This book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, is a "Catcher in the Rye" inspired story. It is written in first-person by a high school freshman named Charlie. The book consists of letters written to an anonymous person. When the story begins Charlie keeps to himself more and not many people know him. Charlie is a "wallflower" who, with the help of his newly found friends Samantha and Patrick, learns to interact with the world. At some moments, this book put me in a place of euphoria. It is amazingly written and I recommend it to absolutely everyone. -Reviewed by Jackie, grade 9.
16 comments:
"We accept the love we think we deserve" is my favorite quote of this book. It was said by Sam, and Charlie understood exactly what she meant. Also, the movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" just came out. I watched it and it was amazing. Emma Watson and Logan Lerman totally were meant to play the main characters, Sam and Charlie.
The book is just amazing. It is slightly different from the movie though. Every sentence makes sense in that book. Every detail is perfect. I would recommend this book to everyone. Age and gender don't matter. Everybody will enjoy the book. Oh! And don't forget to watch the movie after!
Reviewed by Iren, grade 9.
Central Library
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is the story about what high school is like. The main character, Charlie, tells his story about high school using letters that he sends to an anonymous friend. We may not know who he's writing to but we do know about his high school life. The first dates, family dramas, school dances and new friends. Basically the problems of almost every high school student. Charlie is caught between trying to live life and wanting to run away from it. However he faces conflicts and memories that help him learn about what its like to grow up.
This book is absolutely fantastic. It can basically relate to any teenager out there. This book is actually one of my favorites because I relate so much to it. It made me really think about growing up and brought me back to those rollercoaster days. I really enjoyed this book and im sure anyone else who read this book has too. This novel is perfect for any teenager. Not only is it relatable, but it also is funny and triggers all of your emotions. If you're going to the library or the book store, I definitely recommend this book to anyone.
Reviewed BY: Emily R., Grade: 9
Montrose Crescenta Branch Library
The Perks of being a Wallflower is a very moving book. The book is in the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school. During his first year he realizes how hard it is to go through high school. Within the first couple of months he meets his soon to be best friends. They are brother and sister and have three other friends that they always hang out with. While going through the pressure of being in high school and the temptation of drugs and doing the wrong stuff Charlie writes what happens to him. The book is all of Charlie's letters put together to form a book about his freshman year with his senior best friends. Will Charlie make it through the obstacles of high school?
I personally give this book two thumbs up. This book is one of the few books i could not put down. I am not a reader but this book was so emotional and well written I loved it. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was that a lot of people could relate to his character and the characters of his friends. Moving to a new school is hard and Charlie went through that and wrote how his year was. This book made an impact on my life because it deals with the hardship of high school but also shows that it will be the best four years of your life. If you are into dramatic, cliff hanging books I recommend this book for you. I promise this book will not let you down. After reading the book you and your friends can watch the movie to this New York Times Bestseller book.
Reviewed by Karissa L., grade 9
Montrose Branch Library
In the book, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chobosky, fifteen-year-old Charlie is coping with the suicidal death of his friend, Michael. To lessen the fear and anxiety of starting high school alone, Charlie starts writing letters to a stranger, someone he heard was nice but has never met in person. At school, Charlie finds a friend and mentor in his English teacher, Bill. He also overcomes his severe shyness and approaches a classmate, Patrick, who along with his step-sister Sam, easily become two of Charlie's BFFs. During the course of the school year, Charlie has his first date and his first kiss, he deals with bullies, he experiments with drugs and drinking, and he makes friends, loses them, and gains them back.
I loved this book but then at the same time it was just okay. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I am finally secure with who I am but in high school that wasn’t entirely true. If I would have read this book in high school I think I would be absolutely in love with it because of the fact, that probably, like most of us at one point in our teens, I felt like an outsider like Charlie. Without my closest friends around me I was a definite “wallflower,” the insecure, quite, girl who would rather blend in then be seen. As I’m thinking about it now I think that is what was hard about this book for me at points it reminded me of who I was in middle school and the beginning of high school and that is a person I would much rather leave in the past.
Reviewed by: Pamela Nicole Flores, grade 12
Glendale Central Library
In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chalie, a 14 year old boy just entering high school, writes to a mystery person about life and all the other things involved with growing up. He stands on the outside of life, making observations about how life doesn't always make sense. The people he meets along the way, like Sam and Patrick become his best friends. They show Charlie that there is more to life then always being in the corner scared. These attempts, along with the pains of growing up help Charlie to come to shocking realizations about his past.
The one quote that I liked while reading the book was "you expect the love you think you deserve." This quote was said because along the story Charlie begins to grow feelings for some girls, one including Sam. I personally liked this quote because it showed me that it's true. Sometimes you expect so much from something, not only love, that you think people will give it to you the way you think you deserve it. The book made me think a lot because at first I was scared of high school, but now I figured that I will find my group of friends there and have unforgettable experiences just like Charlie did.
Reviewed by Michelle G., grade 9
Montrose Crescenta Branch
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, is about a boy who has social hangups and family problems who goes to school and meets a group of friends who take on a social journey of self discovery and adventure. From meeting homosexual teens that kiss him to falling in love with a girl who is perfect in his eyes but is dating another guy. He takes drugs for the first time and realizes that they arent for him. In a nut shell this book is about self discovery and challenging yourself to find your place in the world.
I feel this book in an amazing read because it connects with so many people and shows that you can create your own adventure. It really had an affect on me and really showed me that no matter what you can have an extensive affect on your own path. From going out meeting new people to trying new things to try and find yourself as a person. because of this book I push myself in so many situations and I have gained so much from it.
Reviewed by Jonathan M., Grade 12
Montrose Library
This amazing and inspiring book is about a boy named Charlie telling us about his life through multiple letters addressed to an anonymous person. Charlie pours his heart out and tells this person everything that's going on in his life. His best friend had recently passed away and starting high school was the last thing he wanted to do. But, unfortunately its an obligation, and he has to start school and face the next chapter in his life. The reader goes on a wild journey with Charlie, the main character, as we learn discover more and more things about life in general, society, and ourselves through Chbosky’s impeccable writing.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower shows how hard life and school can be for an adolescent, especially for a kid who is getting over the death of his best friend. I believe that the readers will personally make many connections with Charlie and all the struggles he went through because most of it is very related to everyday life.This book teaches the reader that it’s not easy getting through bad memories and bad times, but someday, everything works itself out.
Reviewed by Initials, Grade 10
Glendale Central Library
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky follows Charlie's experience in high school as he writes letters to an un-named friend. He describes how he has become accustomed to school since his best friend committed suicide the year before. School is made easier for him when he meets Sam and Patrick, who then introduce Charlie to their group of friends and invite him to parties where Charlie begins to experiment with drugs and alcohol and romance. Charlie has to manage his love for Sam while dealing with traumatic experiences from his childhood.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky follows Charlie's experience in high school as he writes letters to an un-named friend. He describes how he has become accustomed to school since his best friend committed suicide the year before. School is made easier for him when he meets Sam and Patrick, who then introduce Charlie to their group of friends and invite him to parties where Charlie begins to experiment with drugs and alcohol and romance. Charlie has to manage his love for Sam while dealing with traumatic experiences from his childhood.
Reviewed by Nayri T., Grade 11
Casa Verdugo Library
The Perks of Being a Wallflower,a novel by Stephen Chbosky, that is narrated by Charlie, an incoming freshman.The story is told by letters Charlie writes to an anonymous person. Charlie goes through many adventures during his first year of high school. Although he is a shy outcast, seniors Sam and Patrick help him out and befriend him. He struggles through depression because of the car incident his Aunt Helen got in when getting him a Christmas gift. He gets through and experiences dating his friend,Mary Helen, although he actually loves Sam.
My opinion of The Perks of Being a Wallflower was how emotional it could be at times and I loved that. It showed how lonely and depressed Charlie was feeling and how it took over him. It had me crying at the end but smiling at other parts where things were going well for Charlie. I also really enjoyed how the story was written in letters unlike most stories. I would definitely recommend his book to one of my best friends because she would understand how Charlie was feeling and that would make her want to read this book. This would also have to be one of my all time favorite books.
Reviewed by Tina, Grade 9
Glendale Central Library
This book is about a young boy names Charlie who faces a lot of hardship between family, love and friends.At such a young age, Charlie was forced to face a series of emotional melancholy. Through it's ups and downs, Charlie and his high school friends go through the roller coasters of life one step at a time. Not your typical teenage story of a young boy in high school. For at just 15 years old, Charlie was pondering running from his problems with love, drugs and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and sorting through it, he finds himself lost. After dealing with the passing of his good friend and favorite aunt, the journeys of his life are very mysterious and unpredictable.
The first thing that caught my attention with this book is the way it is written. It isn't written in your standard form of a book. It is written in the format of letters to the reader. Each letter portrays a different point in Charlies life. I think this added alot of extra character to the book, it definitely made a good first impression on me after i saw the format of the writing! This novel is definitely a coming of age novel, and is mature enough for not only teens but young adults to enjoy it as well. The narrative view point of Charlie as an outsider fresh into high school is an easy outline to follow, but can also unravel a lot of emotional events. This book is a must have for me and the movie is amazing as well! I recommend this book to all people from teens to adults!
Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 12
Glendale Central Library
The entire book is supposed to be a collection of letters from Charlie, the main character, to his pen pal, who he refers to as "friend". Charlie's friend had commit suicide, and it was his first year of high school, all alone. This had left Charlie depressed and anti social. In high school, he meets Sam and Patrick, two seniors who are kind enough to take him on as a friend. They introduce Charlie to new people and help him build his confidence, but Charlie has certain internal issues that prevent him from being completely happy. The book is basically about self acceptance and the struggles of high school.
This book is honestly one of the greatest literary works I have every been lucky enough to read. It's brutally honest in how it portrays the characters feelings towards life, not to mention the sophisticated writing style of Stephen Chbosky. It's very surreal that the author was able to depict the life of a teenage boy so well, and as a girl who is the main character's age, I can connect to Charlie in countless ways. The Perks of Being a Wallflower made me feel less unusual in terms of some of the things I was feeling, because it gave me confirmation that I'm not alone in feeling these things. Other young readers would definitely benefit from reading this book.
Reviewed by Rima, Grade 8
Glendale Central Library
This as a book based on someones experiences who writes to a friend in a letter. He writes about his high school experiences and how they suck but soon later rocks because he ends up finding incredible people. His name is Charlie and he also talks about his adolescence, his mental break downs, his family and friends.Charlie is someone who is shy and quiet who has a creative personality within. As Charlie is writing he later discovers himself and he tends to grow as a person as well. He discovers he wants to become a writer someday and he learns the new things he can do with out being afraid. Charlie ends his letters when his friends up leaving for college..he stops when he ends up on his own again and solves his problems.This book is filled with so many adventures and wonderful stories. Charlie begins with a rough start because he is starting high school of course. However, the worst part is that he is alone with nobody. It is a bit weird for Charlie but we all know once you get into high school your friends change and disappear, unfortunately that happens to Charlie . The worst problem about Charlie as I mentioned before is that he is super shy, so his new friends would need to come to him. The good part is that he grows up a bit and he approaches some seniors that eventually approach him too! Through these new friends of his he experiences new things like love, drugs, how to put yourself out there and the list goes on. Then something tragic happens, which is sad but you will have to read it!
I loved the book so much that I wish I can jump into the book. The book really inspired me to write my own story. I recommend it to young adults who are starting a new beginning and a new school. I liked the format the author wrote it in, I was able to connect to Charlie and I felt Like I was that friend receiving those letters. I felt like the book was a roller coaster with its ups and downs in life. This really teaches people the lives some people may have and what young people go through as such a young age. Eventually we grow out of it but not all of us. You know the saying on how we never grow up, some people take it literally.
Reviewed by Andrea S., Grade 11
Glendale Central Library
A young man named Charlie has a troubled time trying to figure out how to sort all of his emotional troubles that he was given when his aunt had raped him. He moves and goes to a new high school where he meets a young man named Patrick at a sporting event for the high school and falls in love with Patrick's sister, Sam. Charlie becomes happy after meeting her then he ends up becoming depressed because he starts to lose his friends slowly and decides to try to commit suicide but fails. Soon he comes back to school.
I loved the story behind it. It was such a beautiful book with such a good message. I didn't like how Sam didn't want to be Charlie's girlfriend rather than being somebody else's when they know they were good for each other. I believe a lot of people would like this book because it shows lots of emotions and a real deep point. It made me feel real sad that Charlie tried to commit suicide because he was loved.
Reviewed by Felicia-Maria. Grade 12
Glendale Central Library
Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a fictional novel about a boy named Charlie growing up in high school, experiencing abundant roller-coaster days and recording all events in his diary. Additionally, this book is similar to the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou because Charlie (main character) is sexually molested by his aunt while Maya is raped by her “father.”
I connected with this book because I am currently a high school student and it is interesting to read about other high school students and their stories. Furthermore, I also keep a diary just like Charlie and record significant events that take place in my life. I recommend this book to high school students because the main character's life is also happening in high school. I also like how the language is easy to read like an original diary.
Reviewed by Siranush M., Grade 12
Glendale Central Library
A coming-of-age story that presents a familiar experience through an alien perspective. We experience high school through the eyes of Charlie, who is entering high school after the tragic loss of his best friend Michael. He befriends Patrick and Sam (two seniors), Bill (his English teacher), experiments with drugs, alcohol, and sex, and finally comes to terms with his past.
The author was skilled at presenting Charlie as this socially-awkward, special boy who has a kind of invisible pull on the audience. Charlie’s innocence and naivetés is very uncommon for the average high school teenage boy, but seems to fit Charlie perfectly. This innocence of Charlie is what makes the audience reach out to him. The other characters are also interesting, such as Sam and Patrick. They befriend this strange freshman without any hesitation and treat him as an equal. The manner in which Charlie interacts with the other characters is also notable. Everyone seems to be at a distance with Charlie; he never sees them as people he can connect to a deep level, but as objects that he can study. Chbosky lets us explore Charlie’s mind where the thinking never stops. Charlie is constantly noticing details, examining people, and wondering about absolutely everything. It is a story where there are no good guys or bad guys: there are just people coping with the circumstances and going through the motions of life. That is what makes the book real despite its other unusual circumstances: that people are just people – not good, yet not bad. I must say that at times the book was boring, dragging and Charlie’s periodic breakdowns were becoming irritating. On a good note, I praise Chbosky for his clever way of writing the book as a collection of letters and referring to the audience as “dear friend”, connecting with them a deeper level. This book, to be better understood, should not be read in a rush, nor only once (as with many other classic coming-of-age books). This book goes to show that the quietest people often hide the darkest secrets.
Reviewed by Lilit, Grade 12
Grandview Library
The Perks of Being A Wallflower is a high-school, 1990s set novel based on the experiences of a freshman. The protagonist is named Charlie, a freshman that is about to experience things he has never before. Things like drugs, sex, mental illness, suicidal tendencies. He meets friends that are sophomores, seniors, and even a teacher. He develops several relationships with seniors. He writes letters to the reader of how his unstable, stressful, but decent life.
I loved this book. For my age of 14, it did contain some things I did not even think 14 or 15-year-olds would do. But all in all, I think it gives an adequate insight of the teenage life, no matter what takes place. More specifically, I liked the format of the book. They weren't chapters, but letters in parts, written by our protagonist Charlie. I liked the development of several love stories between Charlie and 2 older girls. I think many would like this book, right as they get into high school. What I didn't like is the randomness and vulgar language. But maybe that's just me being innocent. I did not expect such vivid and visualizing sex scenes or the usage of marijuana so young. But the book helped me cope with my own stress and depression, and I cannot explain how much that helped me. It helped me persevere through a time of great adversity.
Reviewed by D.C., Grade 8
Pacific Park Library
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