Reviews - Been There, Read That!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Time to take a journey back to high school or step into this world for the first time...

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By: Stephen Chbosky

4 Hearts out of 5

Summary from GoodReads: Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix 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. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. 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.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Now onto what I thought of this coming-of-age story:

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is a book that I believe any teenager/young adult can relate to. It's the everyday struggles of life including love, drugs, family, and the "uncharted territory of high school."

I found this book very intriguing and I was surprised about it. I was surprised because of how much I could relate to it. It's such a contemporary, coming-of-age story that is so thought provoking and makes you question your own life.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is for anyone wants to take journey with our protagonist Charlie through is very life changing freshman year of high school. Charlie is a boy who no one really notices, and rather he notices everything. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Charlie's diary. the person he is writing to is never found out, but his words are able to speak to anyone.

Charlie journeys through the world of sex, love, and drugs. He finds out what it's truly like befriending a couple of carefree seniors and taking his first real spin in the ride known as high school. Sam and Patrick take Charlie under their wing and change his life for the better. They show him what many people coin the bad part of high school, but it turns out being the "bad parts" that show him the good parts.

Charlie, our main character goes through the tragedies in life and you feel his hurt as he writes in his journal. The truth behind the story is breathtaking and others may say the book reads too much into high school issues for a freshman, but being a senior now, I can put myself in Charlie's place as a freshman and say, yes, this stuff really does happen, and it affects everyone at some point.

Keep in mind that this book is labeled a banned book, meaning that it is unavailable in some places to keep difficult thematic material away from younger eyes. Also keep in mind, Charlie goes through some hard times, so it may feel like you lose a bit of your childish mind if I may say, when you experience all these things with Charlie in this story. If you are ready to take a step and read what high school truly feels like and get those 'feels' all over again or for the first time, I definitely recommend this book.

Hope you all enjoy "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

~BetwixtDecisions