Rating: 
Summary: an excelent novel
Review: this is a compelling story and the ups and downs of growing up and outcast. This book recites the roller coaster ride of being in the uncool crowd in the harsh life of high school.
Rating: 
Summary: A touching book
Review: I read Perks and was sincerely touched by the honesty and simplicity of Charlie's message of goodwill. This book has achieved much on its own terms. I don't understand why so many people feel the need to decide right now whether or not it is a "classic" or need to compare it to "Catcher in the Rye". Did people accuse Salinger of ripping off F. Scott Fitzgerald? Why not just let the book be what it is, a beautiful piece of work that has touched many many hearts.
Rating:
Summary: SUCH AN AMAZING BOOK...
Review: I absolutly loved this book. Charlie was such a great character, and it was so well written. Chbosky is a VERY good writer, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a great story.
Rating: 
Summary: a classic?????????
Review: i've read alot of the reviews on this book. the people who gave it 5 stars always seem to be going on about how realistic and well written this is. yeah, right. ok, i realize a lot of you are probably thinking i'm either too young to understand teenage life in the early 90's or too old to be able to relate to any kind of teenager. well, i'm 18, and my brother is 23. i watched my brother through his teenage years and he was nothing like Charlie. Don't think i'm just looking at him, either. I knew almost everyone in his class (because he had the smallest class ever to go through our high school) and none of them were like Charlie, either. I've also noticed people calling this a classic and comparible to The Catcher in the Rye. The only way this is anything like Catcher is that it constantly tries to rip it off. Here- I will sumarize the story for you: Charlie goes to high school, makes some friends, eats out at this one restaurant a lot, does some drugs, reads some books, watches The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and is crying about it because his freinds will no longer be there to do these things with him. Yeah, it sure sounds like a classic to me.
Rating:
Summary: Realistic? Yeah, and Holden Caufield hated swearing...
Review: Chbosky gets so caught up trying to make it realistic that he makes it stereotypical and overbearing. His characters are extremely false. What passes as youthful innocence in charlie is an anachronism. In trying to produce a meal, the author turns over the fridge and lights it on fire, hoping that perhaps the mess and the randomness will attract readers. This book's not worth the money and not worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Not Very Realistic!
Review: This book tries very hard to be dramatic and touching, butfails miserably. It's as though the author sat up one night thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong in a teenager's life and puts them all together to form Charlie's sad excuse for a life. 1: His best freind just committed suicide. 2: His favorite aunt has died. 3: His sister gets pregnant by a boy who hits her. And so on.... way too many things happen and are not properly described in this novel. And half of the time it seems like this is just an MTV ripoff of "The Catcher in the Rye", which I think you would be much better off reading. I don't know a single teenager that talks or acts like Charlie, or cries so much. Every time something bad OR good happens, Charlie starts cryin'. All of the character's are so one sided. There are no normal teenagers in this book. The author only gave you the life perspective of the outcasts, which in my opinion isn't very unique at all. DON'T READ THIS BOOK; IT'S A WASTE OF TIME!
Rating:
Summary: No words to describe how AMAZING and BRILLIANT this book is!
Review: I just finished this book and it was the best book I've read in my whole life. Anyone who's anyone can relate to Charlie. Steven Chbosky wrote this book sooooo realistically, not too happy or too depressing, or like he was trying too hard, which is what a lot of authors do when they write books for teens. Even if you don't like reading, you won't be able to put this book down. In this story, Charlie comes alive as someone we've all brushed by in the halls, a wallflower, someone who doesn't "participate" as much as most people, so we never approach them. When I read about the relationships in the book they were so real that I thought Steven Chobsky must have gone to my high school. At the end of the book I felt that Charlie was a real person and I just wanted to run up and hug him. EVERYONE should read this WONDER FULL book!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Teacher sings praises of novel
Review: As a middle-level-educator, I would recommend this novel to anyone age 13 and up. The author deals with so many situations with care and compassion...I see "Charlies" every day, and as a teacher, we need to know how special they are. Thanks for the reminder, Mr. C. -Ms. K.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic, "infinite" story.
Review: I thought this was a great novel. Chbosky's unique idea of having the main character (Charlie) tell his life in anonymous letters made the story that much more interesting. I thought that it was very moving and inspiring, you will laugh and you will cry. A funny part was when Charlie accidently took acid. "Charlie, are you thirsty?", "Uh-huh", "What would you like?", "A milkshake.", "Are you hungry?", "Uh-huh", "What would you like?", "A milkshake." Also, this story makes you want to learn more about yourself, search your soul. It was also very sad at times, although the ending was very "infinite". I think anyone from age 13-21 should read this book! One more thing, this book surely deserves more than one star.
Rating:
Summary: brilliance... I couldn't help but relate
Review: I maybe 24, but I could totally relate to what was going on in Charlie's life. I was in high school (about Charlie's age) in the time frame that this book takes place and I have to say that the vibe was dead on. I read another review that said that teenagers don't talk the way Charlie and his friends speak, but I destinctly remember having conversations just like that when I was in high school. His music; his thoughts; his feelings; they all synced up with how I felt in high school. Everything from him discovering the Smiths and writing zine's to making mix tapes for friends consisting of bands like Nirvana and Ride and going to Rocky Horror; that was totally me. Maybe I didn't go through all the same things Charlie went through, but it definately was relavant. I see a connection between Catcher in the Rye and Perks, but I'd hardly call it a rip off like another reviewer claimed. I would honestly say, as a writer myself, that Chbowsky definately was influenced by JD Salinger, but did not by any means rip him off. I think the greatest thing to do after you read this book is to give it to a friend and have them read it... better yet, make them buy it!
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