ruthie_the_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, got into the 'voice' straight away (it reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time a little). I admit I was surprised when it turned out that Charlie was 15 (I'd imagined him as about 8 initially), but his gentle, naive nature makes him a very readable and moving character. I loved his friendship with Patrick and Sam, though I felt a little disappointed that he ended up kissing Sam. I didn't quite believe it somehow, and would have preferred the revelation at the end to have come about in a different way.
The talk with his teacher at his teacher's house is wonderful.
It's an incredibly readable book, and I love his idea about buying his mum a present on his own birthday, since she was there for it at the beginning. I'll underline that quote in a copy of the book and give it to my son when he's older :)
The talk with his teacher at his teacher's house is wonderful.
It's an incredibly readable book, and I love his idea about buying his mum a present on his own birthday, since she was there for it at the beginning. I'll underline that quote in a copy of the book and give it to my son when he's older :)
joan_zyaire's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
izzymenzies's review against another edition
3.0
2.5*
I understand why this book is so important to so many people: It was revolutionary, raw, vulnerable and new . It was the first of its kind. But, in this day and age, I've read many other books dealing with the same themes as this one that are also raw, vulnerable, and ultimately, better than this.
I respect it for the role it played in allowing mental illness to be spoken of more openly, but an important book doesn't have to be a good one.
I understand why this book is so important to so many people: It was revolutionary, raw, vulnerable and new . It was the first of its kind. But, in this day and age, I've read many other books dealing with the same themes as this one that are also raw, vulnerable, and ultimately, better than this.
I respect it for the role it played in allowing mental illness to be spoken of more openly, but an important book doesn't have to be a good one.
theladydoor's review against another edition
5.0
This book has been on my back burner since a friend recommended it in high school, but I never got to it. Then, my roommate checked out a copy at the library and insisted I read it right then and there. At first I was skeptical. I'm not the biggest fan of epistolary or high school literature. This book is composed of a series of letters written by a high school freshman to an anonymous recipient.
It took me a few days to get into it, but one night I was struck with a fit of insomnia and ended up finishing the book. As I read, I found myself connecting with the narrator, Charlie, more and more. Chbosky was able to evoke for me the awkwardness and insecurity of being a freshman, but also the sense of wonder and learning. He brought back to me the feeling of being young and unsure, but in a good way, if that's possible. As a jaded almost college grad, this book was a breath of fresh air.
It took me a few days to get into it, but one night I was struck with a fit of insomnia and ended up finishing the book. As I read, I found myself connecting with the narrator, Charlie, more and more. Chbosky was able to evoke for me the awkwardness and insecurity of being a freshman, but also the sense of wonder and learning. He brought back to me the feeling of being young and unsure, but in a good way, if that's possible. As a jaded almost college grad, this book was a breath of fresh air.
madisonnreese's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sophmlgent's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
willemijnmijntje's review against another edition
3.0
A friend of mine loved this book and asked me to read it. It was an interesting read! I didn't really know where the story was headed, but the main character had some beautiful thoughts and went through some interesting situations so I kept reading.
The author is really skilled at creating 'real' characters. Whenever Charlie was analyzing situations from his life or writing down his literal thoughts it felt very familiar. I have some of the same thought processes as him so it made it very easy to bond with Charlie early on.
The format of the book was very different from what I have read before. Charlie is writing letters to an anonymous friend. This added a mysterious vibe that was more than welcome.
Plot-wise, I did not expect the ending of the book. It was quite a shock. Curious to see if I look differently at the story when I reread it.
Personally, I didn't feel very comfortable with all the talk about sex and romantic relationships, but that is just something that I don't really prefer to read about. Nonetheless, the book was a good read.
The author is really skilled at creating 'real' characters. Whenever Charlie was analyzing situations from his life or writing down his literal thoughts it felt very familiar. I have some of the same thought processes as him so it made it very easy to bond with Charlie early on.
The format of the book was very different from what I have read before. Charlie is writing letters to an anonymous friend. This added a mysterious vibe that was more than welcome.
Plot-wise, I did not expect the ending of the book. It was quite a shock. Curious to see if I look differently at the story when I reread it.
Personally, I didn't feel very comfortable with all the talk about sex and romantic relationships, but that is just something that I don't really prefer to read about. Nonetheless, the book was a good read.
fionamm's review against another edition
5.0
I love the letter format of this book. Also, Charlie’s honesty makes this book relatable to everyone in some way or another.
hooman_rostami's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
heyitstay19's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like everyone hyped it up more than it really is. I enjoyed it but probably not the way other people did. It did have some really great dialogue in it. The characters are a little iffy.