The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky's journal entry replica of a book creates a character that everyone has seen before, but never really taken the time to know. It's as if Chbosky has zoomed in on our glimpses of those illusive-shy people-watchers known as wallflowers, then completely turned their feelings inside out and put them on paper. It's like Holden Caufield meets Nick Carraway. Charlie has all the same questions about growing up that Caufield was embittered by and all the observational tendencies of Carraway, but is younger and a little more familiar to Generation X.

There is something about Charlie that makes him seem so damn innocent. He may be a little awkward, not obscure but definitely not popular. What you cannot ignore is his ability to see things as they are. Maybe it's the journal styled entries that make you believe every word out of his mouth, whatever it is it plucks at your heart. The issues are not too odd, but definitely more relatable than Carraway's Gatsby soir?es. Charlie struggles with peer pressure, sex, homosexuality, family, drugs, girlfriends, boyfriends, suicide and a crazy twist that almost slips past you. We have no idea who Charlie writes to (Chbosky goes to great deals to keep him anonymous), but it feels like he's writing to you.

Every teenage hero needs awesome friends and they are Patrick and Samantha who accompany Charlie on his journey to understand life. This is a definite read for anybody that has been through high school. The book is nice and short (256 pages), but jam-packed with feeling and wit. When you put it down you may even feel like you have seen Charlie before, if only for a moment.