A review by booksoversecondbreakfast
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I almost DNFed this book. It's a book for high schoolers about high schoolers, and since I'm nearing my thirties, it didn't seem like this book was for me. The writing felt too simplistic and not deep enough. It felt too childish. But I gave it a bit more of a chance when I realized more about what he was going through. I learned of the experiences and pain that contributed to Charlie's simplistic view of his day-to-day teenage life. And then book began to make so much more sense, and I began to see its beauty. I saw my own story and pains reflected in Charlie's and could see the experiences I shared decades ago as a teen reflected in Charlie's. This book captures the effects of Charlie's source of pain so well - better than I've ever experienced in a book, and I was feel so grateful to get to read such a beautiful story capturing and empathizing with that pain. I read this book in the form of an audiobook, and this will definitely be a book I'll be purchasing a physical copy of to read over and over in the future.

And to any young person reading this, who relates to the pain experienced in this story, I just wanted to pile on and remind you that there really is light at the end of the tunnel. What used to haunt you will lose its ability to hold you down. And you will be okay.
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