Charlie is just starting the 9th grade, and he is doing it alone. His best friend just committed suicide the summer before and he is not a social extrovert that easily fits in or makes friends. He starts talking randomly to two seniors: Patrick and Sam, who become his two best friends and help him navigate his freshman year of high school.
The story is written as a series of letters to an anonymous person, in which we learn about Charlie's struggles with growing up and his family, as well as how he tries to fit in socially and participate in high school. This novel is very coming of age and set in the 1990s. It also has many similarities to Holden Caulfield and The Catcher and the Rye.
Challenge:
The whole story is written as a series of letters, so working with the diary style writing may be difficult for students. However, nothing is particularly difficult with the vocabulary in the novel.
Lexile: 720L
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.1
Interest Level: 16 +
Curriculum Connections:
- Coming of Age/Independence
- Struggling to fit in and be accepted by one's peers
Controversial Scenes:
There are sex, drugs, homosexual scenes, abortion, and suicide to name a few. I would have a very hard time letting a student read this book, even if it was a "free read."
Rating:
1/5 (I don't know if I was turned off to this book because of the voice on the audiobook - the reader was extremely whiny - but I had a really hard time finishing this one.)
Awards:
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers