Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower


          As you heard in my video, this book took me around two months to read.  This was understandable because I was still in school and had to live through finals, but another aspect was because of the slow beginning I talked about in my review video.  It took a long time for the author to work up and create a back-up story for the ending.  That is the main reason for the missing star.  I've always been a fan of fast reads and this just wasn't one of them. 

          Concerning the ending though; it makes the book the bestseller it is.  Even though it takes so long to reach, the entire book is worth reading because of the epic ending.  It wraps the entire message and story in an impactful way that leaves you breathless through the pages. 

          Chbosky writes the story in journal form, which leads to the question: who is Charlie writing to?  Some people believe that he is actually writing to a person; however, personally, I would connect this to Anne Frank and who she addressed her journal entries to (If you don’t know it was ‘Kitty’).  No, it’s not an actual person that they write to, but it’s still something!  I feel the same way when I journal, and I’m sure anyone else who journals would agree.  It may not be a real person, but the satisfaction of writing it down feels the same as a true letter to someone.  What do you think?  Who do you think Charlie was writing to? Does it in the long run matter whom, or even if he is, writing to someone? Why or why not? 

          One way that I sympathize with Charlie is in his journey to find himself.  He really doesn't, until he’s able to let go of the destructiveness in his past.  Not only that, he has to realize that other people can’t have a part in his formation.  He has to put himself first!  He ultimately realizes this on page 200 when Sam says, “You can’t just sit there and put everybody’s lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love.  You just can’t.  You have to do things.”  As a person who has struggled with putting herself first, I completely agree with what Sam has said.

          This book probably deserves more than four stars because of its amazing impact and thoughtful development, but I honestly can’t give a book that made me take breaks from reading it a five.  I do recommend this book for anyone and everyone, though.  It really doesn't have a target audience, but I especially endorse this book for anyone who may have struggled or who is struggling with becoming their own person.  It’s a difficult task, but one that has to be done to live a happy life.


          Don’t forget to let me know in the comments your thoughts on the book!  Bring about any thoughtful questions that you want to arise, because I will always join-in on the discussion.



2 comments:

  1. Very nice book, completely fell in love with Charlie. People of all age groups can read this. I don't think older people would feel a disconnect with the content. It's sure to remind one of the teenage years and for those who are in their twenties, even they would connect with some of the philosophies outlined in the book. Thumbs up!

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    1. Thank you for the awesome comment! I agree with everything you said! It's definitely a book for all ages :D

      Thank you :)
      xoxo, Lizzy

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