The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

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

Reviewed by Rowena on

3 of 5 stars

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I got this book in the mail for review and was looking forward to reading it because I like that Logan kid from Percy Jackson. I also like Harmoine from Harry Potter. I’ve been slogged down in review books for the past couple of months and so this book fell off my radar for a little bit but was thrown right back onto the top when my nephew Jarred told me on Instagram that this book was a really good book.

I read this book in one sitting. It’s not that long of a story but I thought it was interesting that the author decided to tell Charlie’s story through letters. The entire story is told through letters that the main character, Charlie writes to a “friend”. What surprised me most about this format was how well it worked for Charlie’s story. I was really engrossed in Charlie’s world and in his story. He was so strange but learning to be okay with how different he was with everyone. I loved his teacher, Bill and I loved both Patrick and Sam, even when things got so out of control with the both of them. I thought Chbosky did a fabulous job of showing how much Charlie grew (emotionally) from the beginning to the end. I really enjoyed seeing him get closer to his family.
The way that this story unfolded piece by piece and it was not always fun reading but man was it real. I could picture everything that happened in this book so vividly and I couldn’t put this book down. There were a few times when the book didn’t move fast enough for me but in the end, I was just so glad that I read this book that I let the little things that bothered me slide.

This book was a solid and good read. I definitely recommend this book to teens because I’m sure that teens these days can connect with a character like Charlie. He wasn’t this perfect character, he was flawed and he made mistakes but best of all, he learned and I came to love his character through the telling of this story. I will most definitely be reading more from this author and I’m definitely watching the movie. I actually can’t wait for the movie.

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  • 31 October, 2013: Reviewed