Charlie… prefers to observe. Well, observe and carry on discussions on paper written to “Dear Friend” about the people he sees, how funny some people act now that he is in 10th grade, why things are the way they are, the girl he likes, the discrimination he sees, why does he always respond by crying, and his quirky family dynamics.
Charlie, alone is just fine as he is quite self motivated and can find plenty to do. His English teacher seems to pick up on Charlies gift of reading and writing and assigns his additional reports to write on books that he chooses for Charlie which is well… fine, and maybe a little weird as Charlie really doesn’t want his only friend to be his English teacher.
That’s just awkward.
And then Charlie meets Sam and Patrick and things get a little easier. Sam is Patrick’s (beautiful!) sister and they too seem to stand a bit to the sidelines, but somehow – they make it look cool to be on the outside of the clicks and the trends. As their friendship grows Charlie becomes more sure of himself and more comfortable in his own skin.
Why did I want to read this book? This one was on my radar for last years Banned Book Week and I just never got to it. Now that it is a movie (released Sept 14th of this year) I knew I really had to make time for it.
Why oh why does it take me so long to read some books that I know I want to and them when I do…. wow, I have to say what took me so long? Perks Of Being A Wallflower on audio made me laugh, sigh, and yeah, like Charlie, it made me cry… but in a good way. Narrated by Noah Galvin I had goosebumpy (my word) feelings of a John Green novel – and that is a BIG compliment.
The book is smart and witty. Charlie’s character is the perfect mix of teenage awkwardness, low self-esteem, and the push to be something more because you know inside… you are something more. I love books that talk about books and when (yes when!) I listen to this one again I will need to write down all the book references because there is something about books that talk about books that makes me want to read the books that were discussed. To Kill A Mockingbird, Catcher In The Rye, Walden, The Fountainhead, Naked Lunch, Peter Pan… (and I love that some of them are banned books as this one is too!).
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is about growing up and growing strong. It is about friendships that don’t relay on status or stereotypes. It is a book I think we all need to read in our lifetime and sit back and bask in what true friendship is. It is heartbreaking at times and it is heartwarming. Looking for a great audio? Pick this one up and thank me later. 🙂
Why was Perks Of Being A Wallflower Challenged/Banned?
According to the Marshall University Library the book has been banned and challenged since 2003 for sexually explicit conduct, drug use, and a rape scene.
Amazon Rating
Goodreads Review
Book’d Out is reviewing this one today too
At Owl Tell You All About is a review and a giveaway for a copy of this book!
Book Journey 
I am so tired of books being banned for such silly reasons….but, as someone said, sometimes the “banning” makes us want to read them even more.
I do enjoy the week Laurel – it is fun to read great older reads with staying power 😀
So much love for this book. It’s impossible to put it into words (though I always try – I finally managed to officially “Review” it this year, after reading it 6 or 7 times over the past 10 years). I’ve seen the movie twice already, too, and it’s only been out for 4 days! Haha
4 times at the theater? Awesome! I dont see where it came here 😦
It was a limited release… it opened 2 weeks ago in L.A. and New York. Then it expanded to Chicago and some other regions this weekend. I’m hoping it keeps expanding to a full release, but I’m not sure.
Oh I hope it comes here soon! I really want to see it!
I really want to read this book and see the movie. When will people figure out that books like these are great conversation starters?
Exactly! The audio reminded me a lot of John Greens novels.
Great review! I haven’t read that one but it’s on my list! 😀
Og good – it is a worthy read!
I am a regular visitor and it was nice to see a great book and as I was read to see my local university doing a great history of banned books.
That is cool!
i plan on reading this VERY SOON. Pumpkin read it and wrote a review for me!
I like your description of the book (and characters) being smart and witty. Looking forward to catching the movie, I think it’s only at one theater right now in the cities area.
I just read this one for the first time myself! I wanted to weep for the wasted years when I could have been REreading it!! I can’t say enough things about this book, so so so so good.
I agree it is such a great read 🙂
A lovely review Shelia, and I agree its smart and witty but with some real depth. I am looking forward to seeing the movie!
Thanks for linking to my review
I am looking forward to that movie too 🙂
I just read this about a month ago and fell in love with it. Charlie is such an amazing character and I loved Patrick and Sam as well. So true that there is a huge range of emotions you feel while reading it. I can’t wait to see the movie. It comes out here tomorrow and I finished all of my errands today so I could sneak off and see it while my kids are in school.
Great review. Sheila! I am really looking forward to reading this book (at some point…) I have only heard great things!
Thank you for a brilliant review! I am not sure as to why this book was banned, as there is sexually explicit conduct, drug use and rape scenes in other literature. Some authors wish to convey there thoughts on things in life that may not be pleasant or widely discussed.
Email: lfountain1(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk
Thanks for the recommendation! I just went and added the audio to my holds list at the library. There are a lot of holds on it right now, so I’ll probably be listening to it in a few months. 🙂