Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

RATING: 4/5 stars

SPICE LEVEL: 3/5

Parent's Guide: Sexual themes equal to coming of age in an adult man with disabilities and references to incest, abuse of disabled person, language, religion testing, devil worship mentioned, animal abuse, child abuse, bullying, relationship conflicts and abuse, abuse of power over disabled individual, non-inclusive language, smoking and drug use, discrimination.

This book tore me to pieces! As someone who has family members and personally lives with disabilities on a daily basis, this book hit me hard. Charlie, a man with intellectual disabilities, is given the chance to be part of an experiment where he can get smarter. He thinks that this will make him like everyone else and that he will be normal and fit in, but things take a turn.

He meets Algernon, the mouse who shows Charlie how to complete the mazes and do puzzles to get food and other things. Charlie sort of has mixed feelings about himself and Algernon. At first, he's amazed a mouse can do all of these things, but as time goes on, he feels dumb, and starts hating Algernon for being smarter than him.

Soon, Charlie starts showing he's smart too. He even gets promoted at the bakery where he works. Things get better and he starts feeling more like part of society and fitting in, but things take a turn. Algernon is deteriorating, and soon, so does Charlie. The world he wanted to be part of so badly, eventually turns away from him again. He becomes isolated and lonely once more.

This book explores many themes from loneliness to persecution of those with disabilities, bullying, where to draw the line at human knowledge, and more.

It really got to me even more because my daughter is disabled and feels dumb often, even though she isn't. Her name is Charlotte, but we call her Charlie, so that made this even more personal for me. I could often relate to Charlie myself, feeling like an outsider and unwanted by other people. I often feel insecure and alone, very isolated in my own situation with agoraphobia and AUDHD. I think that's what makes this book amazing. It is still relevant today, even though it was written in 1959.

Some parallels that it made me think of were Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Brave New World by Aldo Huxley. You can't create the perfect human, and trying to often has disastrous results. I think being yourself, making mistakes, and having flaws and challenges is why we are more successful. Perfection doesn't learn to grow, change, adapt, or give. There's no compassion in perfection. This book really makes you think.

As you read through Charlie's progress reports (diary style writing), you learn about the other side of thinking. The side that doesn't understand what's going on most days because his mind doesn't work the same as others. This book doesn't get enough attention. I really hope more of you will read it. It's one of my new favorites.