Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Review: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day... or who did the heart breaking and wondering why."
Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way 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. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. 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 book is one of my favourites by far. It's deeply compelling and fair style of writing present a beautiful, coming of age story. A book with a fascinating sense of emotional acuity and precision, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is beautifully written and often inspirational. It offers a unique insight into the life of someone who is not popular and good-looking, but rather shy and quiet and small. As my personality is similar to that of Charlie's I could often relate to what he was feeling in particular situations. I think that more people are able to relate to the character of Charlie because he is a much more realistic character set in a much more realistic story. Not all high school themed books have beautiful, popular girls on a cheer leading squad with boyfriends who are the captain of the football team and then ignore the other boys whose personalities are similar to Charlie's. It's not realistic, nor idealistic. Charlie is a more sensible character and it was a nice change. Especially since it came from a boy's point of view, it made the book more enticing and was a bit of an eye-opener. 
Charlie is someone who is thrown into a world where he has no experience and is trying to navigate it the best way he can. So we do develop a bit of a soft spot for him. When he meets Patrick and Sam, they become friends instantly despite the age gap. With these two amazing characters by his side, Charlie finally feels a sense of belonging. And with Sam, he now needs to learn how to deal with crushes. 
I highly recommend this book and would love to hear your views on it if you've read it.
The movie The Perks Of Being A Wallflower will be released on September 20 this year and stars Logan Lerman as Charlie, the lovely Emma Watson as Sam and Ezra Miller as Patrick.
You can view the entire cast and crew here:
Leave your comments below! 

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