I heard of this novel through another blogger who highly recommended the story, so I entered with high hopes. The story was whimsical and charming. Although it was a bit long, I finished it in a single Saturday.

In some ways, I feel like Spinelli was stretching a bit to make Stargirl as quirky as he possibly could. She carries a rat around on her shoulder, even at school. She paints freckles on her face. She dresses in homestead dresses and decorates her desk at school each day. She calls herself Stargirl, for crying out loud. But I did ultimately feel like Spinelli succeeded in creating a lovely character. Stargirl is incredibly kind; she sings Happy Birthday to every student at her school. She searches the newspapers every day for a chance to send cards to complete strangers.

I would recommend Stargirl if you want a charming, clean "first-love" story about a girl who simply doesn't fit in and a boy who wants to be normal.