Rain's Reviews: Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Perk Of Being a Wallflower

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 he 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.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.~ Goodreads

~~~

Reviews

Can I just say? I want to be a wallflower? I man despite the drugs and the PTSD and all that it seems like at the very least an interesting life to have.

I'm sure after that introduction you decide to completely disregard everything I am about to say. Good. I'm glad. Because what I'm about to say will probably undermine the deeper meaning of the book and set back the teenage moment a decade (haha) and so please for the love of God stop reading.

Now that I am by myself I am going to be honest. This book didn’t speak to me on a very seep level. There were a few moment were I knew exactly what he was talking about.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning.”

― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The idea of depression and suicide have always been intriguing to me as I’m sure many people are intrigued with things they could never fully understand. So getting inside this guys brain was cool. I also loved the way that Chbosky wrote the teenager’s life. Its gritty, its confusing, its lonely even when you’re in a crowd, its a half life. and I appreciate how he painted it. There was cussing, there was sex, there was gay romance, there was just about everything I try to stay aways from in a book but it wasn’t shoved at you. It was honestly portrayed in a way that shows you can’t avoid it in this world. Its not a book I’d recommend to anyone. If you want to read it, read it on your own accord and make your own decisions. I don’t want to make them for you in this case. Its raw, its real, its honest. And I appreciate that.

This is not so much a review because I still don’t know how I feel about the characters, the writing, anything, in this subject I am useless and I can’t really tell you why I am going to post this. But I am. So tell me, if anyone is reading this, what you thought of the book. Please.

~Rain

~~~

Links

Liberty Bay Books: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Timesbestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

~

Review

City of Glass is the third installment of the Mortal Instruments series. I’m no good at sequel reviews but I’m going to try nonetheless.

The book starts out and I already wanted to put it down- not permanently but you know, to cool down. But I stuck with it and it did get better. I think one thing I enjoy about the characters is that they hold Clary accountable for her actions. Jace and Clary finally get some answers to their plethora of questions. Simon is a very large part of this story and you see more of Magnus and Alec. I liked that Cassandra spread around the POVs and you get a lot of little side stories and the main plot from many different viewpoints. This book, though marvelous didn’t leave a large opening for book four so I am anxious to find out what’s next for this series.

~Rain
Goodreads