The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review

This would probably have to be one of the better coming-of-age novels. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This isn’t a book with the typical plot of the loser suddenly becoming the “cool” kid, which makes this book so much better. It’s has a more realistic approach to the “teenage life”, and doesn’t provide false hopes and ideals of what they want you to think high school is like, happy endings included. Yes, in some sense Charlie becomes the “cool” kid but not that typical popular kid every other loser in book turn into.

Just to summarise the book, Charlie is our protagonist, and is an ousider/a wallflower. He gets bullied from his peers at school, and his family and he’s only 16. What he doesn’t know is that his life is going to change the minute he starts high school.
So, Charlies story is told through a series of letters to this anonymous person. He tells this person EVERYTHING: school, family, friends, deepest emotions and especially his thoughts upon himself.
Charlie himself is a mystery. He has a mental problem where he gets extremely angry, sees/imagines things that aren’t entirely true and then passes out. Charlie had such a rough life though. Before he started high school, his best friend shot himself, prior to this, his most favourite person in the world, his Aunt Helen, who is killed in a car crash. Imagine how difficult you’re life would be if you lost the two most important people in your life?
He then becomes friends with Patrick and Sam who are both outsiders. They introduce Charlie to “good” music, parties, alcohol, drugs, love and most importantly, friendship.

What I really love about this book is that it is real. You aren’t shown what you want to see, but instead you sees what is really happening in front of you. Stephen Chbosky has done a superb job at this.

I recently watched the movie and I liked it. It was able to capture and portray all the emotions seen in the book. Even though their were a few changes, which was expected, it didn’t go completely off-track. For once, the film AND the book were both great. Usually it’s only one or the other (except for Harry Potter).

This is definitely a book both teenagers and adults can read. As a teen, you are exposed to the reality of the world you are living in and what lies ahead. As an adult, you are sent back to your teenage years, reliving your life almost.

j.x

The Help Review

This book is absolutely amazing!

Unfortunately, I had seen the movie first but that didn’t alter my opinion of the book what so ever. It was an excellent movie and the book is even better. I’m actually quite ashamed to say that I didn’t know this was a book until I had seen the movie. But, I’m glad I did.
This is the sort of novel that lets you escape your own troubles and enter Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, even if its only for a few hours.
This book is so well written that you just can not put it down! I managed to finish it in 2 days. It’s fast-paced (but not too fast that you can’t keep up), intriguing and very humourous, but you’re not left confused or over thinking certain situations because it’s all clearly written in front of you.

So, the story is set in 1962, Jackson, Mississippi (racial segregation period) and is about the life of the “help” and their relationships with the “white” folk. It’s told through both perspectives (maids and “maid-owners”) and is told by three main narrators: Aibeleen, Minny and Skeeter.

What I really loved about the book was how honest it was. The 1960’s was a very rough era in American for African-Americans and this is something that most people want to admit ever happened, yet it did. Kathryn Stockett.

I have to admit that I extremely hated Miss Hilly in this book as well as in the movie. She one of those characters that makes you wanna jump in the book and punch their faces just to get them to shut up. She was rude, obnoxious and racist. But without her, the book would not have been a entertaining. She’s a character you love to hate and given the history behind the novel, you kinda understand why she was like that.

Coming from New Zealand, all we really know about Black Civil Rights and the 1960 in America, has come out of history books at school or we’ve Googled it. (lol) So even though this is fiction, reading it helped my understanding of the era and 1960 America in general.

What I really loved about this book was that it shared both sides/perspectives. It wasn’t all based on “whites” perspectives. Stockett was able to show us how the maids felt about these changes and their opinions on everything, which is really cool. You had an insight to their lives as well and how completely different it was compared to the white folks. They had very basic homes, with the essentials and nothing else, where as the white folk and everything: beds for everyone, air conditioning etc.  So you really understood how they struggled in everyday life.

This is definitely a book I would read again.

🙂

j.x

 

To Kill A Mockingbird Review

This is my favourite novel. I can’t even mention the amount of times I’ve read it.

So, the story is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s and is narrated by a six year old girl named Scout Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer and has taken a case of defending a black man. In those days, that would have been an unimaginable act, what with Jim Crow Laws circulating around in the south. Alongside this, you’ve got Scout, her brother Jem and their friend Dill, trying to make Boo Radley come out of his house. A lot of bad rumours have been told about this man and they want to know if it’s true.
This book not only includes racial themes, but also shows what happens when lies are told about people and the effects it has not only on that person but also on the people listening to the lies.

Scout is the reason I love this book so much. Her innocence and stubbornness is what really makes this book. She is too young to understand exactly why it is so wrong for her father to defend Tom Robinson, but she doesn’t let anyone elses opinoins alter her perception and continues to defend her fathers honour. In her eyes, all people are equal, blacks and whites etc, so she can’t understand why it is such a big issue.
She also makes you see things as she does and feel what she feels. Scout has the ability to persuade you that her way is the right way and that everyone one else is wrong, even if she is the only one with a different idea.
Because she’s so young and naive, she opens up this world through a child perspective. The colour of your skin doesn’t, but it what you do that counts. This is something constantly reinforced to us and I agree 100%. On top of that, she makes you become captivated by these rumours about Boo Radley. Because she thinks they are real, you begin to as well.

Alongside Scout, you’ve got her older brother Jem and their new friend Dill. These two are very funny characters. There are moments when Jem is “too old” to play with Dill and Scout. These scenes made me giggle because it was the same thing my brother would say to me when we were growing up. Jem’s views on the multiple situations within the stories are very different to Scouts. He seems to understand  a lot more of what is actually going on. (And he can control his anger better.)
Then there’s the little relationship with Dill and Scout. So cute.

Atticus is the ultimate hero in this book as well as in Scout eyes. He may not have been able to save his defendant, but he tried as hard as he could, which is more than anybody else did. Although, in those times, he didn’t have much of a chance saving the poor mans life, with racial prejudice and that.
Atticus puts himself and his family in danger to protect this man and he knows exactly what he is doing.

Boo Radley is a completely different aspect of the novel. He is suppossedly a deranged boy who kills people and stalks you when you sleep, when in fact, he’s just a guy hiding in his house to protect himself from the horrible people in the world. In the end, he helps to save Scout, which goes against all of the rumours spread about him.

That was a lesson I learnt from the book. That rumour are nothing but rumours. They’re spread around about people who are different that what society considers the norm, and it is up to you whether or not you choose to believe it.

All in all, fabulous novel. There are definitely aspects of it that could be applied to today’s society: the harshness of gossip, being prejudice.

Definitely a novel worth reading if you haven’t already.
J.

The Great Gatsby Review

I understand completely that this book is a classic and a great insight to 1920’s America and the American culture in general, but I just couldn’t see what the big fuss over this book is all about.
It is definitely a wonderful book. Beautifully written and executed, but it was just confusing most of the time.
Perhaps, I’m just too young to fully understand and appreciate the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald or possibly, because of my “little” knowledge about 1920’s America, I just can’t relate to the context.

The perks of the book was the twisting love story between Gatsby and Daisy. They are one of the many perfect example of undying love. To be away from someone so long and still have intense feelings for them is truly remarkable. It really puts the saying “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” in to perfect use. Their love is what many of use today search for.

I honestly found this book a complete bore. After reading many other classics such as “The Catcher In The Rye-J.D. Saliinger” and “Life of Pi-Yann Martel”, your left bored and disappointed.
Nick’s narration was very tedious. He either over explained the situation, to the point where we knew every little detail of his surrounding, or he didn’t explain it at all, leaving us without the satisfaction.
On the upside, he wasn’t as predictable as Holden Caulfield, but I certainly would have liked it better if he was.

Then, there’s Jay Gatsby himself. To me, he resembles a typical modern teenager. He throws spectacular parties, with open invitations, just so he doesn’t have to be alone. But, when you don’t know anyone at your party, doesn’t that just make you feel more lonely.
And on top of that, he’s only having the party because he’s hoping that Daisy will turn up.
Perhaps it was normal to do that back in the day, but to me, it’s just a little bit weird. He goes through all this trouble, throwing party after party, all for a girl. Even then, he only finds her because of his neighbour.

I will certainly try again with this book. I’ll brush up on my American history and it’s decline in the 1920’s.

I never judge a book by it’s movie or vise-versa, but in this case, I am. Fingers crossed Leonardo DiCaprio will do it justice.

Until next time. xox 🙂

Fifty Shades Darker Review

Now this was the story I was originally expecting!! And I absolutely loved it. The series went from being a “soft-porn” novel, to this extremely moving romantic novel. The sex scenes are still there for all those out there who enjoy that part of the story. (hinthint: your gonna love the pool table scene)

Christian Grey. What can I say! Right from the beginning of this book we can see that he is really trying hard to make this relationship work and its really cute! He’s so kind and loving with Ana, which makes the reader fall in love with him (I certainly know I did).
What you learn about him in this book is heartbreaking and you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Just the thought of any young child in that situation is sad enough. E L James did a great job on this side of the story. I almost shed a tear!
It was also inspiring to learn how he had such a horrific childhood and is now one of Seattles most powerful businessmen.
However, his possessiveness (if that’s even a proper word) with Ana is still kind of creepy.

Which brings me to my next point, Ana is AMAZING in this book. The way she stands up against Mrs Robinson is really cool! And when she beats up her boss. Brilliant! She’s become less of “Bella Swan-Twilight” and more of her own character. It’s like she’s “grown-up”
The way she answered Christian’s proposal was brilliant. It was clever and original. I wonder how many women will be saying yes like this?

My favourite part in the book is when Mrs Grey attacks Mrs Robinson. I was literally cheering her on. I even fist-pumped. I was just so glad that this lady has finally been caught and told where to go!

And finally, the witty emails between Christian and Ana are back. They’re sexy yet make us L.O.L. Absolutely perfect.

As for the cliff-hanger for Fifty Shades Freed, things are about to get more interesting!

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