Be More Chill, by Ned Vizzini

I picked up this book because I had already read It's Kind of a Funny Story by this author and I liked it. In that book, the main character was funny, intelligent, clumsy, unlucky, and depressed. All these things combined made him very lovable and relatable. I'm not terribly far into this book, but I have a feeling I'm gonna like it too.

The main character in this book is named Jeremy Heere. He's pretty much your average, high school dork. He's in every drama production the school puts on, he is madly in love with a girl he will never get to have, and he doesn't have that many friends. Your typical high school-loser cliche. But somehow, Vizzini is managing to put his own spin on it.

One of the things I hate the most in literature, especially realistic fiction, are all the stereotypes and cliches. Normally, I'd put down this book right away and start something more original. I just can't seem to do that though. The main issue in books with a geeky, male protagonist is usually self-esteem or acceptance. Although I can see both of those issues pooping up, the author hasn't emphasized them enough to make them the main issues. I still feel like the real conflict hasn't been introduced yet. I am still waiting for Jeremy to make a mistake.

I am very interested in Jeremy as a character, and I will be tracking his development throughout this story. Right now, he is kind of sad and it is obvious he thinks he needs change in his life. I think he really wants to change, and I think that he will try to make it happen, unlike Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye. The two seem kind of similar; both are unlucky, bad at social interactions, and have a cynical outlook on life. The whole book, Holden complained and complained, and he wasn't doing anything about it. It took a very bad experience to wake him up and jumpstart his change. Jeremy on the other hand is different. He has this huge crush on a girl, and he tried speaking to her. He was going to give her chocolate, but it melted. He failed for a different reason than Holden: rotten luck. One thing all really good characters have in common is that they fail in some way. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird did not win the case. However, he knew in his heart he was right, and it added to him as a character. Holden failed at everything, but eventually he learned from his mistakes and changed for the better. Jeremy failed this time, but it's safe to assume he will do a better job next time.

I think by the end of the book Jeremy will be what he hopes to be, which is popular. I think he will get the girl, and he will also become a better person, just from my other experiences with this author.

Hopefully, I'm right.

The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger

If you haven't already read this book, you need to read it. It is considered to be a classic, and for good reason. First of all, the characters are stellar, especially Holden. (Read my other posts to find out more about him.) Even the small characters are great, such as Stradlater, (his roommate at his boarding school in the beginning of the book) and Sally Hayes (his ex-girlfriend). Salinger's craft is marvelous, and he is definitely in my top ten authors. The way the characters interact is so real, it makes me want to pick up this book and read it all over again. 

I've tracked some ideas and issues throughout this book, and after completing it, I can say that Holden's biggest antagonist was himself. Society also played a big role, but I believe that ultimately, he was the one holding himself back and stopping himself from living life to the fullest. In Holden's defense, he did have a mental disorder. I know I can't be that mad at him, but many times in the book he says, "I swear to God I'm a madman." (134). It's almost as if Holden was annoyed with himself for acting so crazy. The part that really gets to me, is that Holden became 100% aware of his problem, yet he didn't do anything to fix it, and he still complained! 

However, it is this contradiction that makes Holden such an interesting and thought-provoking character. He often refers to everyone around him as, "phonies." This is his word for people who pretend to be something that they're not, and just do things so people will think they are sophisticated. Holden basically thinks everyone in the world is a phony except his little sister, Phoebe. They share a lot of the same traits, which is the reason Holden actually loves her.  It was almost as if Holden had all this love inside that he needed to let out, but with time, the love turned to hatred, and the hatred made him a cynical and sad person. 

Holden really did change a lot though. At the beginning of the book, he hated the world so much that he would rather have not made connections with the people and places in it, just so he wouldn't be sad when he left. He knew ultimately that eventually people will have to leave everything, whether it be by death, or another form. Holden thought about suicide once in the book as well. At the end of the book, Holden tells the reader, "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." (214). This implies that Holden learned how to make connections to people; he learned how to love, and be happy. He is glad he made the connections, because it wouldn't hurt to tell if he hadn't. When his sister tells him she wants to run away with him out west, he sees a part of himself in her, and has an epiphany. He realizes that running away from life will benefit no one, and that there are people in the world who really care about him.

Overall, I think all of this and more is what makes Holden such a relatable character. He tells it like it is, and he's not afraid to speak his mind. He learns from his experiences, and by doing so gains wisdom. Everyone can learn something from him, whether it's about depression, relationships, coping with failure, or even expressing yourself. I hope, one day soon, that Salinger will speak to you like he did to me.