BOOK review
Started on: 16.December.2011
Finished on: 19.December.2011
finished reading yesterday :) i guess it took me quite a long time to finish this; considering the book is not very thick. i've had a lot to do this week and been very busy :( but everytime i had a chance to open this book to read, i find myself difficult to stop. for me, this book is written very well by the auhor :) he makes me feel that i really know Charlie as a friend, not only a stranger. reading this also feels like receiving the letter filled with daily life stories full of emotions from Charlie; the wallflower.
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this book is a book full of letters. letters from Charlie written to an unknown person who he thought will want to listen and understand him. Charlie then tells his story, his life - going through adolescence. we don't even know if Charlie is his real name, because he doesn't want this anonymous friend to know or find him.
the story begins on August 25, 1991 (as written in the first letter). Charlie who's a freshman in highschool, begins by telling how his only friend, Michael, died of suicide; and he was left alone in highschool without friends. and then he met Sam and Patrick. Sam is a beautiful senior in highschool, who became Charlie's crush instantly; while Patrick is her gay step-brother. along with Sam and Patrick, then Charlie discovers many things he did not know before. the story discusses various topics that almost every teenagers gone through; such as knowing about drugs and alcohol, learning about sexuality, having new friends, family relationships, and about life.
Charlie was being called a wallflower by Patrick, because he sees things, and he keeps quiet about it. such as when he saw her sister's boyfriend hit her; saw two teenagers having sex in his bedroom, knew the relationship between Patrick and his boyfriend Brad, his sister being pregnant, and many more.
but he just watched and observe things, understanding without participating.
the letters kept coming for one year. Charlie tells the story how the people in his life encourage him to "participate" in things and doing the things he wanted to do; not what other people want. the readers then will know and understand his feelings about everything, and what he learns through all that he experienced.
for me personally, this book is definitely a coming-of-age story. the whole story is very enjoyable to read, and without any clear plot the letters feels very realistic. i definitely feel like Charlie was writing the letters to me, and i'm reading the story of his life. the one thing that makes me keep raising my eyebrows is how often Charlie cry. i think he's a very emotional about everything (which sometimes i don't understand). but Charlie is still a lovable character, because i think he's very straightforward and sometimes blunt. and after finished reading the book, i feel like i've had Charlie as a friend. because he tells me everything, even the things he didn't say to his parents or his new friends. reading his last letter in the book, makes me feel slightly sad, like saying-goodbye to a good friend.
there are some quotes by Charlie in the book that appeal to me (the third and last one are my favorites!)
i also love the dark poem read by Charlie, written by anonymous, but it's pretty long, so i won't add it in here.
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and here's the guy who will play as Charlie in the movie! Logan Lerman! i just found out that he was actually Percy Jackson in the Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief movie.
and Emma Watson will be playing as Sam. both of them looks cute ;)
4/5 stars
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"He's a wallflower." .... "You see things. You keep quiet about them, and you understand."
this book is a book full of letters. letters from Charlie written to an unknown person who he thought will want to listen and understand him. Charlie then tells his story, his life - going through adolescence. we don't even know if Charlie is his real name, because he doesn't want this anonymous friend to know or find him.
the story begins on August 25, 1991 (as written in the first letter). Charlie who's a freshman in highschool, begins by telling how his only friend, Michael, died of suicide; and he was left alone in highschool without friends. and then he met Sam and Patrick. Sam is a beautiful senior in highschool, who became Charlie's crush instantly; while Patrick is her gay step-brother. along with Sam and Patrick, then Charlie discovers many things he did not know before. the story discusses various topics that almost every teenagers gone through; such as knowing about drugs and alcohol, learning about sexuality, having new friends, family relationships, and about life.
Charlie was being called a wallflower by Patrick, because he sees things, and he keeps quiet about it. such as when he saw her sister's boyfriend hit her; saw two teenagers having sex in his bedroom, knew the relationship between Patrick and his boyfriend Brad, his sister being pregnant, and many more.
but he just watched and observe things, understanding without participating.
the letters kept coming for one year. Charlie tells the story how the people in his life encourage him to "participate" in things and doing the things he wanted to do; not what other people want. the readers then will know and understand his feelings about everything, and what he learns through all that he experienced.
for me personally, this book is definitely a coming-of-age story. the whole story is very enjoyable to read, and without any clear plot the letters feels very realistic. i definitely feel like Charlie was writing the letters to me, and i'm reading the story of his life. the one thing that makes me keep raising my eyebrows is how often Charlie cry. i think he's a very emotional about everything (which sometimes i don't understand). but Charlie is still a lovable character, because i think he's very straightforward and sometimes blunt. and after finished reading the book, i feel like i've had Charlie as a friend. because he tells me everything, even the things he didn't say to his parents or his new friends. reading his last letter in the book, makes me feel slightly sad, like saying-goodbye to a good friend.
there are some quotes by Charlie in the book that appeal to me (the third and last one are my favorites!)
"It still dawned on me that if Michael were still around, Susan probably wouldn't be "going out" with him anymore. Not because she's a bad person or shallow or mean. But because things change. And friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody. " (p .145)
"I just don't want you to worry about me, or think that you've met me, or waste your time anymore. I'm so sorry that I wasted your time because you really do mean a lot to me and I hope you have a very nice life because I really think you deserve it. I really do. I hope you do, too. Okay, then. Goodbye." (p .206)
"I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have. Good and bad.... Like Sam said. Because it's okay to feel things. And be who you are about them." (p .211)
"So, if this does end up being my last letter, please believe that things are good with me, and even when they're not, they will be soon enough. And I will believe the same about you."
i also love the dark poem read by Charlie, written by anonymous, but it's pretty long, so i won't add it in here.
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and here's the guy who will play as Charlie in the movie! Logan Lerman! i just found out that he was actually Percy Jackson in the Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief movie.
and Emma Watson will be playing as Sam. both of them looks cute ;)
i can't wait for the movie to be released in 2012! :) will write the movie adaptation review when i get the chance to see it! ;) bye for now !
by.stefaniesugia♥
Huaaa i like the third quotes too.. This book is definitely tempting.. *evil grin*
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