(write this down, Leo: nothing is empty.)

love, stargirl
jerry spinelli
. . . . . . . . . . .

Her new best friend Dootsie is going to drive you insane. Eleven-year-old heavyweight champ Alvina just might put you off the book for good. But there's a certain hope in cemetery-dweller Charlie, or maybe even agoraphobic neighbor Betty Lou. And, okay, any Gilmore Girl fan will forgive new love interest Perry in a heartbeat---his cynical musings, unexplained absences and library leanings remind of a certain Jess Mariano. And Stargirl herself?

Stargirl's the same, though a bit older than before. Her unique perspective remains testament to Spinelli's imagination, and even if you could toss the others over your shoulder without a second glance, you hold onto Stargirl because she makes you feel a little bit better about yourself. She makes you feel like maybe you can be yourself and accepted. I mean, maybe you count in multiples of three, or perhaps you only sip pomegranate tea on Thursdays, but you certainly don't keep a rat in your pocket. Or make a spatula sundial. Or homeschool in Elements of Nothingness. Stargirl is just as wacky as ever---and in that we can take comfort in our own quirks and individuality.

Still, the writing is at times terribly forced and more often unbelievable. Stargirl might be a high school senior in the throes of emotional creativity, but her descriptions and ever-happy attitude wear thin. In a series of entries comprising the "longest letter ever", this sequel to Stargirl explores a life without Leo, asking, can you lose your favorite person without losing yourself? With a question like that to start off a story, you would expect the occasional misery, but Stargirl can't seem to pull that off. She makes note of the pebble imbalance in her Happy Wagon, but the emotion doesn't stick. She writes back-to-back entries in entirely opposite feeling, but it comes off as an act. Her words may read like poetry, but you can't help tossing a little reality into the mix and wondering, Really? No way.

Overall, Love, Stargirl is a sweet read about loving and letting go, with a few gems to pick up and keep close along the way. You'll adore the beginning, wade through the middle, and huzzah! in the end. As far as sequels go, this one's a-okay.

. . . . . . . . . . .

You occupied my space. But because you were not in my present, when I looked into my future I saw . . . nothing. Isn't that sad? And stupid?

first chapter here.