Perks.

I don't know how to do this. You know how i talked about how I am going to talk about the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower? Yeah I don't know if I'm capable of doing that task like, properly. Or even well. But here it goes.

Alright. To start off. Amazing book. To give you my general review of it. Its so real. The narrator of the book "Charlie" is such a unique and original character. He is so funny and innocent and just your favorite human in the world. He only wants the best for everyone and he just wants everything to be okay. 

"You know... a lot of kids at school hate their parents. Some of them got hit. And some of them got caught in the middle of wrong lives. Some of them were trophies for their parents to show the neighbors like ribbons or gold stars. And some of them just wanted to drink in peace."

The kid is a genius at 15. I normally don't like books where the kid you're supposed to relate to is so much more amazing then yourself. But you don't care because he is just so weird but just so great.

The book is basically letters written to someone. We don't know who they're to. He just needs someone to talk to, and he knows the person receiving them will listen.

I love how 'Charlie' analyzes everything and isn't afraid to behave how he feels. He wants people to like him, but if he acts just how he is in every social situation. And it works. He finds friends that love him and treat him great because of how he really is. He doesn't put on a show and try to impress. He is himself. Nobody else.

The writer of this book, Stephen Chbosky, is honestly amazing. He has charlie say such profound things but he puts it in the words of a crazy 15 year old.

This quote comes from while he is watching a football game with his friends.

"I look at the field, and i think about the boy who just made the touchdown. I think that these are the glory days for that boy, and this moment will just be another story someday because all the people who make touchdowns and home runs will become somebody's dad. And when his children look at his yearbook photograph, they will think that their dad was rugged and handsome and looked a lot happier than they are... I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me."

Charlie has lost his aunt. He tells us that the loss of his aunt is the saddest thing to have ever happened to him and his family. He is constantly worried about his sister and always wants to help out his family. His worry and panic is rooted to something he cant quite figure out. He over analyzes his whole life.

"Its kind of like when you look at yourself in the mirror and you say your name. And it gets to a point where none of it seems real. Well, sometimes, I can do that, but I don't need an hour in front of a mirror. It happens very fast, and things start to slip away. And I just open my eyes, and I see nothing. And then I start to breathe really hard trying to see something, but I cant. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it scares me."

I love this quote because as lame as it sounds. This is exactly me. Back when i was 16-17 at least.

The thing I loved so much about this book is how it taught me how much I need to remember I love who I am and I need to focus so much on who I AM and not so much on how other perceive who I am. People will say things and do things and I'll react to them in ways that is expected of me. I don't want to be that person. I want to be and say the things I know and feel. That's why I love Charlie. He is the perfect example of keeping true to yourself. He knows who he is, and even though he may be on a quest to figure his life out and make the best of it, he never strays from himself... I hope that makes sense.

"I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then makes the choice to share it with other people. Maybe that is what makes people "participate." I'm not really certain. Because I don't know if I would mind living for Sam for a while. Then again, she wouldn't want me to, so maybe its a lot friendlier than all that. I hope so anyway."

He falls in love with a girl named Sam in the book. Charlie is a sensitive guy and he has never had any experiences with girls and he's just hilariously awkward about it all. You just have to read it, but he's just a good kid haha. 

Andddd another reason we love Charlie is because of this.

"I didn't feel like reading that night, so I went downstairs and watched a half-hour-long commercial that advertised an exercise machine. They kept flashing a 1-800 number, so I called it. The woman who picked up the other end of the phone was named Michelle. And i told Michelle that I was a kid and did not need an exercise machine, but I hoped she was having a good night... That's when Michelle hung up on me. And I didn't mind a bit."

Haaaaa oh man. 

I think I've quoted and talked enough for you to all get that you have no idea what the book is completely about, but you DO know that i loved this book so much. I know that books are supposed to make you feel connected with the story or the characters. But I honestly just connected with Charlie on so many levels that it killed me. I cried at the end of this book. The ONLY other time I've cried while reading is when i read my favorite book Maybe. (every single time i read it i cry. Its ridiculous)

Anyways. I don't know. Its really late, I'm really tired, I don't think i did this critique justice. I love this book. All i was trying to get across. ALSO there is a poem in this book that is crazy good, but depressing, so ill save it for later for an emo post hahahaha wink.

"I think that the only perspective is to really be there... Because it's okay to feel things. And be who you are about them."