I finished my first book of 2012 last night, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky, which means I'm one step closer to achieving my goal of reading 25+ books this year - and I can cross one off my list which makes me feel so good!
I have mixed feelings about this book. I can't decide whether I loved it or I hated it but one thing I do know is that it's not what I expected! I initially wanted to read this book because the movie is due out sometime this year (it has Kate Walsh in it so I must watch it!) and then sooooo many people said how much they'd enjoyed reading it and how I should definitely give it a go so that's exactly what I did.
The book is about a high-school freshman named Charlie who describes various situations and aspects of his life through written letters to an anonymous person who he has never met or spoken to personally. Charlie is an intelligent but unpopular teenager who is considered the 'wallflower' in the book and he discusses various things such as drug use, abortion, suicide, literature, mix tapes and relationships. This book definitely doesn't leave you feeling happy, in fact it's rather a depressing book to be honest hinting at some pretty intense things.
The book is written entirely through letters starting with 'Dear friend' and ending with 'Love always, Charlie'; which is what left me with mixed opinions. I find it hard to get my head around the fact that he is writing to a complete stranger about every aspect of his life and the way each letter is written with incorrect grammar doesn't really make sense considering he is supposed to be a talented young writer. Maybe it's just me who's picked up on this but it actually really annoyed me throughout.
On the plus side though I did enjoy reading the book as a whole and found myself not wanting to put it down. I thought the characters were explored in depth well and the references to classic books, music and The Rocky Horror Picture Show really did leave me intrigued about Charlie as a character and his 'infinite' wallflower existence. I also like the cover - stupid reason for liking a book I know but a cover can say a lot about a book...I know I know, never judge a book by its cover but sometimes, in fact most times, I do...
One question that I still haven't been able to answer yet though is; what is the perk of being a wallflower? Charlie is obviously the wallflower of the story but he doesn't seem to enjoy being the way he is and I can't see any perks to his life to be truthful. He sits back and observes life and others around him and although he questions things, he later just goes with what he is told...am I missing the whole point?
One question that I still haven't been able to answer yet though is; what is the perk of being a wallflower? Charlie is obviously the wallflower of the story but he doesn't seem to enjoy being the way he is and I can't see any perks to his life to be truthful. He sits back and observes life and others around him and although he questions things, he later just goes with what he is told...am I missing the whole point?
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a slow paced, easy read type of book which is relatable, but if you want an uplifting read then this may not be for you. It took me a while to get into it so if you do decide to read it, give it a chance before you judge it...
Let me know what your thoughts are of this book. Did you enjoy it?
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