Umm, the book has been out for over a decade now, so a spoiler warning isn't relevant and a warning like this wouldn't even go on the discussion page anyway. It would actually go on the trope page itself.
I don't recall any instance of Charlie's aunt sexually abusing him in the book. His issues stem from guilt because she died while buying his birthday present.
Hide / Show RepliesThe first time I read the book I didn't pick up on it either. You have to carefully read the flashback Charlie has after his kiss with Sam near the book's end.
More specifically, while Charlie was dreaming, he said Aunt Helen was doing when he was younger what Sam was doing just before. He almost had sex with Sam just before. I had to read it twice to notice it.
Charlie never says it outright, but if you read the epilogue, it's pretty clear that he figured it out at the end:
And after a while, I realized that it happened every Saturday when we would watch television.
SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't already read the book, do not read any further.
One does not shake the box containing the sticky notes of doom! Hide / Show Replies