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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by: Stephen Chbosky

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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780671027346
ISBN: 0671027344
Label: MTV
Manufacturer: MTV
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: February 01, 1999
Publisher: MTV
Reading Level: Young Adult
Sales Rank: 976
Studio: MTV

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Product Description:
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.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Amazon.com:
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 that many kids 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 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 recognizes his wisdom and intuition, and his two friends, seniors Samantha and Patrick, Charlie mostly manages to avoid the depression he feels creeping up like kudzu. When it all becomes too much, after a shocking realization about his beloved late Aunt Helen, Charlie retreats from reality for awhile. But he makes it back 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

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- A Must-Read High School Coming of Age Story
It took me nearly four years to get around to reading this book and it was definitely worth the wait. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an amazing story that follows a scared and lonely teenage boy through his freshman year of high school: making friends, "discovering" girls, developing an identity, and holding on for dear life in a world much unlike anything he's ever encountered before. For anyone who has ever experienced high school, the book reminds readers just how scary, new and amazing high school can be. The book is a quick read (just over 200 pages) and written in a friendly format that instantly makes the reader empathize with the main character. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a wonderful story that will make you laugh, cry, and reminisce on the good old days of high school. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:

- Plot and themes are unrealistic and heavy-handed, but this remains an emotional and meaningful book. Recommeded
Charlie is about to start high school, and so he begins to send letters to an anonymous stranger as an outlet for his fears. His letters continue through the school year, recording his friendships, high school life, mental issues, and ongoing battle to emerge from passivity and actively engage with the world. Although heavy-handed in its themes and discussing a surfeit of difficult issues from suicide to drug use to homosexuality, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is remarkably good. Realistic characters make up for the the unrealistic plot, and Charlie's epiphanies about life and happiness, however small they may be, are meaningful and resonant. The book is swiftly readable, emotional, and meaningful, and I recommend it.

I wish that I had read The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I was a young adult, because I think I would have enjoyed it even more then. Reading it as an adult, the book is still quite ... Read More

Rating:

- When does the good part start?
When I picked this book up, I expected a book to identify with. However, as I read the story, this was not the case. A majority of the book is talking about what kind of music Charlie likes, what kind of drugs he takes, or how much fun he has at the Rocky Horror show. I can't count how many times he goes to it and watches the same thing. As I wasn't interested in any of this topics the book didn't particularly give me any message.

There was one interesting twist in this book. The background information to the twist makes it believable, and the way it is revealed is brilliant. Aside from that, theres not much good to say about this book.

Rating:

- One of my favorite books to re-read
The honesty of the character in this story is what makes it one of my favorites. He has a wonderful personality and it's always fun to hear what he had to say about his high school experience. I'd recommend this to anyone from 14-20 years old.

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