The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky

Standing on the fringes of life...

...offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

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 to 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 throught 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 the perfect drive to feel infinite.

Though Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming of age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as

growing up.

I am required to read a book for honors english next year that is on the banned books list of 2008. I am very thorough, so i plan to read quite a few and pick from there. This is the first one i have read. (technically the 9th or so, but i mean read specifically for the project. The whole harry potter series is on there and one of my favorites, Looking for Alaska by John Green, and Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.) We are required to write whether or not we agree with critics and it's idea of unappropriateness. This book has many references to sex, drugs, alcohol, and so on and so on. I think the reason it may seem inappropriate is how the boy, a freshman, Charlie, goes about it. He seem so clueless, and maybe the way he talks or writes about these things makes it seem worse than it is. Or maybe it is just plain inappropriate. I am not sure but I still have to ponder about this subject longer.

Anyway about the book. I actually liked it. I stalled reading it (got it from the library two weeks ago, and had gone back for three trip before starting it.) because it was written a while ago. Some books are written today, but are given the setting of the past. Not this one, it was written i think ten or so years ago, so i automatically thought it was going to be boring. I made the wrong assumption. It wasn't boring much actually. With boring books i tend to find myself skipping pages and scanning. With this one, i found myself actually reading everything, and trying to figure out why Charlie is the way he is. The beginning was a little slow, but once I got started reading, i got really into it. I think that Sam is my favorite character, and i am happy i read this book, and even disappointed in myself for stalling for so long. So if you happen to see this book, read it, though it is a little, how should i say this... interesting... at times.

Ha ha. so here is something new. What do you think are the perks of being a wallflower? And how are they advantages vs. maybe being in the center of attention? What are the disadvantages of being a wallflower, and which would you prefer and why? Please comment below and share you thought and ideas. I'd love to hear them.