Final Letter

Dear Friend,

For my English class this year we had to read the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It’s a short book about the character named Charlie who is writing letters to an anonymous “friend” about his life. Overall the book was kind of interesting, but it wasn’t my favorite book. I liked the way that the book was written from Charlie’s perspective, it showed his personal style of writing and how the reflects on the type of person he is overall. I didn’t like the storyline most of the time. It was kind of mundane and boring. One of my favorite scenes from the book was when Charlie is driving with his friends Patrick and Sam and they are going through a tunnel heading towards downtown and Charlie describes the moment saying, “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” I liked this scene because I can picture it vividly in my head and I can feel that same emotion that Charlie was feeling. Another scene that I liked was the scene when Charlie is describing his brother, sister, mom and dad on the way to his family’s house for Christmas. The way Charlie describes his family and their little quirks reminds me of my family and it reminds me that every family is dysfunctional in its own way, but that’s what makes each family unique.
One of the most memorable parts of the book for me was when Charlie went with his sister to the clinic to get an abortion. Charlie goes with his sister after he finds out she’s pregnant and she doesn’t want to tell their parents about it. Charlie is a good character because he doesn’t ask questions or try and pester his sister about it, he just goes with her for support. The best part was after Charlie’s sister got her abortion she comes outside and yells at him for smoking. It was significant because even though Charlie’s sister had just gone through a terrible situation, she was still looking out for her brother and his health. I enjoyed this scene because it reminded me of my brother and I. We both have a lot going on in our lives, and sometimes the only time we get the chance to talk is when we need someone to talk to, but we always look out for each other and always want the best for each other.
Overall I thought this book is one that makes you reflect back on your life, but it’s not a book I would really recommend for you specifically. I know your taste in books is similar to mine, so I don’t think this book would be one that you would really, really enjoy. Plus I don’t think that you would like the ending. In the end, you find out that Charlie was sexually abused by his Aunt Helen and has to be hospitalized due to the trauma he experiences when he realized what he went through as a small boy. Even though Charlie does get help in the end and moves on with his life, it’s just not the way you like to see a character that you’ve related to end up.

Sincerely,
Me