Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
# of Pages: 224
Published: 1999
Genre: Teen
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course 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.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful nover that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review:

I'd seen this simple cover many times at Chapters and one day, I finally decided to give it a shot. I'm really glad I did because this book is really great. Although it follows the daily trials of a teenage boy in high school, it's far from ordinary. Charlie sees life differently from others - he's wiser than his years and provides insights about human emotions and interactions that really hit home. As well, the underlying emotional trauma Charlie has repressed explodes at the end of the novel, shocking and frightening all at once.

This novel has a great collection of quotes that may be able to explain the book better than I can. Here are a few of my favourites:

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

"Because things change. And friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody."

"Do you always think this much, Charlie?" "Is that bad?" "Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life." "Is that bad?" "Yes."

And probably it's most famous quote:

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)