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The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review
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. This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed 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. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up. User Submitted The Perks of Being a Wallflower ReviewsNovember 24, 2008 Simply the best. My younger sister bought this book and then after gave it to me-and it is one of those books that I will pick up and read again and again. It is so beautifully written and continues to leave the reader with a new outlook each time it is read. I am in college now and have passed this book along to others to be read and every one of them has loved it so far. It is by far one of the best books I have ever read, hands down. I would recommend it for everyone to read! October 20, 2008 Zzzzzz... I'm not sure why the reviews on this site are so positive. I thought this was fairly boring and seemed to be somewhat of a copy of 'Catcher in the Rye' (which is over-rated in the first place). I think if I was still in high school I would have liked this more but having read these types of stories I was fairly bored with this. Recommended for readers of Young Adult books only. October 5, 2008 Thoughtful coming-of-age story The Perks of Being a Wallflower tells the story of Charlie, an awkward and introspective high school freshman. The book is comprised of a series of letters that Charlie writes to an unknown recipient, relating the news of his life, the friendships with a group of seniors, his complex relationship with his family and his bond with a teacher who believes Charlie is special. This is a wonderful coming-of-age tale. It's such a cliche to compare every tale of a misfit boy to The Catcher in the Rye, but Charlie's alienation and struggle to find himself are every bit as compelling as in the classic stories of troubled youth, like Catcher. Chbosky's writing style is honest and straightforward. Charlie's desires and inadequacies are palpable. I highly recommend this intelligent and moving novel. September 30, 2008 Pretty good. exactly what i wanted, in great condition. and super cheap! but it was a little late on shipping... September 24, 2008 Freakin' Awesome This book is amazing. It's full of weird things, comedy, and of course some serious stuff. It has changed people's life but it my not change yours. I would recommend this to people 14 yrs. old and up. Also, anyone who has felt alone, scared, or just hasn't been able to fit in anywhere. What it's about is a boy named Charlie (that's not his real name. He doesn't use real ones) who is scared about going into high school. He meets a few people like Patrick and Sam. The story is full of suspense and comedy. It's is great. September 11, 2008 Left wanting to know more... This was the first book I read because I wanted to. Not because some english teacher said I had to. A man I work with's daughter was given this book by her school as an assignment and told to read it over the summer. The mother of this girl evidently was reading it and the parents were not happy about their daughter reading this book. They said it was too detailed for their 17 year old daughter. So I looked it up on the internet and bought it to read myself. I think it did it's job as a book. It left me wanting to know more about the boy and at times I couldn't put it down. I laughed out loud yet cried at times. I found myself worrying about him and I really became attached to him. I felt as if I knew him personally. However I do think it is a little too detailed at times for younger readers. Overall I like this book and am glad I read it. Now I want to read more books! September 11, 2008 Favorite My favorite book of all time. An extremely easy read, that you won't want to put down. The format is a little odd to get used to at first, but once you move past that, you can't help but relate with the main character and really connect and root for him. August 28, 2008 A Must-Read High School Coming of Age Story It took me nearly four years to get around to reading this book and it was definitely worth the wait. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an amazing story that follows a scared and lonely teenage boy through his freshman year of high school: making friends, "discovering" girls, developing an identity, and holding on for dear life in a world much unlike anything he's ever encountered before. For anyone who has ever experienced high school, the book reminds readers just how scary, new and amazing high school can be. The book is a quick read (just over 200 pages) and written in a friendly format that instantly makes the reader empathize with the main character. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a wonderful story that will make you laugh, cry, and reminisce on the good old days of high school. I highly recommend this book. August 18, 2008 Plot and themes are unrealistic and heavy-handed, but this remains an emotional and meaningful book. Recommeded Charlie is about to start high school, and so he begins to send letters to an anonymous stranger as an outlet for his fears. His letters continue through the school year, recording his friendships, high school life, mental issues, and ongoing battle to emerge from passivity and actively engage with the world. Although heavy-handed in its themes and discussing a surfeit of difficult issues from suicide to drug use to homosexuality, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is remarkably good. Realistic characters make up for the the unrealistic plot, and Charlie's epiphanies about life and happiness, however small they may be, are meaningful and resonant. The book is swiftly readable, emotional, and meaningful, and I recommend it. I wish that I had read The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I was a young adult, because I think I would have enjoyed it even more then. Reading it as an adult, the book is still quite good--but its flaws are more noticeable. From premise to plot, too much of the book is unrealistic. Charlie's letters function as a direct address to the reader, but why he writes them is never adequately explained. Although he is a wallflower--the very premise of the book--Charlie quickly becomes friends with a group of students, and through them (and his siblings) faces all number of difficult issues: (discrimination against and coming to terms with) homosexuality, drug use, rape, dating, sexual activity and promiscuity, pregnancy and abortion, mental health, and suicide, to name a few. With so many issues in such a short book, each becomes abrupt and heavy-handed, and some are immediately reduced to a single important theme. Despite these flaws, I enjoyed the book. It is swiftly readable, Chbosky's adolescent voice is almost too accurate, but best of all: despite its heavy-handedness, The Perks of Being a Wallflower manages to be remarkably sensitive and tug more than a few heartstrings. Though the plot lacks subtlety, Charlie does not. His thoughtful and emotional approach to his friends and environment grants him starting perception, and his continual battle to rise from thought into action is a never-ending coming of age story which is appropriate for all readers. No matter how blatant many of his epiphanies are, Charlie's small discoveries about his potential and happiness remain true and meaningful. The book is emotional, sometimes depressing, but ultimately empowering. The Perks of Being a Wallflower was not all that I expected it would be (based on the recommendation that I'd heard), and I believe that it is more relevant and enjoyable to the intended young adult audience. Nonetheless, I'm glad to have read it, and I can see why it's become a YA classic--and, for its subject matter, why it is controversial. Although somewhat blatant and heavy-handed, the novel deals with a number of difficult issues which may affect teens, denying neither their existence nor danger. But where the book really shines is in Charlie's personal and private discoveries, things not inspired by drug use or teen sexual activity. When he feels "infinite," driving and listening to music with his friends, both Charlie and the reader are exhilarated by the potential of life--a message well worth taking away. I enjoyed this book despite its faults, and I recommend it to all audiences. August 15, 2008 When does the good part start? When I picked this book up, I expected a book to identify with. However, as I read the story, this was not the case. A majority of the book is talking about what kind of music Charlie likes, what kind of drugs he takes, or how much fun he has at the Rocky Horror show. I can't count how many times he goes to it and watches the same thing. As I wasn't interested in any of this topics the book didn't particularly give me any message. There was one interesting twist in this book. The background information to the twist makes it believable, and the way it is revealed is brilliant. Aside from that, theres not much good to say about this book. For more The Perks of Being a Wallflower reviews click here.
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