“He's a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.”
Authors Stephen Chbosky
Format ebook
Original Language: English
Publisher: Demco
Country: United States of America
Publication Date: April 1999
ISBN: 978-0606183789
Page Count: 213
Description
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.
Review
This book centers around love. Family love. Friend love. Boyfriend/girlfriend love.This is a great coming of age story. Charlie is an incoming high school freshman who is struggling with being the new kid in a new place. He deals with many of the heavy issues that teenagers struggle with today, including suicide, feeling left out, being part of a crowd, homosexuality, and more.
“ Struggling with the loss of his friend, Michael, Charlie, a socially awkward fourteen-year-old, is entering his first year of high school. Having the only relative he ever felt close to pass away when he was younger and not very many friends, Charlie often prefers reading books in his room and not being involved in much else. However, when two seniors, Patrick and Sam, take him under their wing, much in Charlie's life begins to change. He faces many typical teenage problems, ranging from drugs to dating to saying or doing the wrong thing. Through Charlie's many adventures with his new friends, he not only discovers things about himself, but he also learns how important he is to so many other people.
This journey of self-discovery is truly one of the most touching that I have ever read. The style of the author's writing starts off a bit odd because it is so simplistic and straightforward; however, the colorful characters and plot really shine through. Also, the problems that Charlie and his friends face are very relatable issues for teenagers in high school. Watching Charlie face these problems, also, really teaches the reader valuable life lessons. Other than the great morals that are learned through this book, it also is very fun, entertaining, and easy to read. I would definitely recommend this to any high schooler looking for a cute, feel-good story.
Summary
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
Quotes
“Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve”
Bill
“And I guess at that moment I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter”
Charlie
“It is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book”
Charlie
“It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph was beautiful was because of how he took it. If I took it, I would know that the only reason it's beautiful is because of Sam.”
Charlie
“I would give someone a record so they could love the record, not so they would always know that I gave it to them.”
Charlie
“There's nothing like the deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons. It was that great.”
Charlie
“I'll die for you. But I won't live for you.”
Charlie
“So I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”
Charlie
“So this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.”
Charlie
“I just want you to know that you’re very special, and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.”
Bill
Reading Level: Young Adults
Lots of sexuality (including homosexuality and rape), and drug abuse.
Rating : 3 stars
