The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky was a delightful read and one that sat on my shelf for way too long.
This book is classified as young adult (YA), but I can say that I related to things in it as well. It helps that it took place in the early 1990's when I was in high school myself so there were several things that the main character, Charlie made reference to that I totally understood.
Charlie is a teenage boy trying to figure out where he fits in with his friends, with girls, with his family, with school and with himself. He is empathetic and compassionate almost to a fault, but it also made him endearing.
The book is written in diary entries. It is not clear who Charlie is writing to exactly, but as the reader, I felt like he was writing to me. I was to be his captivated audience that would just listen to his rambling and deepest thoughts.
Charlie's character also felt real to me. Many times, I could hear the voices of the young people in my life and I'd think, that sounds just like someone I know. His voice was very accurate. The issues brought up in the book like drugs, sex, mental health are all important and real topics for any teenager too.
The side characters, Charlie's friends, family and teacher all give insights into who he is too. I thought the characters were very well developed; the writing flowed and the story was heart warming. So glad I took the time to read this, this summer. Maybe some time I will see the film too.
Bookworm Rating: 🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛
I talk about this book a little bit in the video below:
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