The Perks of Being A Wallflower Review

Author: Stephen Chbosky
Release Date: Feb 1, 1999
Pages: 213 (Paperback)
Publisher: MTV Books
Most Appropriate For Ages: 16+
Where I Got It: From library

Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie is navigating through the strange worlds of love, drugs, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and dealing with the loss of a good friend and his favorite aunt.

When I first finished The Perks of Being A Wallflower, I felt very...torn, I guess you'd call it. I had no clue what I thought of it. But, the more and more I think about it, the more I like it. I didn't intensely love it like I know some did, but I did enjoy it and get something from it's message.

This book was so, so different. It's written in letters, but we're never told who Charlie's writing to, we're just told that he's never met them but thinks they sound nice. Unrealistic? Yes, which bugged me. But for the most part, the writing style worked.

I was very torn about how I felt about Charlie, the protagonist. He cried. A lot. He was very naive, and overly-sensitive. But then...the end. It kind of explained everything about Charlie and made me look at him in a completely different light. It's not one of those books that you have to finish, trust me.

The writing had moments of sheer brilliance, and the story was grabbing, so my eyes ended up being glued to the pages through most of the novel. Even though I didn't love it like some people do (perhaps I'm not angsty enough?) I'd recommend it. I think even over ten years after it's publication, it's still as fresh and easy to enjoy as ever.

Book Report:

Plot: Engrossing.

Characters: Good, though Charlie annoyed me sometimes.

Writing: Pretty awesome.

Ending: Perfect.

Kid friendly? No. There's mentions of rape, abuse, and child molestation. There's also sex, drug abuse, and language.

Should I read it? Yeah, I think most people can take something from it.

Overall:

Also, I am BEYOND excited for this movie. Emma Watson? Paul Rudd? That chick from Scott Pilgrim and Parenthood? YES. Of course, I'm not sure how they'll really be able to pull it off, since it's written in letters...but I'm gonna be excited anyways.