The Perks of Being A Wallflower

[Sarah10]

I read this book when it came out and I was a teenager. Everyone was talking about how great it was but I thought it was the most over-rated book I'd read. I'm sure a lot of that was because my expectations had been raised so high, as well as the fact that at the time there were a lot of similar books being published. To be honest though, I think that I would appreciate it more if I read it now, which I might do as I still have it.

[Flowerfairy]

I'm sure this book will be the best, I've just seen the movie and always tell myself I should read it.

[Amna reads]

I loved the film! and got the book a few months ago, I need to read it soon!

[Gannon]

I absolutely love the book and am very fond of the movie as well. The cast of the film are amazing.

[dhaller]

My god this book was great. And the movie was amazing as well.

I loved pretty much everything about both, although I have to admit I got the soundtrack from the movie a lot better than I did the book.

[geno0157]

My son had to read this book while in high school. He recommended it to me years later and I enjoyed reading it. I could totally relate.

[VinuW]

I loved both the movie and the book. I loved the blunt narration.

[Jackie Perrotti]

This book was one of those books that I read when I was younger but couldn't really understand what was going on. I reread it when I was older and loved it because I could appreciate its meaning. This book is a perfect coming of age novel and touches on so many topics that our society is too scared to bring up for fear of opening pandora's box. I think this book should be on everyone's list of books to read.

[AutumnBright74]

When I first picked this up, I was excited. It had been recommended to me by a friend that I know is a very harsh critic of literature, so if he had seen value in it, I was sure to. And I was grateful he had, because this novel proved to be breathtaking.

Starting with the layout, the letters, it is at first confusing, but then endearing. His letters not only make this novel more personal, but also, from the start, help you understand how truly alone he feels. He is entering a world he doesn't know, without a friend to confide in.

As the letters go on, we meet his eccentric and lovable new friends Sam and Patrick. This dynamic duo are the perfect addition to a story of a boy who is in desperate need of love, adventure, and experience. I found that these two were exactly what the story needed to keep it from becoming another teenage sob story. In fact, I would go as far as to say, they made the book.

Sam and Patrick, and their equally as strange group of friends not only enlighten Charlie with a new world of happiness, culture, and fun, but set a tone for the book that the reader can enjoy and hope to find in their own life.

Amidst the laughs, is an also serious tone that weaves it's way through the story. This tone hit me hard personally, as I'm sure it has many, for depression is a very serious and very scary matter that is not uncommon, especially in teen years. It is refreshing to see the issue in the open, and also addressed as something that can be overcome with support and "participation".

It is wonderfully written, and a brilliant portrayal of what many remember to be the ups and downs of high school. This "coming of age" tale is a perfect balance of comedy and heartbreak, and the author even threw in a surprise to leave your jaw on the floor and your heart in pieces for our beloved Charlie.