Day 20: A Book with a Title You Love
A title is so important to a book. Even before reading, it gives the reader an idea of exactly what they might expect from the story. In my case, and I'm sure in the cases of others, it can often be make or break as to whether or not I buy the book.
One of my favourite book titles to this day, and the book I chose to spotlight today, is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
It's a very unique, very beautiful title that said to me the story would have pain, a journey, and most of all, hope.
I can't imagine there is anybody out there who likes YA fiction who hasn't read this book, but if you haven't, here's the blurb:
This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
To be honest, I don't think the blurb really does the book justice. Even more so, I don't think the film does the book justice. For the record, I did enjoy the film, but I didn't think it really captured all the different aspects of the book's plot.
I just think there is something really sincere and beautiful in someone who feels like they don't fit in (a misfit, or 'wallflower' as the case may be) writing letters to try and feel more valid. It's a feeling that really resonates with me. I've felt for a lot of my life that I don't really fit in; that my interests make me weird, and that because I don't enjoy all the same things that others enjoy, there was something wrong with me. I'm sure I'm not alone in that feeling. It's taken me a really long time to come to terms with the fact that not everybody will understand me. Not everybody will give me energy or be good for me. And that's okay. I have a small circle of close friends and family that I trust implicitly, and that makes me far happier.
This book allows us to follow Charlie on that journey of self-discovery, and at times it's very moving and poignant. At times it's also hilarious, which is also nice to read. It's a beautiful book that really warms my heart, and I'd recommend it a hundred times over.
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