Title:

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author:

Stephen Chbosky

Stars: 5/5

Summary:

Charlie is a wallflower; observing things that others don’t see. Perks of Being a Wall Flower introduces the reader to the ever insightful Charlie through a collection of letters written throughout his freshman year in 1991, addressed to someone known only as friend. Through these letters we see his struggles and triumphs as he moves through life discovering more about friends, family and relationships, all while dealing with pain and loss.

Review:

Perks of Being a Wall Flower is an absolutely wonderful coming of age story. Charlie’s narration is honest and sincere, drawing you into the story and making you care about the characters and events. Through this frank narration Chbosky deals with issues that many teens commonly face without trying to sugar coat them. While Perks of Being a Wall Flower can be a little dark at times it does an excellent job of emphasizing both the bad and the good in life rather than just focusing on one or the other. One of my favorite things about Chbosky’s writing style is his ability to create moments within his story that really stick with you and have significance—that are ‘infinite’. This book was a major emotional roller coaster that really made me appreciate life, and left me speechless at the end. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in realistic fiction or coming of age stories, or to anyone who just wants to read a good book.

Warnings: This book deals with drugs, sex, and other intense issues, although these subjects are handled very well.

Similar Recommended Books:

Looking for Alaska by John Green

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned . Vizzini