A modern cult classic, a major motion picture and a timeless bestseller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story.
Charlie is not the biggest geek in high school, but he's by no means popular.
Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie is attempting to navigate through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and music - when all one requires to feel infinite is that perfect song on that perfect drive. Standing on the fringes of life Charlie has a unique perspective of the world around him, but there comes a time to stop being a wallflower and see what it looks like from the dance floor.
This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion has become a modern classic. Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating and through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.
'Chobsky captures adolescent angst, confusion and joy... Compelling.' Booklist
'This wistful, sensitive novel perfectly captures the uncertainty and excitement of adolescence, and has become a deserving modern classic.' Scottish Book Trust
'A coming-of-age tale in the tradition of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE and A SEPARATE PEACE... [Chbosky's] poignant reflections on life, love and friendship are often inspirational and always beautifully written.' USA Today
Initial thoughts: It's taken me such a long time to pick up The Perks of Being a Wallflower but I'm glad I did. For one, I finally see how much influence it's had on young adult literature. For another, now I don't need to skip paragraphs in books anymore that reference The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Beyond that, it's a very quiet and introspective book that manages to deal with a lot of things. Some parts were disturbing, no doubt, others were sad, but there also were beautiful ones. I don't know what else there is for me to say about a book that most people I know have already read. I'll just let things sink in for now, maybe do a review/discussion for it on my blog some time. Most of all, I liked it for the beat of the writing and how the thoughts were laid out.
