The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way 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. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. 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.

After reading the first 30 pages of this I wrote the following on Goodreads: "Wth? Is this for real? Who is this over sensitive twat and why is he writing letters about his masturbation habits to a stranger?"
Putting it mildly I wasn't impressed. But something kept me reading. Something drew me in.

The book turned out to be unputdownable. Charlie turned out to be such a dear sweet character that you can't help but love and who's easy to forgive for his social faux-passes. I also adored the friendships built throughout the book and how deep and real all the characters felt. The book and Charlie deals with very real issues and they put so many things into perspective and they get you thinking.

I hate when books like this end. They always leave you hanging for more. You may not love this book. You may not understand it. But I think you ought to read it. I'm fairly certain it made me grow.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower ISBN13: 9781847394071 231 pages / published in 1999

Review by Iben Jakobsen, BoB, 2013