What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood. Charlie is a freshman. And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone of undisclosed name, age and gender; a stylistic technique that adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness saturating this teen's story. Charlie encounters the same struggles many face in high school--how to make friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship, exploring sexuality, experimenting with drugs--but he must also deal with the devastating fact of his best friend's recent suicide. Charlie's letters take on the intimate feel of a journal as he shares his day-to-day thoughts and feelings:

"I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why."

With the help of a teacher who recognises his wisdom and intuition, and his two friends, seniors Samantha and Patrick, Charlie mostly manages to avoid the depression he feels creeping up like ivy. When it all becomes too much, after a shocking realisation about his beloved late Aunt Helen, Charlie checks out for awhile. But he makes it back to reality in due time, ready to face his sophomore year and all that it may bring. Charlie, sincerely searching for that feeling of "being infinite" is a kindred spirit to the generation that's been slapped with the label X. --Brangien Davis, Amazon.com

2008-07-03 It's always difficult to review a book...

It's always difficult to review a book, as that which you may have loved, may not be someone elses cup of tea.
This book is no exception to this rule. You may like it, love it, hate it, think it's a load of rubbish, or not have any opinion on it what-so-ever. Because taste in reading matter differs strikingly from person to person, I rarely write reviews for them, but "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" had to be an exception.

It is, no question, one of my all-time favourite books, and I have bought many copies, giving them as presents for people who I know would enjoy it as I have.
If you read the synopsis and are still undecided, I'd go for it. Originally, I picked it up in a bookshop one day because the cover attracted my attention, and I'm so glad I did!

It's fair to say it won't break the bank, and could be a book that changes your outlook on life, even just for a little while. You come to love Charlie, his letters and his sense of humor as he journeys blindly through the world of growing up, trying his best to fit in. It causes you to laugh, cry and feel all the other emotions in between.

I couldn't put it down. A must.