LokiGirl 11/09/2012This is a different book and, even though I’m not really sure what I was expecting, I can say that this wasn’t it. In honor of this rare occasion, I’ll do a different review as well. For those who are reading this review in hopes to read this book, I’ll give a little taste of what to expect of it. I’m pretty sure this won’t be much difference, cose this book is a surprise no matter what you expect.
Reviewed on 06/25/2012.
Dear Friend,
I’m writing to you so I can share something I think is just too special for me to keep it to myself. I just read a book called The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
I know, I know, it doesn’t sound so great and the cover is really dorky, but sometimes a dorky cover can hide a really cool story. The story is about this guy named Charlie.
He is really shy and doesn’t have many friends, so I was really happy for him when he told me he had made some new friends.
People often say they are happy for other people’s happiness without meaning it, but I totally do. So, Charlie meets Patrick who is really outgoing and knows a lot of stuff. He is fun and has a really great laugh that makes you want to laugh with him, because he is so happy that his happiness leaks and reaches everyone around him.
Charlie also meets Sam. She is so cool and pretty, but in an honest kind of way. You don’t know what kind of pretty is this? Well, is like this, she doesn’t cover every inch of her face in heavy makeup and when she smiles she really smiles. Not that kind of smile that looks like is painful because is so stretched, or the kind that makes you uncomfortable because is creepy.
The best thing about them is that they are the coolest people Charlie knows and still, they make him feel welcome and they really get to know him, like I did.
I wish I could say that this story is about Charlie making friends and being happy all the time, but that would be a lie. He does tell some really happy and funny stories, but also some really sad ones.
I wish I could’ve done more for him than just listen to him tell me his stories and his experiences in life. I wish I could’ve talk to him back and tried to give him advises about what he was telling me. And sometimes I wish I could punch someone for making him feel so sad, but I guess that wouldn’t help him much, would it? Well, I guess not.
Charlie loves to read and makes mix tapes. A mix tape, if you don’t know what it is yet, is a tape where you pick up a selection of songs with a purpose. It can be mix of happy songs like: Road Trip Mix Tape, Going To The Beach Mix Tape, Happy Birthday Mix tape, etc. Or it also can be a mix of sad songs like: I Just Got Dump Mix Tape. It can really be anything you want it to be.
Charlie gives the best music and book recommendations and when he talks about the songs, the meaning behind it and how he feels when he listen to it is really moving.
This is really a great story and I was so happy to meet Charlie and hear him talk about his life, family and friends. I cried with him, got mad with him and for him, got sad and confused, but I also felt happiness and laughed with him.
If you are reading this review in hopes to see if this book is all what everyone says it is, I’m not sure this review will help you, because I have no idea what you think this book is, but you’re probably wrong. I can’t tell you what this book is, because for me or anyone else to try to explain how it felt to listen to this book (I listened to the audio) is like trying to explain to a blind what the sky looks like. I can tell you this book is about a teenager that had some really deep problems and keeps writing to someone about them and what happens in his life like writing to a diary. That would be accurate and it’s what this book shows, just like if you tell the sky is blue.
That fact is not the heart of this book, is just the outlines. What makes something special is how it makes you feel. Just like I felt sucked in by the writing and the audio record. Connected to a fictional character to the point of seeing trough his eyes and feel like I’m part of the story too. While I listened to the book I was the one Charlie was talking with, I was his friend and that feeling of belonging, of being part of something, is what made me love this story.
But I must warn you that this is a sad book and bad things happen in it, so if you don’t like sad stories, even the ones with hope, and friendship, and love in it, you shouldn’t read it.
Since I can’t explain exactly how I felt, I’ll use one quote that seems to be as close as it can be. This is in the beginning of the book, so it’s not spoiler at all.
“I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.”
The movie is coming up soon and I can’t wait to watch it.