The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. Now a major motion picture starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. Stephen Chbosky's new film Wonder, starring Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts is out now.
Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.
'A coming of age tale in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace... often inspirational and always beautifully written' USA Today
This book... is okay.
I know a lot of people love it to bits and pieces, and I want to love it because Emma Watson was in the film and I know that's a stupid reason, because that's my reason nonetheless. There are a lot of hard topics discussed in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, things we *don't* want to talk about, we don't want to hear about... the things we want to believe don't happen. They're important, and they're discussed well enough.
But... I just couldn't connect with Charlie. Or the other characters, not really. They feel so flat and predictable. I don't know. I think what happened to Charlie was terrible, and I am sorry for how unhappy all the various characters are as they struggle through high school... but mostly I was just bored. I feel like I should have been more entranced or furious about the story. I wasn't. The Perks of Being a Wallflower simply *was* for me.
There are beautifully written moments which I thoroughly appreciated, but I don't think I'd read it again.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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18 June, 2018:
Finished reading
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18 June, 2018:
Reviewed