Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - 4 stars









I'm not one to usually read anything from this genre. I tend to stick more to fantasy. This book caught my attention because I saw the previews for the movie and I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie. I finally got to the book and then finally got to the movie. 

This book was wonderfully written. Chbosky did a wonderful job. It's a quick read but I liked the format. It's better than a diary. It reminds me a little of Go Ask Alice. Instead of a diary he is writing letters to a friend. These letters narrate his year as a freshman. 

There is something definitely wrong with Charlie. It's just in the way he writes and explains things. He even has a history with being in a hospital. In the beginning he is very lonely. His friend from middle school committed suicide and so he starts off as the quiet kid. His teacher notices this and gives him books to read and asks him to write about it. Charlie finds a friend in his teacher, a kind of mentor. Charlie doesn't relate to his family and he talks about his aunt Helen a lot. His sister gets into a relationship with a guy who gives her a bunch of mixed tapes. He falls in love with one song...Asleep. I keep meaning to listen to it. 

Eventually Charlie meets Patrick and Sam and becomes their friend. Patrick is gay and in a secret relationship with the star of the football team. Charlie obviously gets feelings for Sam but she doesn't see him that way. They're seniors and, although he is a freshman, he is still one of their group. 

Many things happen through the year. Things are revealed and the truth that was hinted at becomes known. Charlie is a called wallflower because he sees everything. He notices everything that other's don't see. I thought the ending was great. Overall I recommend this book. It's a great read and I really enjoyed it.



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