Stargirl is a novel by Jerry Spinelli, published in 2000. Set in Mica Area High School in Mica, Arizona, the novel follows the story of the sophomore Susan "Stargirl" Caraway, narrated from the perspective of junior Leo Borlock. Stargirl quickly proves herself the most unusual student to ever come to Mica High; she utterly shuns conformity, wearing peculiar clothes —Native American buckskin, 1920s flapper outfits— and refusing makeup, carrying around her pet rat, dancing in the rain, decorating her desk with a tablecloth and flower, singing "Happy Birthday" to absolutely everyone, and cheering for both teams at games. The school has no idea what to make of her. Meanwhile, Leo finds himself falling for her.
Stargirl is, after a time, accepted by the school, and other students begin mimicking her. Many break free from the conformity that had held the school before. This, however, does not last; during the basketball season, Stargirl's insistence on cheering for the other team as well angers her classmates, and she is eventually shunned by the school. The novel then follows Leo's conflict between his relationship with Stargirl, and the peer pressure of his classmates.
A sequel,
Love, Stargirl was released in 2007.
Not to be confused with the member of the
Justice Society of America by the same name.
This novel provides examples of the following tropes:
- All of the Other Reindeer: When Stargirl becomes a cheerleader, she cheers for both the Mica basketball team and the opposing team, which turns more or less everyone against her. The Mica team eventually loses to Glendale, and Stargirl is blamed and shunned amongst the student body. Since Leo hangs out with her, he's on the receiving end of the treatment as well.
- Alpha Bitch: Popular girl Hillari Kimble, sans the Girl Posse. Jennifer St. John may also qualify.
- Blithe Spirit: Stargirl.
- Book Ends: The book begins and finishes with Leo receiving a porcupine necktie for his birthday.
- Break the Cutie: Attempted. Stargirl is nothing but kind in both books, yet she still endures teasing from all her peers, to the point where she makes herself miserable trying to fit in.
- Cloudcuckoolander: At the beginning, most of Stargirl's classmates look at her as this.
- Cool Loser
- Closer to Earth: People like Stargirl are apparently more like this, but not in the traditional sense of the trope.
- Deconstruction: Of Manic Pixie Dream Girl / Blithe Spirit
- Distant Finale: The epilogue takes place 15 years later.
- First Installment Wins: The sequel is not as popular as the first book, probably because the first book is common reading material for elementary and middle school.
- A Friend in Need
- Hidden Depths: Stargirl can get a lot more depressed than you'd think she would.
- Karma Houdini: Hillari Kimble, ultimately.
- Mad Dreamer
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Stargirl, natch. Deconstructed in the sequel, which is told from her point-of-view.
- The Messiah: Stargirl.
- P.O.V. Boy, Poster Girl: Leo is the protagonist, but it's Stargirl who sets the plot going. In the sequel, Love, Stargirl, this is inverted.
- Teens Are Monsters: The only exceptions are Leo, Stargirl and Dori Dilson. Everyone else falls into one of two categories: mindless sheep or total douchebag.
- Stepford Smiler: Stargirl, of all people has a tendency to become a type A when she's sad.
- Strange Girl: Stargirl, obviously.
- Peer Pressure Makes You Evil
- The Power of Friendship
- You Dirty Rat: Averted with Cinnamon, Stargirl's adorable pet rat.
