First Blog Post: Perks of Being a Wallflower

  "This book explores the point of view of a teenage who has been in the dark as he explores sex, abuse, drug use and the hilarious awkward times of growing up. The story takes place in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where Charlie is a high school freshman. Charlie is the wallflower of the novel. He is an unconventional thinker, and as the story begins he is shy and unpopular."- quote from blurb

The novel begins in August 1991 with Charlie writing to an unnamed "friend." Charlie states that he does not want the reader to figure out who he is or find him. Charlie is in the 9th grade in high school, his brother at the University of Pittsburgh on a football scholarship, and his sister is a senior in high school. Charlie’s late Aunt Helen was his "favorite person in the whole world" and that something bad happened to her, but she would not talk about it. It is revealed that his aunt has been molesting Charlie.

Why does Charlie feel the need to be optimistic about what his aunt has done to him? I think it's because he forgives her because like he says throughout the book "she has had a hard life". I mean as we go along we find out her fathers friend molested her when she was young and her father would beat her. So  I guess he feels mercy for her. Its hard to hate someone who has been through worse than you but it doesn't always mean you should still forgive them.

 Charlie is easy to relate to for most kids for several reasons; he is experiencing grief from severe loss, starting his first year in high school, is struggling to find his place in the world, and he is very open about what he is dealing with his feelings. The style in which the book is written allows it to speak to all types of teenagers, regardless of whether or not they have experienced many of the sorts of things Charlie is experiencing.The ending and story is very similar to the book  Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian (2007) written by Sherman Alexie. Not only is it in journal format but no matter all the tragedies the main character pulls through. But what makes this book different is in writing the book can explain emotion. The book does make you think of what how you would feel in that type of situation. I think the story of growing up is something everybody goes through young or old. It can be stupid, funny, awkward, crazy etc. it's just complicated but unavoidable.