Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Elämäni seinäruusuna

This was the second time that I've read the book and I think it was good that I did since I read it differently now, in some way. I believe that anyone who was the "quiet kid" in school or still is should definitely read it and will recognise themselves in it. It is written in a simple manner and that makes it easy to understand but at the same time there is just enough room for interpretation. The whole concept of Charlie writting to someone (the reader) makes it way more personal and that was what I think makes the book so special, so poignant, what makes this book stand out. Without this concept it would have been rather basic as I imagine.
I did love it and really enjoyed reading it. Totally recommend!

Content Warnings

buud_w0rm's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Now I understand why this was so popular. I was feening to know who Charlie was writing to but the story was very compelling. Some of the really serious parts felt rushed but they did still pack a punch. Iykyk

So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.

I adored having music, books and movies recommended through Bill. I definitely tuned in while reading the letters and was immersed even more. Just for fun I’ll try to read the books Bill assigned him :)Definitely something I’d come back to.

Content Warnings

thegracefulpal's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

cadybooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

atekereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

lenorayoder's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I first read this book in high school and remember loving it. I decided to grab it from the library again because I was in the mood for something pensive and kind of sad and wanted to see if it held up as an adult. Boy, does it. This book is fantastic. Though the impact is different from when I was Charlie's age, this book is still so influential and offers so much with both its content and style. Weirdly, reading this book makes me feel inspired to write and like when I do so it will be better for having read this. Not that you could tell from the quality of this review!

I think this is one of those books you should definitely read at least once as a teen. As an adult I was definitely reacting differently to some moments -

for the love of god, why would you give a kid who's obviously having mental/emotional difficulties LSD! Even as a high school senior, you should know that's a no no

- but Chbosky and Charlie still draw me in. This book really elicits emotional reactions, and is best enjoyed on a quiet evening by yourself so you can really take your time to read between the lines and feel.

It's kind of ridiculous how many content warnings I just applied to this book, but I also think that's one of the reasons this is an important read for teens. That this book is written in the form of letters helps lower the intensity of these subjects/make them easier for the reader to handle, but things still get pretty emotional.

Content Warnings

More...