Review by Jill Williamson
Leo Borlock hears the rumors first. A new girl. Previously homeschooled. Weird. Even weirder: her name is Stargirl. Then he sees her. She looks like she’s wearing her grandma’s wedding dress, and she carries around a ukulele and serenades anyone unlucky enough to have a birthday.
Leo’s first goal: to get Stargirl to appear on the show Hot Seat, the in-school TV show that Leo produces and directs. But Stargirl doesn’t react like a normal student either. She doesn’t seem bothered by people who make fun of her, she cheers for both football teams—even when the home team is losing—and she wraps the school body around her finger. At first.
But then things start to go bad. People start to ignore her, shun her, and treat her horribly. Leo’s TV show goes so badly he can’t possibly air it, because he’s fallen in love with Stargirl. The only solution Leo can come up with is for Stargirl to be like everyone else. Be normal. But that could be the worst advice of all.
What a surprisingly fun story. I loved Stargirl’s confidence and love for everyone. She is a strong person who challenges other students to be who they want to be and not necessarily go with the flow all the time. Sometimes high school can feel like a prison. Students can feel like they have to act a certain way or face ridicule. Life isn’t meant to be lived that way, and Stargirl knows that. She does get hurt by it eventually, for let’s face it, no one can be more ruthless that a bunch of high schoolers set on bringing someone down. But Stargirl bounces back, I think, because she likes who she is and she realizes that restraint is not a bad thing. She can still be her loving self but not force it on others. Stargirl is not a Christian, and may practice New Age or some other meditative religion, so take that into consideration. But the moral of the story is fabulous and well worth reading.
Age Range: 12-16
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Part of a Series: there is a sequel
Pages: 186
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Released: 2004
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