7/15
The Book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
ISBN: 978-0671-02734-6
Suggested By: Mario Leal
Where: Home
When:12-12:30P
Music: None
Company: Alone
Pages: 188-213 (55)
The Lead In: Very disappointed with this book. Not sure how this will end but I bet there is a twist. All good books have them, all bad books have them. All books have a twist.
The 411 on the 55: After the graduation, Charlie goes over to Sam’s house and they end up messing around. Sam goes “into his pants” and he freaks out and stops it from going further, but he isn’t sure why. Everyone is confused by the whole thing...until the epilogue.
Throughout the book, Charlie talks about how much he loves his Aunt Helen. Well, apparently she was sexually abusing him. But now Charlie is all better and the book closes with him headed to school, minus all his friends, but ready to face the world, well-adjusted.
The 20/20: If I had to say something nice about this story, I would praise the cover. Other than that.... the plot is a little unbelievable. Why are all these seniors hanging out with a freshman? He’s 14, Sam is 18+ and she still wants to mess around with him? All the references in the book feel forced, including the issues: drugs, abortion, sex, etc. It reads like a self-help book for teenagers. But not just any self-help book, a cool self-help book, with hip references to all the bands you love. Screw it.
Line of the Day: “It’s like all I can do is keep writing this gibberish to keep from breaking apart.” pg 205
Fact on the Fiction: Ladies and Gents, A photo of the last two pages of this book will show what I am talking about...
I don't know, dude. I think it's kinda unfair for a 30 year old man to read a book for teenagers and condemn it for being for teenagers.
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The Perks of Being A Wallflower is one of those books I purposely avoided because of the people I knew who read it. Thanks for validating my "cooler than the cool kids" decision making. Novels for teens should get by on their own merit without mentioning bands or current issues. I liked the Chocolate War and The Outsiders when I read them in high school.
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