The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I’ve seen a lot of online hype about the forthcoming movie starring Emma Watson. I’ve also watched our sales improve at work, week by week, as the buzz increases.

I was curious. I thought this was a going away to college/coming of age story.

Almost, but not quite.

This is aimed a little younger than that. Charlie is 15. He is befriended by a group of seniors and we see their final year of school through Charlie’s filter.

This is also a big year for Charlie as he learns to “participate” more in life and come to terms with some of his own demons.

 

Although it’s never spelt out, Charlie appears to have some form of Asperger’s, depression or social anxiety issue.

It is not easy for Charlie to engage with the world; he prefers to watch from the sidelines. He is gifted, extremely emotional and prone to thinking too fast and too much.

All his friend’s have issues too. They struggle with love, sex, drugs, drinking, school work and family.

They survive by sticking together – by being open, honest and willing to stuff up. Their music, books and films define their time, help them belong and give them a feeling of being “infinite”.

The book is full of quotable quotes – google is littered with them! They’re all about growing up, self-awareness, change, hope and love.

Charlie’s voice is stuck in my head – “things are good with me, and even when they’re not, they will be soon enough. And I will believe the same about you.” His story is one that creeps up on you, grows on you and becomes a part of you. I’m glad I read the book. And I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie soon.

_{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 the 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.}