Most of the time I spent reading this book I felt a melancholy sadness for Charlie. He is the quintessential high school kid who feels left out and out of place, but Charlie's sweetness and thoughtfulness set him apart. I couldn't help rooting for him when he made friends, fell in love, and, finally, sorted through his problems. The mental disorder he suffers from is never quite revealed, but the cause for it actually surprised me (and few things seem to surprise me in novels anymore). I would recommend this book for eccentric, alternative teenagers searching for a kindred spirit, but once you've outgrown that stage of life, this book loses some of its impact.