The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower


Author: Stephen Chbosky

Publisher: Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster Imprint)

Rating: Four and a half stars

When we get out of the tunnels, Sam screamed this really fun scream, and there it was. Downtown. Lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder. Sam sat down and started laughing. Patrick started laughing. I started laughing.
And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.

Charlie is a sensitive and smart boy. He also a different from anyone in his age; a bit awkward in social and often thinks too much, he can suddenly cry or laugh because of simple things. This book is about his journey on his first year of high school; how he met his best friends: Patrick and Sam, about his first sexual experience, about the first time he was stoned, and about his interaction with his family. Told in simple words, Charlie took us on a roller coaster ride of being an ordinary yet special kid.


You know some books that plunged you into endless action? With dead bodies and mysteries along the plot, and sometimes it makes you afraid to turn off the light? Well, this is not one of those books. This is a book for those who like to think about life, for those who enjoy seeing life from different eyes and - just like Charlie - like to wonder how people got into their places, for people who like to read about people with disorder, because I think that's Charlie, the main character of this story.

I instantly fell in love with Charlie after reading few pages. For me he's so likeable; it wasn't hard to portray him at all. You can see the dynamic and development in Charlie not only from the way he told his stories but also from the way those were written. The same also applied to Patrick and Sam, and even Charlie's family such as his sister, his mother, his father, and his brother. The connection between them felt real and natural. I think Stephen Chbosky did a great job at creating such believable characters.

There were times when the plot went too slow, but this isn't an action story so I'm cool with that. The messages in this story were powerful, I remember reading one sentence and literary stopped because I need to digest it and savor it. But at the same time those weren't too heavy or preachy, not at all - because I hate preachy -it's just perfect for me.

I'm happy that in the end, I could find out what exactly that trigger the Charlie's problem, despite it was sad and shocking, but it made me understand Charlie even more. I wish it was longer, I haven't satisfied savoring Charlie's words! All I can say, if you have the same taste like me, you'll love this!

Lynossa

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky