The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Written by Stephen Chbosky

Originally published in 1999

About 213 pages

Rate 10/10

My summary of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie is just barely going into his freshman year of high school and the only close friend he has ever had recently killed himself. The first person he becomes friends with in high school is his English teacher, named Bill, who gives him books to read. Charlie is trying to learn how to participate once again has he makes his way through high school. He meets two kind seniors Sam and Patrick who carry him under their wings. However, sometimes Charlie doesn't understand certain aspects of friendships and relationships. Through the help of his family and friends, he begins to understand what living truly means.

My thoughts on The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This was a very emotional book that contained many instances of abuse and sexual assault; it was extremely gut-retching. However, it was also beautiful at the same time reading about how Charlie processed his experiences. Most of the main characters in this book were beautiful people, in the sense that they had great minds and emotional intelligence. Some might see Charlie as a fragile little boy, but I think the fact that he feels comfortable enough to cry as often as he did was powerful.

This was such an impactful book, I don't think I could ever structure my thoughts perfectly enough to articulate just how much I enjoyed it. The amount of symbolism and the fact that it's written as letters was amazing. This book was beautiful, and it is infinite.

Quotes:

"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." (2)

"It would be very nice to have a friend again. I would like that even more than a date." (21)

"We accept the love we think we deserve." (24)

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite." (39)

"I don't know if you've ever felt like that. that you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That's why I'm trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning. If this gets any worse, I might have to go back to the doctor. It's getting that bad again." (94)

Want to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower? Here's the link to Barnes and Noble: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

There is also a film adaptation: TPOBAW Film

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