The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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Summary: The Perks of Being 15
Review: This is probably the best story I have ever read. Chbosky tells the coming of age of a teenage boy with the wisdom of an old man mixed with the honesty of a child. I felt that I was the recipient of Charlie's letters. I kept waiting to bump into him on the street. Incredible characterization. Truly a classic in its own time.

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Summary: inappropriate for young teens
Review: I found this book to be way too explicit for young teens. Evenfor older teens I found it lacking. It covered the lives of a numberof messed up teenagers and missed the opportunity to send any positive messages or morals to teens. I was very diappointed and offended by this book.

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Summary: [Generic Praise Comment Here]
Review: No words of description are worthy of this book.

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Summary: Startling, Gripping, and Absolutely Honest
Review: I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, in April of my sophomore year at college. A friend lent it to me and I had read it within twelve hours. This book reaches inside of you and pulls everything to the surface. It is a beautiful and painful story about a 15 year old boy, Charlie, moving through his freshmen year of highschool. It is written in letter form to an unknown friend. Charlie is always completely honest, whether he is describing his first "beer" party where he witnessed a girl being raped by her boyfriend, or explaining masturbation and his excitement for this newfound "activity." Charlie is a wallflower who observes people and feels very deeply for the experiences occuring around him. His favorite Aunt Helen died in a car accident when he was six, and he holds himself accountable, and his best friend committed suicide a year before he began the letters. His English teacher realizes Charlie's potential and brilliance and asks him to try and participate, which Charlie agrees to do. He becomes friends with two seniors Patrick and Samantha and begins to experience dances, parties, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, pot, love, bad trips and sexuality. We feel exhilerated when Charlie describes his happy moments, and we are swallowed in pain when Charlie is overwhelmed by his depression. Charlie's realizations are eye opening for us, and we are so captivated and immersed in his life that his life and stories become a very real experience. This book is about moments, and being as much alive within each moment as possible. It is about looking around us at the world and the people and appreciating that we don't know what their lives are like, and the pain and happiness that they experience day to day, so we shouldn't judge them but accept them and appreciate them. A favorite section of this book, for me, was when Charlie describes the movie It's A Wonderful Life, and how he wished the movie had been about one of the less heroic characters so the audience could have seen the meaning that this person's life held. That moment is just one example of Charlie's amazing intuition. This book should not be limited to a certain "category" of people. I truly believe that it would be understood, appreciated, and loved by everyone aged 12 (+ or - a few) and up regardless of gender, race, sexuality, etc. This book changes you, if only for a moment, but you are not the same upon completion, and you become more appreciative of life then ever.

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Summary: the perks( and non-perks of growing up)
Review: this book amazed me in more ways than one. the synopsis on the back instantly grabbed my attention, but after reading a couple pages, i fell in love. i couldn't put it down, i even found myself going in the bathroom so i could read and not be bothered by my family. every single scenario that the narrator told felt like something i thought, or even wrote in my diary at that age. all your hopes dreams and fears are exposed in this book. the ending is wonderfully sweet and poetic. the entire way of telling the story in letters to this "anonymous" person made the book all the more personal. i give it five stars, "fine holiday(or any day for that matter)fun.!"

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Summary: An excellent look at the trials of adolescence
Review: Growing up ain't easy - as anyone could tell you. And yet it is rare for a book to truly capture the pain and awkwardness that is our teen years. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is one of those rare exceptions. It's about a guy who writes letters to an unknown person under the pseudonym Charlie. Through his letters Charlie finds a release from the pressure of his freshman year of high school. And while occasionally his observations seem a little contrived or like after-school special cliches, he remains the most fully realized and realistic fictional character since Holden Caulfield. I could really identify with a lot of what happens in this book, and I think other people would too. I really enjoyed this book a lot. And it's a fast read, so it's good for anyone just looking for a good, quick book to read.

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Summary: Teenage life portrayed perfectly
Review: Any teenager who has not yet read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" should do so immediately. After reading this book the first time, I could not keep it on the shelf for long. I had to read it a second time and, later, a third time. This book accurately shows the teenage "underground", the world of drugs and sex that most parents refuse to admit exists. It follows the freshman year of one boy, Charlie, through letters to an unknown recipient. Charlie makes friends with two seniors, stepbrother and stepsister Patrick and Samantha, who introduce him to their friends, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and other teenage rituals. Charlie experiences love for Sam, sex, and drugs. This book, though dealing with heavy issues, should be in any teenager's book collection. Please read this amazing book.

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Summary: Scarily Accurate
Review: I was a bit hesitant when I first picked up "Perks of Being a Wallflower", becuase I had read Catcher in the Rye a few years back and hated it. I was not only surprised but knocked off my feet by this book. I HAVE friends like Sam and Patrick, the way Charlie felt when they graduated is almost EXACTLY the same way I felt when my friends graduated. I think almost anyone in high school can find some part of some character in this book that they can relate with. I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who is in high school, who will soon be in high school, or who even remembers high school :)

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Summary: The world from a different angle
Review: There is no other word for book but wonderful. I enjoy reading, however I do not usually get the satisfaction out of it that I did when I read this book. The main character, Charlie is well written, making him seem very alive. This book showes the world from a different angle, much like American Beauty (the movie.) Its story and other characters such as Sam and Patrick are not your average teenager, making the book all the more interesting. Reading the end of the book left me surpries, about the issues with his aunt Helen, and content because of his wonderful reflections on his life and life in general. After reading this book I was recommended "Catcher in the Rye" which I found equally as good if not better, so if you enjoyed The Perks of being a Wallflower, then you are sure to enjoy " Cather in the Rye."

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Summary: Wow, the masses actually approve of something good! :)
Review: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" was the best book I have ever read in my fourteen years. Horrifyingly real but entertaining at the same time - it's a surprise that this Stephen Chbosky's *first* novel. It's beautifully written, insightful; just brilliant.