Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

       
    

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky 

Series: None
Pages: 384

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 
Release Date: Released
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #75

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. since its publication, stephen chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over a million copies in print, and inspired a major motion picture.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. the world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. of sex, drugs, and the rocky horror picture show. of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

I have been meaning to read 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' for what feels like forever. There is a huge amount of hype surrounding the novel and with the film coming up this year I felt like it was a perfect time to dive in. It is likened to 'The Catcher in the Rye' and other coming of age novel that follow the growth of a boy to a man so to speak. 'Perks' definitely encapsulated those feelings and whilst I didn't find it to be as life changing as many other readers have, I still tremendously enjoyed it and it certainly gave me a lot to think about. 

The novel is told through letters from Charlie to a 'friend'. It felt extremely genuine and personal and I felt it really helped to connect with Charlie in the same way reading his diary would. The way in which the novel is written does make it feel like a classic. It has an timeless quality to it.

What I enjoyed most about 'Perks' is the way it makes you think. Nothing is black and white and I am constantly questioning whether the actions of the characters are right or wrong. It is definitely a book that could be discussed for hours. The characters are so three dimensional and they feel so real. Whether their actions were right or wrong I cared deeply for all of them.

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is a young adult novel that captures the essence of what being a teenager feels like and how hard growing up can be. It deals with issues that, at the time of publication, would have been more shocking than they are today. That being said, it still provides an insight to issues teens still face today and it is a novel I would recommend you pick up.