The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I've been putting off this review because I don't really know what to say. Back in high school (about 10 years ago) a friend told me this book was amazing and I simply had to read it. Somehow it kept getting put on hold until a little while ago.

Quick summary: Charlie is a freshman in high school and a social outcast, a "wallflower." He prefers to watch from the sidelines rather than participate in life. The book is a series of letters written by Charlie to an anonymous recipient (presumably us, the readers) describing his experiences during a year of high school. We witness Charlie growing up, uncovering pieces of his past, and learning how to be actively involved in his life.

I really liked Charlie. He has a sweet innocence and his perceptions of the world around him are very mature and insightful. I think Chbosky did a great job at telling the story from a 15-ish (can't remember his exact age) year-old's point of view.

Now for the negative.... perhaps this book has been built up too much, but I didn't like it nearly as much as everyone seemed to think I should. It had way too much explicit material for my taste and was somewhat hard for me to relate to because my high school experience was nothing even remotely like Charlie's. While I appreciate the story for it's own merits, it just felt a little too artsy-fartsy for my preferences. I can see why this book has an almost cult-devoted following, but I have never identified with those people.

Anyway, I don't want to offend anyone who does like this book. I enjoyed it. I finished it and was interested to see how it ended. I just am not in love with it like a lot of people are. To each his own.

3 out of 5 stars

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Another book recommended by my friend Stephanie and it was definitely another success. In fact, this might be the best book I've read in months...

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton, introduces us to a little girl who is left alone on a ship sailing from London to Australia in 1913, sent with nothing but a small suitcase containing a new dress and a book of fairy tales. She is taken home by the dock master and his wife and, unable to learn of any family, is raised as one of their own. On her 21st birthday, "Nell" learns the truth and her sense of identity is shattered. She begins a quest to discover who she is: where did she come from? Why was she abandoned? Who is her family? Nell is lead to the Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and begins to uncover the secrets of the Mountrachet family. Unable to solve the mystery in her lifetime, the search is continued after Nell's death by her granddaughter Cassandra, who is finally able to put all the pieces together.

It has been a long time since I've read a book that is as intelligently crafted as this one. Each chapter contains vital information to the story. To make it even more complex, the chapters are not chronological and are pieced together in the way only a truly gifted storyteller can. The mystery unfolds for the reader gradually by following 3 primary storylines: Nell--abandoned in 1913 and sets off to England in 1975 to find her history; Cassandra--granddaughter who picks up the mystery after Nell dies in 2005; and Eliza Makepeace and Rose Mountrachet--cousins in the late 1890s whose stories hold all the information Nell needs to find out who she is.

I found the characters to be richly detailed and authentic, each with a vibrant personality and voice.
-I loved Cassandra and her personal journey to not only discover her grandmother's past, but to find peace and healing for things that had happened in her past.
-I also loved Eliza; she was an incredibly strong and imaginative individual, the kind of person I would be lucky to be friends with. Though she was also kind of an idiot when it came to those she loved, allowing her affection to blind her to the behavior and feelings of others and getting hurt in the process.
- I like Nell and understand her need to know her past, but I was mad at her when she tossed her adoptive parents and siblings aside when she learned she was abandoned as a child. She became so focused on what she had lost that she was completely blind to all that she had.
-At the beginning of the book I liked Rose well enough but by the end I despised her. She used the people closest to her to get what she wanted. Manipulative and cruel and the worst kind of selfish.
-Though I suppose Rose gets is from her mother, Adeline, who is essentially the reason why there is any mystery story at all. Adeline came from humble beginnings and is obsessed with fitting into society and being a proper lady. This results in an irrational need to cover up anything that might cause the slightest scandal. Her perceived inferiority makes her spiteful and bitter and makes life extremely difficult for those around her, particularly Eliza.
-There aren't as many male characters. Linus, Adeline's husband, is a total creeper and I'm glad there weren't too many details about his incestic obsessions.
-Christian is the only truly respectable central male character and becomes the love interest for Cassandra. Woohoo!

I feel like I could write a pretty thorough essay on the characters and themes of this book. I won't, for all your sakes, but I could. It's that great of a story. I tend to read books that I can breeze through in a few days so I had to remind myself to be patient and allow myself to get truly invested in the characters and the delicious mystery. I absolutely, whole-heartedly recommend The Forgotten Garden! It took a few more chapters than normal to get hooked because of all the year/character jumping, but I got there and I know you'll love this book too.

5 out of 5 stars!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

This book was recommended to me per my ward's book club list. When I started reading I realized that I have read this book before, once upon a time in my youth. I used to love Jerry Spinelli's books growing up, especially Maniac McGee. I thought his books were fun. So rereading this book was a pretty interesting experience since it's been so many years I'd forgotten most of what happened.

Stargirl is a beautiful story about a girl who, after being home schooled all her life, starts 10th grade at Mica High School in Arizona, a school where conformity is the way of life. She is unlike anyone the school has ever seen; she sings to people on her ukulele, wears pioneer dresses, and performs random acts of kindness everywhere she goes. She messes up the delicate social balance of the school and her fellow students come to hate her for who she is. The story is being told from the viewpoint of Leo, who finds himself head over heels in love with Stargirl, though he isn't always brave enough to be her boyfriend.

This was a tender story that celebrates non-conformity and I think everyone should read it. At the end Stargirl's family moves and Leo never sees her again, at least not within the 15 years of him telling the story. I like to think that Leo does meet up with her again and that he is strong enough to be proud of who she is and love her unconditionally.

Great book, especially for those who are in the insecure growing up stage of life. Every middle schooler particularly should read this book.

4 out of 5 stars