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Summary: *Brilliant book matching brilliant main character*
Review: Brilliant book matching the brilliant personality of the main character, Charlie. Many will be able to relate to his shyness. His life was described perfectly and from this perfection the reader is able to get a great view into his mind. I won't give the book's ultimate story line away, but I will suggest that everyone should read it. If you have a few hours, this book is an excellent use of your time.
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Summary: PERKS is "of the good"
Review: THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is a welcome addition to the genre of the young-adult novel. One of the reviews below (actually, several) said that they liked that the book was written from the point of view of a teenager who isn't one of the "popular crowd," and I agree that that is one of the appealing things about the book. Very few teenagers actually feel that they belong, and it's good to see more books that address that feeling of alienation and also self-discovery. (That sounds kind of condescending, but it's not meant to be; I'm just coming out of the teenage years myself.) I'm not surprised that a lot of people identify strongly with the characters in this book. I do think that Charlie sometimes sounds saintlier than anyone I've ever met, which for me detracts from the pleasure of reading it. But that's a minor quibble; the book is still very good.If you liked this book, I highly recommend another excellent young-adult novel, HARD LOVE by Ellen Wittlinger. The story is quite different, but I think that people who enjoyed and identified with PERKS will also enjoy HARD LOVE. Check it out!
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Summary: Katherine's review on the perks of being a wallflower
Review: The book The Perks of Bieng a Wallflower is the best book I have ever read.I now have a new favorite author and hope to see more of his books out in the shelf.The book was very moving and inspiring. It's about a 15-16 year old boy and his life in high-school for one year. It's more intimate than a diary, and written to a friend to whom he does not give the name of. I completly reccommend everyne going and buying it mmediatly.
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Summary: SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING!
Review: by far, THE SINGLE GREATEST BOOK i have ever read... chbosky gets right to the heart of the very things we were never allowed to even mutter to ourselves when we were in high school... feelings of love, masturbation, drugs, it's all waiting to be discovered for our hero charlie... his letters are so incredibly real, you cant help but completely understand where he's coming from... more than anything, this book is just so damned real that it makes me cry every time i read it... i've now read it three times and shared it with 6 people after receiving my girlfriend's copy of the book...
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Summary: on a piece of paper with green lines
Review: i love to read, it's that simple. i got more books than anything for christmas (except for clothes...) and perks of being a wallflower was one of 'em. it was truly, i think, the best book i've ever read. as adult authors, nobody seems to care about what's going on with the minds of the younger generation. mr. chbosky managed to capture it all, and it made me think of my own situations in a new way. i'd reccomend it for anyone to read, it was excellent. :-) heather
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Summary: There's nothing like it
Review: This book is GREAT! A friend from school recommended it to me, and it's now my favorite book. I'm 15 years old, and I don't feel that any of the obstacles Charlie faces are unrealistic or extreme. His experiences are actually normal, and many of my friends who've read the book can relate--including myself. The Perks of Being a Wallflower deals with everything teenagers face today, from experimentation with drugs, relationships, & homosexuality, to pregnancy & family problems. Most of the young people I know have experienced at least several of the issues discussed in the book; nothing is far fetched. Anyone who feels that too many things go wrong for the book to be to be "believable" obviously doesn't know anything about being a young person today. This is wonderful literature for adults, as well as adolescents.
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Summary: mixed tapes
Review: A friend of mine let me borrow this book because he loves it. I can see why! I think everyone can on some level relate to all that charlie goes through. The great thing about Charlie was that he didn't mind his "wallflower" status. He enjoyed the opportunity it gave him to observe everything. He was so sensitive and intuitive. Charlie seemed so much more mature than he was and it was understandable that he was hanging out with uppperclassmen. I felt so bad for Charlie at some points, particularly the end. But Charlie is so good that in the end he still loves the one who hurt him most. The dialog was enthralling. You really felt like Charlie was writing those letters to you. If someone were writing these letters to me, I would feel so honored! I would be rushing home daily to check my mailbox! My only problem with the book was that it had to end!
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Summary: Soap Opera Life!
Review: After reading Chbosky's Perks of Being A Wallflower, I wondered if the author had watched any soap operas. The story of Charlie, a fifteen year old freshman from Pittsburgh, offers insight on the events of his life thusfar. However, it seems as if EVERYTHING that can go wrong in someone's life does in Charlie's... molestation, suicide, date rape, physical abuse, drugs, and homosexual sex are all part of Charlie's existence. Perhaps I'm naive, but I can't imagine that anyone's life can be filled with that many obstacles (except of course your average soap opera character). Is it any wonder that Charlie ends up in a mental institution? While it's obvious that he was imitating Catcher in the Rye, Charlie's life seems almost unfathomable!
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Summary: the Perks Of Being A Wallflower
Review: This book is the most beautiful book I have ever read. It has changed my life and I will read it over and over again. The main charecter, Charlie, has been an inspiration to me. I can relate to this book in such a realistic way. It gives me hope that there is someone real out there.
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Summary: Final pages worth the whole book
Review: Mr. Chbosky's novel successfully relates his story in the form of letters written by Charlie, the fifteen-year-old protagonist, to an anonymous "friend," a nice change from a more conventional diary format. The first half of the novel seems somewhat unfocused, but this also reflects Charlie's state of mind as he enters his first year of high school. Events from his past are sporadically mentioned, but the principle concern is his present feeling of isolation from peers and family. Charlie finds some acceptance with a small company of older students preparing for graduation. They are present or participate in his adolescent rites of passage - drugs and alcohol, first loves, dating and sex - all of which are chronicled with almost painful accuracy. He has always been more concerned with the feelings of others but their advice is for him to participate in life, not merely observe from sidelines, a goal he cannot seem to achieve. Dealing with his sisters pregnancy, supporting a gay friend after a broken love affair, even the death of a schoolmate are situations that leave him unfazed. Only the crush he has on an "older woman", Sam, leaves him devastated. The reason for this, as well as his overall withdrawal from the world around him, is finally explained in the final dozen pages of the book. All of the meandering plot and small story lines come together in a compact and unforgettable conclusion, making the whole book well worth the reading.
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