Great books are not in short supply in our world. Great books that touch the deepest part of our souls…? Well, I can’t really speak for the world. I didn’t do my research. But I do know that finding that great and meaningful book can be merited as a great accomplishment in one’s life.
I discovered Jerry Spinelli’s masterpiece, Stargirl, when I was in my third year of university. Past the young adult bracket, I defied categories and labels and read the book. After the first chapter, I devoured it. It was that amazing.
The book was named after the heroine Stargirl Caraway. She’s this out-of-the-box, crazy, weird, unreal girl who escapes all definitions. Her new schoolmates at Mica High School, Arizona couldn’t quite figure her out. They even went so far as to call her “a plant by the school administration to promote school spirit.” But really, she was just a girl who has discovered that there is something beyond herself and the world we lived in.
Leo Borlock, a student at Mica High, was fascinated by Stargirl. He wanted to know what went on in her head. He got close to her and got to know her, alright. But he wasn’t prepared for Stargirl. She was too different. He couldn’t fathom the way she thought, acted, and felt. She did good things that people wouldn’t normally do like not keeping change, or remembering strangers’ birthdays, or leaving anonymous gifts. She meditated. She had a pet mouse. She wore the weirdest, most outdated clothes.
She was not one of us.
Like Leo, I was fascinated by Stargirl’s character. She was, and is, definitely the most refreshing character I’ve ever encountered in the world of fiction. The book itself was also wonderful. The story was well thought of and the narration was flawless. The other characters were crafted quite well; they had their own story to tell. But their stories didn’t overshadow Stargirl’s story. Rather, they complemented and highlighted.
As a proof of the book’s well written content, one will find numerous quotes and quotable lines inside. They range from the funny to the sad to the enraging. Let’s not forget the individual and personal lessons that can be picked up and learned from the story. The book also promotes, as I see it, individualism, nonconformity, and spirituality.
I’ve read the book over and over again but I still find myself learning something from it over and over again. I can say that opening myself up to this book is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.
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