The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Reader reviewed by T.T.A

The perks of being a reader is that you can pick up this amazing book and relish in it.

Reader reviewed by Castrezzy<3

This book is WOAH. Or, wow. It's really amazing from beggining to end. It's really awesome. I enjoyed this book, and if your one of those people that love to read then this book is for you!! Oh, and a shout out to those people that have it rough in life, this book is also for you. Just letting you know that this book will open your eyes, knowing that family, friends, etc have it worse and stuff. Yet, that is no excuse to do something stupid. Anyways, this book is so amazing. I personally give it a hundred!

Reader reviewed by peaches

This book isn't realistic to high schoolers. No one goes out for a drive and feels infinite unless they're high, while listening to some depressing Smith's song. No teacher cries along with their spouse/girlfriend in front of some kid because he is brillant. That's stupid and misleading. Just because u happen to be a loner, doesn't make you smart. The kid, charlie, is overexaggerated and that in my opinion is where the story falls apart. This kid is not real, tangible, or honest, which brings the plot of the book to a screeching halt because the author tries to deal with honest real situations, but ultimately fail because the kid himself isn't honest, but just  false depiction of what a 30 year old man (and basically everybody else out there) wanted his teenage years to be like: introverted, but accepted by the coolest indie kids in school. Silent, yet thought of as the smartest and most brillant student alive.
I do admit this book has its touching moments, and quotes like "the love you get is equal to love u think u deserve" (or something like that) are really great. It just seems that the author had a bunch of great things he wanted to say about highschool and life, and threw them in the most overexagerated, stereotypical, pretentious book about school.
I also hated how the author would bring up important subject matters like suicide, rape, sex and whateverelse and drop them soon. I found that the one continous story line was the family's internal struggles and problems with themselves. Maybe, that's what the Chobsky had indeed experienced in high school, and maybe that's why he wrote so well about it.

Reader reviewed by Cara

Definitely my favorite book of all time. I love the main character, he's so cute and learns a lot throughout the whole book. I could read it over and over and not get tired of it. It relates to real-life situations that a lot of people can understand. I love this book and have recommended it to many of my close friends.

Reader reviewed by melissa

This is a wonderful coming of age book. to sum up the book, in the beginning this boy Charlie writes letters to this person. they have know idea who he is but he seems to know them. it was sort of creepy. you follow his life and experience what he thinks and feels. it interesting to see how so much can go on in a day and how people don't notice any of it because there so consumed in their own lives. charlie seemed a bit mysterious and awkward which is what every teen is growing up. i learned alot about myself from reading this book.

Reader reviewed by MssJos

This book has been on my "to read" list for over a year now. I'm not exactly sure how this book ended up on my list. I just kind of kept hearing about it so I guess I added it somewhere along the way. Normally, I don't enjoy books that consist only of letters written by the characters, journal entries, or things like that but this one is an exception to that rule. Actually, it's an exception to a lot of rules.

Charlie spends his entire freshmen year of high school writing letters to someone who's name he does not reveal to us. In these letters, Charlie describes his first experiences in high school--the loss of his friend to suicide, the eccentric new friends he makes, abusing alcohol, first drug use, and much, much more. Told by anyone else, this story wouldn't be quite as effective; but told from Charlie's intelligent, sensitive, and completely unassuming point of view, readers can feel his excitement, fear, and infinte-ness. (Yes, I realize this is not actually a word...just read the book).

Through his one-sided letters (and therapy), Charlie recalls some things about his past that help him figure out why he is the way he is. Devastating, heartbreaking, and intoxicating, Charlie's letters are simultaneously detailed and vague-keeping readers hanging on until the very end.

This books is hard to explain, and nearly impossible to critically review. Picture "That 70's Show" if Eric was deeply, emotionally disturbed and Hyde was gay. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most unique and intriguing YA novels I have read. It will definitely make you look at the quiet kids in class differently.

This isn't a book I would overtly recommend to students, but I do think young adults could benefit from it. I hope that when I become a teacher, I can be like Bill, the English teacher in the book who is always there for Charlie, and sees something special in him and let's him know it. Because sometimes you just need someone to say it out loud. Though Charlie is only sixteen, some of his insights are so advanced and enlightened, readers of all ages can appreciate them.

"I think if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people
are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact
that they were upset. And even if someone else has it much worse, that doesn't
really change the fact that you have what you have. Good and Bad...Because it's okay to feel things. And be who you are about them." (p.212)

Charlie shows readers that life can be painful, beautiful, and terrifying all at once.

Reader reviewed by Brianna

This is a wonderful coming of age book. i got it for christmas and finished it on christmas. to sum up the book this boy Charlie writes letters to this person. they have know idea who he is but he seems to know them. you follow his life and experience what he thinks and feels. i learned alot about myself from reading this book. i truely think that this book is amazing. it is defently on of my favorites.

Reader reviewed by Stephanie

Nervous about entering high school, 15-year-old Charlie begins writing to a stranger, addressed as friend. He writes about everything: school, family, friends. There is a lot of tension between him, his older brother, and his older sister. At school, Charlie does very well in English, where his teacher gives him extra books to read and write about.

However, Charlie also has difficult connecting with and understanding people and making friends. He manages to befriend a great group of seniors who help him gain experience as well as realize that, while there may be many perks to living at the fringes of life, sometimes you have to participate, have to confront yourself in order to move on and grow.

Ive always heard of this being a must-read for all teenagers. I guess that makes sensebut read it before its too late and doesnt appeal to you anymore. Charlie is quite an annoying and pathetic character that I could not really sympathize with, except at the end.

Reader reviewed by Cara

This is definately my favorite book. Its about your average teenage boy growing up in high school. He just wants to fit in. The author decreibes his feeling so well, at the end of the book you feel like you know the character personally. I bet a lot of kids could relate to this book.

Reader reviewed by Paullina

I am in love with this book. I have read it numerous times and learn something new each time I pick it up. It has changed my life, the way I see things from day to day, and I think I would be extremely beneficial for ALL students to read this book sometime in their high school careers. It's enthralling and hard to put down, and carries a great message at the same time.