Summary (Goodreads)- Narrated as 1991 diary/letters by depressed first-year high-schooler Charlie, counselled for fighting bully and for lost trauma memory, seven when "best friend" Aunt Helen died. Sister has secret abortion, he drives. Girl Sam drives pickup truck through tunnel for restorative screaming, standing like in film Titanic, gently awakens his virginal romantic dreams and body, shares drugs and Rocky Horror Picture Show. After pal Michael suicides, awake but non-responsive Charlie hospitalized, and horrifying memory surfaces for his restoration to health. Now a movie..
I really liked this book. I actually wanted to watch the movie, since Emma Watson is in it. Yeah, I'm a fan 'cause of Harry Potter..lol :P
Anyway, I then realised that it's also a book. I usually don't like reading a book after watching the movie, so I decided to read it first. And yeah, I wasn't disappointed. Being a teenager myself, I can
see some of the issues in this book happening in real life. Although I don't think it was actually said, I think that Charlie has autism. Which explains why he was so oblivious to many things, such as drugs or sex. At first I thought he was like 17 or 18, but then I found out he was 15! Oh wow, he's younger than me! It's kinda scary when I read about things he experienced such as being given drugs, going to parties, smoking etc. I just found myself thinking, does this actually happen to people around my age? Because I just can't imagine it happening to me. But then I guess because I read this book, it kinda warns me that there are many bad things in the world. We have to be careful who we hang out with, where we go etc. Like when Charlie never realised that the brownie given to him at the party was filled with drugs. And I can't believe his sister got pregnant! I know that happened to a lot of teenagers, but really why can't they be careful at the start? They only realise the consequences when it actually happened. I think it's sad, especially since Charlie's sister aborted the baby. I was just....speechless. I guess, I can never imagine taking a life, especially a baby, even though it was only a fetus.
I didn't give the book 5/5 because at parts..I was quite uncomfortable of reading it. Not that it's a bad writing or anything, it's just that the issues addressed are quite intense. It's like all the problem teenagers can have dumped into one book- drugs, pregnancy, parenthood, violence,smoking etc. It can be quite overwhelming all at once. The writing itself was very good. I loved the style of making it entries/letters. It was interesting and I could imagine Charlie writing it down, but I could also imagine the events happening. I don't know how to explain it, but it was just really cool.
I liked the characters too. They were very interesting, and had a lot of depth in their characteristics. Even extra characters had depth, not just randomly existing like in some books/stories. For example, Charlie's grandmother. I could understand how she must've felt being betrayed by the men that sheloves, being abused. I could imagine how her trust slowly wastes away until she gives up on men altogether. I could imagine how that somehows also happens to her daughters, as if it was inherited. It was sad, and I could understand that all from I think it was 1 or 2 entries. It was amazing, how developed all Chbosky's characters are. And of course, I love the main characters too. Charlie was just ....hard to define I guess. He was obviously socially immature, as what would happen with people suffering from autism. And yet, even though he probably doesn't realise it, he was also very mature in some levels. He can understand and notice things that most people probably won't. Although he might've not understand it, even the fact that he noticed these things were amazing. Like for example he noticed that his sister was abused by her boyfriend before their parents did. There were also many things in Charlie's life that would've brought him down, but he endured them and got back up. I really admired that characteristic of his. Especially the secret that was revealed at the end. Can you imagine that happening to a young kid? Someone who doesn't understand how wrong it is? I wasn't surprised that Charlie buried the memories. If that happened to me.....ugh, I'm just glad it didn't. And yet, Charlie was able to get up again at the end. Even though his life didn't become perfect, and it wasn't happily ever after, I think what's important is that he didn't give up. And well, he has his loving family and friends who would be there for him. Yup, I admired Charlie... ^^
One thing that was in the discussion at the end of the book was whether Charlie actually sent these letters or not. And whether it makes any difference if he didn't. I don't know if he did, there's actually a chance that he didn't. And yet, I don't think there's a difference. The point of it was that Charlie wrote down what he felt. It's like he poured down his feelings in his entries. That's much better than bottling it inside right? Besides that what I, and I'm sure many people, do. And just the fact that he wrote them down, was all that mattered.
Now, I REALLY want to watch the movie. I hope that it'll be really good as well. Although, books are always better than movies don't you agree? I really recommend this book to everyone. And not just teenagers either, even adults should read it I think.
And lastly, I end this review with an awesome quote from Charlie-
"things are good with me and even when they're not, they will be soon enough..."
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