The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

Summary: 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 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.

 

Review: I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

I love this book. I read it last year, but reread it for a book club mini challenge this month, which gave me a good excuse to refresh my memory. I don’t know why I love this book so much. When I finished reading, I felt satisfied, sad, happy, and nostalgic, but I can’t really explain WHY.

As a shy introvert, I can relate to Charlie in many ways, though he’s far worse than I have ever been. Charlie lets things happen on a daily basis, but then shows surprising nerve in rare moments. And then he’s back to letting the world handle him instead of handling the world. He cries all the time, which I find kind of odd, but then I remember how I used to be so nervous all the time and I’d panic internally. He cries when he’s panicked, so I guess that makes sense.

I love how much he notices about people. About the world. But he’s such a wallflower that he doesn’t notice his own impact.

I don’t know how to write a good review for this book. It’s just worth the read.

Here’s a collection of quotes I just had to jot down so that maybe, if my review doesn’t help you get a feel for the book, these will.

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