I was first intrigued with this book because the protagonist (Charlies) is age 16 in the year 1997, just one year older than I was at that time. I was looking forward to lots of references from that time period, and anticipated being able to relate to the characters and story for that reason. I ended up not really feel that way at all, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.
If I could, I would rate this 3.5 stars, but I decided to round up since 3 stars didn't feel like a high enough rating.
While this was a good coming of age story about Charlie living through a summer of first love, family problems, losing old friends, gaining new friends, dealing with work problems and not knowing what to do with his future, the pacing was somewhat slow at times. I never found myself in a position where I was unable to put the book down or overly eager to pick it up, and yet each time I sat down to read it, I did enjoy it. I definitely found the pacing to pick up in the last quarter of the book.
I think certain aspects of the plot could've been explored more, while other topics could've been summed up in fewer pages, but all in all, it felt like a realistic story of what it's like to live through a very angsty teenage summer. We also get a glimpse into Charlie's present-day life, which I thought was a nice touch.
If you're looking for an action-packed adventure, this book is probably not for you. But if you're looking for a a slower-paced journey through the eyes of a sixteen year old going through a life-changing summer, I think you'll really enjoy it.
If I could, I would rate this 3.5 stars, but I decided to round up since 3 stars didn't feel like a high enough rating.
While this was a good coming of age story about Charlie living through a summer of first love, family problems, losing old friends, gaining new friends, dealing with work problems and not knowing what to do with his future, the pacing was somewhat slow at times. I never found myself in a position where I was unable to put the book down or overly eager to pick it up, and yet each time I sat down to read it, I did enjoy it. I definitely found the pacing to pick up in the last quarter of the book.
I think certain aspects of the plot could've been explored more, while other topics could've been summed up in fewer pages, but all in all, it felt like a realistic story of what it's like to live through a very angsty teenage summer. We also get a glimpse into Charlie's present-day life, which I thought was a nice touch.
If you're looking for an action-packed adventure, this book is probably not for you. But if you're looking for a a slower-paced journey through the eyes of a sixteen year old going through a life-changing summer, I think you'll really enjoy it.