The Perks of Being a Wallflower

If you're looking for a book to get hooked on, Stephen Chbosky's 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is the book for you. Chbosky's beautifully lyrical words will have you so entranced that you will not be able to put the book down for a minute.

The novel is written through a compilation of letters that were addressed from Charlie, a freshman in high school, to an anonymous reader. Charlie begins his letters by describing his place in high school. Because his best and only friend, Michael, committed suicide in the previous year, Charlie is confused and without friends upon entering his first year in high school. The people that surround him keep their distance because they find him strange because he's so quiet. The novel begins to pick up pace when Charlie comes across two high school seniors, Sam and Patrick. Sam, Patrick and their friends show Charlie a slice of the real world by exposing him to sex, drugs, music, and more. Soon, Charlie begins to learn and understand the value of friendship, sexuality, how to weave himself through his complex family, and find his place in the school and the world.

Chbosky does an outstanding job in making Charlie come to life. Reading through Charlie's feelings, thoughts, experiences in his letters, the reader starts to love his character and relate to him.

From suicide and rape to drugs and broken hearts, this book truly captures the essence of Charlie's innocence being swept away by the real world. Chbosky has created an inspirational, endearing novel that any kid in high school or college will connect to and enjoy.