Rating: 
Summary: A must read for any high school student
Review: If ever there was an anthem for the high school teenager today, this is it! Stephen Chbosky has given a stunning insight into the world of a high school student in his masterpiece "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."Being a high school student myself, I was floored at the accuracy of Chbosky's portrayal of a high school environment. Through the magnetic main character, Charlie, he portrays real issues facing high school students like teen-pregnancy, drugs, relationships, homosexuality, depression, suicide, love and acceptance. The way the novel is written brings you into Charlie's world. It entraps you and won't let you put the book down. The book is written as a series of letters written to you from Charlie. I found myself growing closer and closer to Charlie through every hilarious comment and the most serious and sad of moments. The language used is so genuine and simple, yet you see exactly what he wants you to see. I could truly relate and empathize with what he was going through as almost any other high schooler would. With each heartfelt and honest letter you grow with him and become his friend. To be honest the book was almost torturous because after each letter all I wanted to do was write back to him. The strange part of the book is that it really has no huge plot. There is no hero, no villain, no murderer...it's just an honest story of someone struggling through life. You see him fall in love, you see him depressed, you see him have fun, you see him grow, but no one wins or loses. The climax, I believe, is finding Charlie everyday in something. It's something that happens to you and you wanting to write to Charlie about it. It's reading the book multiple times (which I have) and finding something new you didn't catch the first time. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky is an honest, and truly moving novel. I strongly suggest you read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Feeling Infinite
Review: Stephen Chbosky's debut novel tells the story of Charlie, who, after the suicide of his best friend in eighth grade, is a fifteen year-old high school student living on "the fringes of life". Charlie is not popular with his peers yet he is not really ostracized: he is a wallflower, 'he sees things, understands, and keeps quiet about them.' Yet there are many things Charlie would rather not keep quiet about, such as the time he sees his sister's boyfriend hit her, witnesses a football quarterback rape his girlfriend, the terminated pregnancy of his older sister, and the truth about his aunt Helen. As Charlie navigates his way through the corridors of formidable high school, we learn about the colorful characters who influence his life: there is Bill, the first-year English teacher who gives Charlie special books to read and write essays about; Mary Elizabeth, a dominating, opinionated senior with tattoos and a pierced belly button; Patrick, the light-hearted jokester, who educates Charlie about girls, while keeping a secret of his own, and of course, Sam, Patrick's step-sister, whose beauty for Charlie goes beyond her brown hair and entrancing green eyes. In the midst of this motley crew, Charlie begins his transforming journey from adolescence to adulthood, innocence to intensity, with the first experiences of smoking pot, drinking, parties, and "Rocky Horror Picture Show". Meanwhile, all of this is relayed to us in the form of letters to a not quite anonymous person whom Charlie loyally writes to several times a month. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is like modern-day synonym for "The Catcher in the Rye", excluding the cynicism and abounding in the sensitivity of teen idol Holden Caulfield. Through Charlie, we glimpse a firsthand view of self-examination and sentiments of genuine caring, devoid of the trite negativity and disinterest so characteristic of portrayals of adolescents. There were times when the plot seemed a little stale or hard to follow. I also felt that the author was too willing to accept drinking, drugs, and sex in excessive quantities as normal "coming-of-age behavior". There did not seem to be a lot of consequences to the mistakes the characters made. Yet the various matters of subjects are handled adroitly, and the ending is a superb surprise which will shock you as it is unexpected and seemingly unfathomable. In Charlie, we find a young boy swept up into the torrents of the culture around him while desperately looking for someone to guide him on a straight path to maturity. Almost everyone can identify with being a Wallflower at times. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is for those on a quest to feel alive when they aren't quite sure what they are living for yet.
Rating: 
Summary: Touching, insightful, honest
Review: I picked this book up one night and didn't go to bed until I'd finished it, it was just too hard to set aside. An easy, fast read that nonetheless contains page after page of writing that's stuck with me long after finishing it. As others have said, the main character Charlie speaks openly and honestly - often painfully so; his voice is a sweetly odd combination of naivety and blunt insightfulness that rings remarkably true. Oftentimes he'd hit upon episodes or comments that took me immediately back to my own high school years, leaving me with a sweet sense of nostalgia despite - or maybe in part because of - some of the darker happenings he encountered. The only part of the book I had any problem with occurs very near the end, there's a "revelation" that comes out that felt rather unnecessary in that it seems to try to "explain" things that to me didn't really need any explanation; even that revelation, however, works on some level and while not the most successful part of the story for me, neither did it take away from my overall enjoyment. A great book overall and one well worth reading!
Rating:
Summary: I really GOT INTO this book!
Review:
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is a short, haunting novel is about the dilemma of passivity and growing up. The protagonist, Charlie, is entering a new world. He's entering high school for the first time and he learns about who he is to the rest of the world. Charlie is a wallflower. He's different from everyone else and he shares his feelings and thoughts to us through letters. This book is more intimate than a diary, though we don't know where Charlie lives, or who he's writing to. Charlie goes through uncharted territory, living his life and running from it all at the same time. It's a great coming-of-age story. It shows the hardships and trials of growing up in life, and competing to fit in. This novel demonstrates what it's like to grow up through a teenager's mind. Along with THE LOSERS' CLUB: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez, this is one of the best books I've read in ages.
Rating:
Summary: Everything I've Ever Wanted to Say
Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the most intimate and truthful novel I have ever read. It is not often that an author can captivate a teenage reader, but I believe Stephen Chbosky has done it with his debut novel. Charlie is unique, yet incredibly easy to identify with. I know that I was certainly able to relate to several of his encounters. The intense crush you cannot get over; the unfamiliar, more mature experiences that come with high school; those two best friends and that infinite drive - I felt as if I were watching my own life happen on paper. Charlie seems to say everything I would like to, but can't express.
Because the song was that great and because we all really paid attention to it. Five minutes of a lifetime were truly spent, and we felt young in a good way. I have since bought the record, and I would tell you what it was, but truthfully, it's not the same unless you're driving to your first real party, and you're sitting in the middle seat of a pickup with two nice people when it starts to rain. 33
That is one of my favorite quotes from the book and I'm sharing it because when I read it, I had a distinct flashback directly followed by a fulfilling moment, where I had finally found the words to describe my life. This type of moment continued to occur until the last page of the book. I loved how Chbosky tied every theme he touched on in with one another. What I took away from the book was a sense of comfort that at least one adult understands my generation and one kid goes through what I go through. Sure, he's fiction, but to be honest, I forgot that while I was reading because that is how realistic the novel is. Coming from a girl who normally regards reading as a burden, this book was different from any other I've read and I could not put it down, nor could I stop quoting it. The Perks of Being A Wallflower was a quick read that I wish lasted much longer.
Rating:
Summary: The Perks of Being A Wallflower
Review: The book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower was a good book. This book was also very similar to the book "A Catcher in the Rye." This book takes you through the life of a boy, that as you read more and more you grow to think that you know everything about him, but then after reading it you realize that you never really understood anything about him. This book has interesting characters, a descriptive plot, and a good theme to go along with all of that. I recommend this book to many readers, because it is an excellent book to read! -Greg
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: Last year when I was in AP English 11, my teacher recommended this book to one of my best friends. After she finished reading it, she could not stop raving about how awesome it was (and this is coming from a girl that apsolutly HATES books). For almost a year she kept bugging me to read it, but I could not get past the $13.00 price tag. One day I found the novel used at my library, and I picked it up. I started reading the book durring my first period Anatomy class, and I didn't stop until 1 o'clock in the morning when I finished the book (I got into a lot of trouble showing up the next day with none of my homework done), but it was that great of a book.
The story follows a very naive boy named Charlie, and how he survive's his freshman year of high school be befriending a couple of outcast senior, that bring him into the world. On top of that though he has to deal with all the problems that plague him at home as well.
This book is very layered a rich, and takes a few reads to be fully comprehended on the outside what seems like a charming novel about a boy growing up turns into a bittersweat cautionary tale, finally becoming a devestating psychological breakdown of the character. And It is the small detail that really make this book what it is. I made the mistake of skimming a few of the "slow pages" which later made it impossible to comprehend the future plot.
This is a definate must read for anyone who has gone through the peril of their freshman year of high school, and eventhough it may be over alot of people's heads, it will still make an impact none the less...
And don't forget to read the hidden ending on the last page!
Rating:
Summary: My Review
Review: When I first started reading this book I thought, wow I don't need to read this, I live this. Almost every teenager would probably agree. But the books becomes so much more than that. It all starts out with this boy named Charlie who is writing letters to this person who's name is never mentioned. But basically the book covers every aspect of life as a teenager. From Charlie's first date to the first time he did drugs. I think that maybe some adults should read this book. It could answer every question every parent would ever ask. The book spans Charlie's freshman year and me, being a freshman, completely understood and felt and still do feel like Charlie sometimes. This is probably the best book I have ever read and would recommend it to all ages. Everyone at some point in their life is a "Charlie".
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, passionate and heartbreaking story
Review:
Possibly the best book I've ever read, The Perks of Being a Wallflower captures exactly what it is to be a teenager. The story itself is raw, Charlie one of the most honest characters I've come across in years. It is my belief that this book outdoes any other coming-of-age story I've ever read, even in its comparison to Catcher in the Rye. Perks is an insightful and vivid journey through the life of a high school freshman, and although people may think, 'There is no way a fifteen year old thinks that way,' there is. With the exception of Salinger, it was hard for me to imagine anyone truly understanding what it is to be a teenager unless they themselves are one, until I read this book. Chbosky has done a wonderful job, this book has changed the way I think and see the world - possibly my life - just in reading it. I love it! Let me also say thanks to the other reviewer who recommended The Losers Club: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez -- another great one.
Rating:
Summary: A very good read
Review: I just finished reading "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and I have fallen in love with this book. I heard several of my friends talking about the book and how good it was, so I had to find out for myself.
The story is written in letter format by a high school freshman, Charlie. Charlie tells about his experiences growing up, including his first party with beer. I felt that this book touched base with a lot of the experiences I had growing up in high school. I could really understand what Charlie was thinking. Once you start this book, you become absorbed by it. You hurt when Charlie hurts; you smile when Charlie is happy.
Chbosky really has the talent to draw in readers. I am looking forward to reading more by Chbosky in the future.
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