I wanted to give up on this book halfway through, but I'm glad I finished it. The pay off is pretty good, but it's not as good as Stargirl. I just never found myself that invested in the story.

 

(There's also a lot of talking about American Indians in the past tense.)

 

I'm going to read My Name is Mina next. It seems like a natural progression (both books are sequels released well after their first books and written from the girl's point of view).

About once a week, I go out to dinner by myself. I'm not a loner or anything (it's something I do before I go out to spend time with friends), but I enjoy having the time to myself. I usually bring a book with me, and it gives me an hour of (more or less) uninterrupted reading time.

Last night, the waitress who served me recognized the cover of the book I had with me. "Oh, Stargirl!" she said. "I loved that book!" I told her it was a sequel, and she asked, "Does it have Leo, too? Do you find out if they get back together?" I told her I had just started it, and I wasn't sure.

During my meal, she was careful not to interrupt me unless she thought I needed more drink or something like that. I appreciate that, and while I was there, I made it up to page 82. Then, I pulled my own Stargirl and left the book for her. I had no idea if I would be able to find another copy at the bookstore (it turned out I couldn't; not even the used bookstores had one in stock), but she seemed so excited about the book that I couldn't not leave it for her. No matter how much I would like the book, it couldn't possibly compare with how much she would like it. I like it when people get excited over books, and it's not something I see every day, so if I have the opportunity to spread that excitement a bit more, who was I to stand in the way of that?

I wound up getting an e-book copy so I could finish it without having to wait a few days to get one delivered to me. Stargirl might be the type to stop at page 82 and let the potential of the story be enough, but for me, I needed to answer the same question my waitress asked me: "Do you find out if they get back together?"

I loved this book just as much as I loved Stargirl. I thought it was a great addition that I waited a long time for. It was worth it.