Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Stephen Chbosky. Gallery Books / MTV Books 1999. 213 pgs. Young adult, epistolary novel.

Readability Score: 4

Books I've Read Similar to Perks:

* The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
* The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it's like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up."
          -- from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I loved this book. Charlie is such a unique and interesting character. I wouldn't call him autistic, though I'm sure some people have. He's more of a quiet, introverted freshman who has no idea how to behave in social situations. Eventually he learns, though, with the help of two seniors named Sam and Patrick. Incidentally (which is one of Charlie's favorite words), Charlie states in the beginning that all the names have been changed to protect people's identities.

Charlie isn't just a kid in a book -- he is also a very real person. You can see parts of him in every teenager, even yourself! This is a coming of age novel that even an adult can enjoy! I know exactly what it's like to be in that awkward teenage phase, or what it feels like when you don't know what to do or say around someone you truly like. Charlie's story, told through a series of letters to an unknown "friend," captures the essence of what it's like to be a freshman in high school.

I think Charlie's story is not only about his own experience, but it's also a reminder to every teenager out there that you're not alone with these strange feelings and desires, and that you will find friends and be happy. Without giving away too much, I would say everyone should read this book. It's easy to read but is full of complicated themes that all humans deal with to some degree. Whether you have teenagers of your own or you are a teenager, give this book a try. You may find that Charlie's story is just what you need.

I'm very excited to see the film adaptation that's coming out in a few weeks!


Reading Next: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Leave suggestions of books I should review in the comments below!

Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire. Kristin Cashore. Penguin 2009. 461 pgs. Speculative fiction, fantasy.

Readability Score: 3 **

Books I've Read Similar to Fire:

* Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

* Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan

First of all, I am going to try something different with this review by first giving you the book's own back-cover description so you can decide for yourself if you want to read it, and then give my review/take on the book.

"She has been hidden away. Now she is choosing to use her power.

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. Young King Nash clings to the throne, while rebel lords, in the north and south, build armies to unseat him. War is coming. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves.

This is where Fire lives, a girl whose startling appearance is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Everyone . . . except Prince Brigan."
          -- from Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire is a lot like Katsa in many respects. An independent woman with no thoughts of marriage or children, skilled at fighting, who finds herself on an unexpected journey. Both characters are strong, independent, no-need-for-man type of women. The real difference between the similar heroines of her first two books is that one is obviously more developed than the other. Fire actually has a more concrete reason to not want to have children: any offspring of hers will have her curse of being a monster. Now, monsters are not scary, scaly, stinky creatures in this world; monsters are beings of unimaginable beauty, brightly and brilliantly colored, who all have the ability to control the minds of others. Fire is unique in the sense that she is the only monster human left in the land of the Dells. Katsa's reasons are purely selfish and, incidentally, kind of weak. It's fine not to want to have children, of course (hey, I'm in that boat myself), but it just seemed Katsa's reasons were less concrete than Fire's. Perhaps that is simply a product of Cashore's development as a writer; the longer you write, the more concrete and "real" your characters become.

In my opinion, Fire is basically an embellished copy of Graceling, with a few changes (names, places, maybe a bit of plot difference). Other reviews have said that these books are "high fantasy" and that Cashore is "great at world building." Both of these could not be further from the truth.

I will admit that both of these novels are decently written and have a decent world building aspect to them, but I would never consider these to be high fantasy in any respect. Fantasy, sure, but far from the likes of JRR Tolkien and George RR Martin. And, in my very humble opinion, world building goes far beyond mentioning some different aspects of the world one is building and showing a map at the beginning of a book. There is no description of food or ceremonies, customs or oddities, nothing that compares to the way Middle Earth and Westeros are described.

Overall, I enjoyed this book to a point. In about the last 100 pages, Fire finds herself in quite a predicament. She escapes with nothing but a horse to carry her, but when she is pursued, somehow she has a knife and a bow and arrows. How did she come by these things? There was no mention of her leaving with bows and arrows and knives; did they just magically appear? Little details like this are what make a book less than stellar for me. Cashore shows promise as a writer, and while I will probably read Cashore's third novel Bitterblue at some point, I am not exactly excited to do so. I hope it's different than both Graceling and its companion book Fire.

** Readability is defined on  a scale of 1 - 1o, 1 being exceptionally easy to read, and 10 being exceptionally difficult.

Reading Next: Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling. Kristin Cashore. Harcourt 2008. 480 pgs. Speculative fiction, fantasy, romance.

Books I've Read Similar to Graceling:

* Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

* Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan

Graceling is the debut novel by Kristin Cashore. I will admit that at first I gave this book absolutely no credit.  The cover is childish and gave me no idea of what the book would be about. The UK cover is much more indicative of the story than the US cover. Once I dove into the story, however, I was instantly drawn in.

It is a story of a young assassin named Katsa, who is Graced with the power of killing - or so she believes. When Katsa meets Po, a mysterious young prince from an island kingdom, she is suddenly thrown into a world of intrigue and danger. Ultimately, this is the tale of Katsa's journey of discovering - or rediscovering - herself.

Cashore writes with a simplicity that lends itself to the reader's imagination. She draws on other novels in the same category for themes that are now, in my opinion, overused - seven kingdoms, a damsel in distress, etc. Despite that, the story is compelling and Katsa is a heroine worth reading about.

In Katsa's world, there are few people born with an advanced skill, skills ranging from cooking to riding to fighting. These people are marked by their two different colored eyes. This condition doesn't always manifest itself at birth; sometimes it takes years for a Graceling's eyes to settle. Katsa's eyes are blue and green and are said to be very beautiful, though it is because of her Graced skill that people rarely look her in the eyes for long.

Katsa's Grace presented itself when she was only eight years old. A friend of her uncle tried to touch her at dinner, and she simply reacted to keep him away; instead of simply hurting him, she killed him. King Randa, her uncle, decided to hone her skills as a Graced killer and use her against those who displease him. Katsa becomes known throughout the seven kingdoms as Randa's assassin. After meeting Po during a secret mission for the Council, a group dedicated to helping people which often goes against Randa's orders, Katsa begins to question her loyalty to her king and uncle. Katsa must choose between loyalty to her king or what is right, and finds herself on a journey to save Po's cousin from King Leck of Monsea, a kingdom bordering Randa's, and facing many obstacles (including herself) along the way.

Graceling, overall, is well written and the story flows well. The names of the characters are certainly unique, but sometimes silly. I found myself thinking of the movie Kung-fu Panda whenever Katsa thinks about or talks to Po. Think about the names of other characters that resonate with you and stick in your mind. Do names such as Po and Katsa have such a meaning? I personally do not think so, but it doesn't detract from Cashore's ability to tell a story. I found myself liking this novel and wanting to read other books by Cashore.

That's it for today! Please leave a comment below telling me how I did. Since this is my first book review (outside of English classes), I'd like any and all constructive criticism you could give me! Thanks again!

Read on, book lovers!

~ Penmaiden

Introduction

Hello all! Ashley here, but for the purposes of this blog, I'll go by Penmaiden. I'm new to this blogging and reviewing business, but I'd figure I'd give it a shot! I will be reading and reviewing two to four books a month. I will focus on critiques of the writing and story itself, review of the book in general, and then I will list other books similar to the one I'm reviewing. Sounds simple, right?

Expect a review soon! Gotta get myself into a posting schedule.

~ Penmaiden

“We read to know that we are not alone.” 
― William Nicholson