Charlie is an outsider, a wallflower. He’s not the type of boy to raise his hand in class, dance in the middle of the floor, or make friends easy. But that all changes when he meets the people who will change his life forever.
This book is very well written. Seldom has there been a time when a new idea is formed which blows everyone away. Every idea these days are all the same. Vampires, wizards and diaries have taken over the literary side to society. If you have never read this book, then you will probably say that every original idea that could possibly be written has been written. But if you have read this book, then you will know that that’s not true. In a series of letters written by Charlie to an unknown person, we learn all about his school, his friends, his family, his life, and even Charlie himself.
What makes this book so special and heart-warming is its ability to connect with us all. As an adult, it takes you back to the days when you were a teenager, as a teenager you can connect with it and make sense of it through your everyday struggles, and as a child, it teaches you what lies ahead. But above all, it inspires you. This book is all about finding out who you are and where you belong, and there’s no better time to do that than when you are a teenager.
The novel itself was written in 1999, though it is debated about when the story actually took place. The setting is a mystery as “Charlie” is an alias for the narrator and the names and places are all fictional. He writes his letters in these ways so that the receiver of the letter will not know who he is. This is one of the main reasons why I like this book. Since the letters are addressed, “Dear Friend,” we can imagine that he is sending them to us and we feel like we are a part of his story.
One of the main themes of this book is acceptance. Acceptance of your sexuality, religion, and yourself in general. Charlie is a very sensitive and sincere character. He doesn’t like to say no to people, and he doesn’t like to do something that will make someone uncomfortable or upset. He doesn’t break up with Mary Elizabeth because he knows that she likes him. He doesn’t tell Patrick to stop kissing him because he knows that all he needs is a friend. He suffers from depression, which resulted from sexual abuse as a young child, and because his best friend committed suicide just before they started high school together.
While trying to start his life over again, Charlie is drawn into a crowd of friends who are the most fun loving, crazy and amazing people that he has ever met. They support his individuality and love for writing, music and poetry. This story contains bits and pieces from anybody’s life. It touches on topics like family relationships, friendship, drugs and alcohol, sexuality, and loss, but what makes this story so comprehensive and amazing is that it does not dwell on any topic. It makes it seem real. It makes it seem like Charlie could easily be any one of us. It makes it seem like when life gets you down, all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to make you feel infinite.
