Past or Present (both, please?)

As you all know, life is busy. I mentioned to Karen that I had actually read a book a week for two weeks in a row, and she was presently surprised. The last couple weeks of summer were so busy that I didn’t have a chance to do much YA book reading. But, I’m getting back into the swing of reading a book a week; partially because I enjoy it, partially because it helps me become familiar with the collection which is part of my job, and partially because you guys will know if I don’t read a book a week.

The first book I read for my Book Blurt was Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, and I’ve wanted to read the companion novel Love, Stargirl, since then. But, I must warn you; if you haven’t read Stargirl then this book blurt will be something of a spoiler.

Stargirl was written entirely from Leo’s perspective, and the book ended with Stargirl vanishing off of the face of the earth. She was there one day and gone the next. This book picks up from Stargirl’s perspective, and tells her story after moving from Arizona. Since her high school experience wasn’t the greatest, her family thought it would be best if she was homeschooled again. She still has a pet rat, and still washes her mind by meditating. She also still has a knack for finding people who are just a little bit not normal to help out. This book introduces us to a young girl named Dootsie, a troubled tween named Alvina, and an agoraphobic middle aged lady named Betty Lou. This isn’t to mention Perry, the guy who she keeps running into even though she really doesn’t want to. But, something is missing for her, and his name is Leo. Stargirl has to decide if she is going to let her despair over losing Leo keep her happy wagon down on pebbles, or if she is going to live for today and not dwell in the past.

Love, Stargirl is written in the same quirky, down-to-earth, every-day-sort-of langauge that Stargirl was written in, and it is a wonderful continuation of the story. Just like the first novel, Stargirl’s oddness helps her reach out to the oddballs, and makes us wonder if we can do the same thing. The book also keeps you interested by mixing Stargirl’s love for the present with her love for Leo (who is in the past). Even though you want her to move past her heartache, you also can’t help hoping that someday in the future Leo and Stargirl will be reunited, and Leo will finally realize what a treasure Stargirl really is.