Book Club: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower By Stephen Chbosky

The February Book Club read was The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

 

The entire book is written in the form of letters from the main character teenage Charlie to a person who is unknown. Charlie grows up in the 90s an era of mixed tapes, smoking joints in basements and The Rocky Horror Show. Charlie is in his first year at High School, super smart but just doesn't know it and thinks intensely about everything, he's a watcher not a doer thus the name 'wallflower'.

This book is about growing up and pains of High School, the loss of friends and making friends, teen sexuality and the challenges Charlie faces being a young adult who thinks about everyone and everything in such detail, but never himself. He is brutally honest and full of uncontrollable emotion.

This book tugs on the heart strings and I felt really sad for Charlie. The story has a twist that I kind of saw coming as to why Charlie is the way that he is. It was quite a small book and very easy to read, considering it was a book solely written in letter format from 1 character I think the author is pretty talented to keep the reader engaged like he did. I loved the reference to different books Charlie read like Catcher in the Rye and especially liked the quotes and sayings in the book, this is my favourite:

"Why do I, and everyone I love, pick people who treat us like we're nothing

We accept the love we think we deserve"

The Perks of Being A Wallflower has also recently been made into a movie which I would love to watch ... another movie night perhaps!

I would recommend this book to young adults and anyone who both loved and hated High School. I give this book 4 stars.

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch re-runs of Neighbours than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd pass up a pack of tim tams for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

[Image via Amazon]