, too. I wanted to see if in the end, they would still find their way back even after every mishaps that had transpired in each of their lives.

This was not the cover from my copy
but it's just too gorgeous and I love it

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen


I loved the movie and I wanted to read the book too. Mr. Darcy is all that I can think of, you know.

I'm currently obsessing in old-eras which I'm not really familiar with except that they wear long dresses and go to balls and converse intelligently with sophisticated men.

I want to know more about their ways and lifestyle and I'm starting right here.

This is also not my book cover but
I wish I'd have these fancy covers.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë


I first heard the book from Twilight and at that time, I never thought I'd try to read it. But now I decided I'll give it a try.

I hope it will not bore me like Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) did. Not that it's from her but still, impressions, right? For me, it bears the same name. Ugh, silly me, I shouldn't!








Credits to all the photo owners.
Got them from Pinterest.