The Perks of Being a Wallflower is narrated by 'Charlie', the titular wallflower, who begins the novel as a somewhat shy and unpopular high school student. In the form of letters he writes to an unknown reader, the story follows Charlie as he makes friends, experiences love and life and ultimately comes to terms with his own difficult childhood.

A deeply moving coming-of-age tale, Wallflower traverses some difficult topics, including depression, suicide, drug abuse and child molestation. Yet it manages to be a sweet, charming book, with a sensitive protagonist who is easy to care about. An intelligent and honest boy, Charlie is intuitive yet awkward, which makes following his journey all the more meaningful.

Published in a series of MTV novels for young adults, this book will appeal to anyone interested in teen fiction, especially ones that delve into the more challenging aspects of growing up.

I loved this book, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone over the age of 16. Nothing new is said, or said particularly well, but the angst and hyperdrama of my teenaged years was captured beautifully, and I'll endorse anything that promotes The Smiths, a favorite band of mine.

I bought this book for my 14-year-old sister the summer before she started high school. ( )

Synopsis: Written in letter form, this book is about a teenage boy called Charlie - who is considered to be a wallflower as he prefers listening, rather than participating - and his struggle with adolescence and coming of age.
My Opinion: The ending confused me a little but I enjoyed reading the letters, seeing life through Charlie's eyes, and while he had a slightly blunt personality, The Perks of Being a Wallflower didn't bore me once. ( )

Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com

Charlie. Where to start with the character that every teen can relate to? He's not a character teens should look up to, respect, or idolize, because he makes the mistakes that every teen does. He is just proof that someone else really is going through the same thing. He really becomes more of a friend then anything.

This book is written as a journal, but Charlie writes like he's talking to a real person. It's definitely a different way of writing, and it really works for this book.

Charlie really is a wallflower. He looks at his life like he's watching through a window that he can't get on the other side of.

Charlie experiences all of the things that normal teens are exposed to, and he handles each in a different way.

Read THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, because Charlie makes you realize that everyone is going though the same types of ordeals. Love him, hate him, root for him, and cherish him. I know I always will. ( )

I didn't fall in love with this book, though I know a lot of people (young adults and not-so-young adults) who have. I can see what they enjoy about it--a candid portrayal of teenage life, sex and drugs without a preachy tone, lots of references to pop culture and counter-culture, and the diary-like feel of the letters that gets the reader inside Charlie's wallflower experience.

The book as a whole was fine, and I know that this is a case of either loving the main character--Charlie--or not loving him, and I fall into the latter camp. Charlie's voice felt off, somehow. There was much talk of how smart he was (and how very gifted and special he was), but his voice doesn't show that. Even aside from his complete lack of sophistication and social awareness (I would have sworn the boy was on the autism spectrum), there just isn't a general feel of intelligence, from his vocabulary and sentence structure to the way he talks about literary concepts. It's feels as though the author is trying so hard to create this wide-eyed innocence in Charlie to contrast with the whirlwind of abusive behaviors going on around him, but such naivete is hard to believe.

The book also suffers from a glut of issues, most of them relating to one type of abusive or self-destructive behavior or another. I'm completely okay with books portraying teens in realistic ways; it's true that alcohol, drug use, and sex are a part of their experiences. But every single issue--teen pregnancy and abortion, physical abuse, rape and other forms of sexual assault, drinking/driving, gay bashing, sexual experimentation, suicide, the use of various drugs, infidelity, accidental death, pedophilia--every one plays a part in the plot, and to what end? I'm not looking for a moral or a lesson, but to me it seemed like the abuse was only there to give characterization or to justify the characters' reactions or behaviors. But in the end, Charlie's revelation seemed to say that you can't blame those abuses for who you are.

Overall, I think the book had some interesting moments, and I can see its appeal with readers who enjoy the voice of the main character, but it doesn't make my list of favorites. ( )