451. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Rating:  ☆☆☆1/2

Recommended by:  Terra McKinish

Author:   Stephen Chbosky

Genre:   Fiction, Young Adult

264 pages, published February 1999

Reading Format:  Book

Summary

The main character in this young adult fiction book is Charlie, a high school freshman with a very high IQ, a sometimes strained family relationship, a friendship with an extremely cool brother and sister and a dark secret.  Written in a series of letters to a “friend” from Charlie, we get a peek into his life and challenges.

Quotes 

“We accept the love we think we deserve.” 

 

“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.”

 

“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.”

 

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.”

 

“I would die for you. But I won’t live for you.”

 

“There’s nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.”

 

“I am very interested and fascinated how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.”

 

“It’s just that I don’t want to be somebody’s crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don’t want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it too.”

 

My Take

A good, enjoyable read, but I had a tough time relating.  Probably better suited for the teenage set.