Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.
Review: Ok so this one had been on my TBR for a long time! I had wanted to read it and kept picking it up but putting in down and I really wanted to watch the firm so I chucked it on a readathon TBR and off I went. I have to say I was a little disappointed in this book. I don't think it has a lot of hype around it but I may have built it up a wee bit too much myself before reading it and I may revise my opinion of it when I finally do watch the film, but right now I'm feel a little left out in the cold by it.
I really like the format that it took, Charlie writing letters to someone and telling them about his life and what is going on around him. I felt like he was speaking directly to me and so that is a deifnitely positive for the book, I'm looking forward to seeing how that is done in the film! But at points, because Charlie is the character that he is, I felt like he was whining at me...
Charlie is an interesting character, he clearly struggles with some mental health issues and anxiety and he sometimes seems aware of this, but not always. He is constantly seeking the approval of others and, like many teenagers, makes some bad choices in order to fit in with the crowd. The two friends that he makes are interesting people. but I can';t help but feel they are 'interesting' and 'quirky' just for the sake of it and not because that is actually who they are! Therefore I really struggled to bond with the characters in this novel, or have them make me feel any real emotion.
This is definitely a coming of age story and I managed to follow Charlie's journey of self discovery but it, again felt like some of the things happened to him just for the sake of them happening and not for any real purpose. At no point did I want to leave the book without finishing it, I wanted to find out what happened to Charlie in the end but I won't be recommending this book to anyone anytime soon.
To read this and find out for yourself, just click here...
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