This book has been mentioned on this blog now several times. Well, I finished it last night...mostly because I want my life to be difficult and thought finishing this book would be worth only getting four hours of sleep. I was wrong.
Now, it wasn't a bad book. It was well written and it was keeping me happy far past the point of no return (ie: that ominous chapter just past the middle of a book where if you reach it you HAVE to finish reading no matter how you actually feel about the book. Sometimes reaching this point is worth your while, other times it leads to you feeling hollow and frustrated). However, once I surpassed the point of no return things went down hill from my perspective. Here are some of my questions/concerns:
1. WHY was it okay for Stargirl to become Susan? I know she changed back but not for the right reason; not because Leo wanted her to.
2. WHY didn't Leo ever SAY ANYTHING?! If he really loved her or even just liked her and if he was happy hanging out with her WHY did he not only allow, but encourage her to be Susan? WHY didn't he take her to the ball? I know he was only 16, but frankly, he's a coward and I really liked him before all that. I kept expecting him to turn around and stand up for Stargirl; stand up for himself even! Especially after the oratorical contest. She was SO excited and had a right to be and he was SO proud of her UNTIL they arrived home. I kept thinking "do something, Leo!" "say something, LEO!". Maybe this just isn't that type of book.
I loved the character of Stargirl with her pet rat and sunflower bag - even when she was trying to be "normal" she was great. The idea that such a person could exist is uplifting - even if she only exists in the world of fiction. So, overall I liked this book...not LOVED, just liked. I wanted Leo to be a better person, but such is life. The book is worth it, though, if only for the part when Leo realizes he loves Stargirl. It's sweet and real and funny.
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You know, this is mostly how I felt through the whole book. I was actually very upset as I finished it and didn't like it much at all--it was only the last sentence, where you find out that he gets the tie for his birthday, that I decided I like it, and that's because I choose to believe that they get together after the book ends. (It doesn't specify otherwise, so why not?) I also liked Leo a lot until all that happened, and then I thought wow... you do not deserve her. And you are a jerk. Sixteen or not, he is a coward. But you know what, sometimes people screw things up. Sometimes things just don't work out the way they could have because we were too dumb to see what we had to do. But for me there was that little bit of redemption at the very, very end that made it better.
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