Review: The Perks Of Being a Wallflower

Star Rating

"This moment will just be another story someday."

- Stephen Chbosky, The Perks Of Being a Wallflower

So here goes... my first attempt at an insightful and useful book review. I picked up this book at the bargain price of £1.99 from the iTunes book store as I wanted to read it before watching the film. It is isn't a long book, at 202 pages, and I read it in one sitting which probably took me about 4 hours.

This book tells the story of 15 year old Charlie through a series of letters to an unnamed friend. Through these letters, we get an insight into the shy and quiet 'wallflower' that is Charlie. As the story progresses we see Charlie's character begin to change as he experiences the hardships of teenage life with his best friends Patrick and Sam. This book addresses both light and heavy issues that many teenagers would resonate with during their difficult school years. However, I do not feel that this book is solely for teenagers as, at 26 years of age, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself reminiscing back to my own school days.


Although the protagonist is a loveable character, I do feel that, at times, Chbosky made Charlie too vulnerable and naive and I often found myself wondering whether he was Autistic. I am interested to watch the film and see if Charlie is presented in the same way he appears in my mind.

This book is becoming ever popular and I would view it as a modern classic for young readers. It is an enjoyable and easy read and I would highly recommend it to all.