Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

139 reviews

sacculent's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book made me dissociate in a good way. The ending is terribly sad and yet hopeful and positive, and throughout it the whole book made me think differently about the world a little bit. The only thing holding back a 5 star is the writing style in a series of letters, it isnt bad necessarily but sorta made it hard to get in to in the beginning and sometimes i found it challenging for some reason. For now this is my favourite book, because it’s the last one I read. 💕

P.S: this book tackles a whole lot of traumatic events, sexual abuse, drug abuse, and others. Be aware of that.

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eveybrittin's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

At first I felt that Charlie was an unrealistic portrayal of a high schooler because I've never met someone who thought like him, and certainly nobody who approached social situations like he did. But I don't know everyone and the ending makes his behavior/thought processes make a little more sense. I do feel like the ending was rushed a bit compared to the rest of the book and it left me feeling kind of confused. This book definitely challenged my understanding of "normal"; drugs and sex were a way bigger part of this kid's life than I expected, and given Charlie's obvious mental health issues it upsets me that the other characters so ignorantly introduced him to substances that only made things worse. The author did a great job of creating realistic characters; I found that I could relate to each one in one way or another, or at least imagine them clearly in my head. I love a book that leads me feeling kind of thoughtful and dealigned at the end and the Perks of Being a Wallflower definitely accomplished that.

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perth_is's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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saebae_tm's review against another edition

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dark inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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escapades's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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themelaniewaite's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There’s just something about re-reading a book that you love and having the chance to revisit the story and all the ways it once made you feel. Though this is far from a comforting storyline, taking the time to read it again, through an adult lens and distanced from the teen that once needed this story, it’s like visiting an old friend that made you feel safe and seen in their presence.

I have so much love for this book (and the movie tbh), and have been recommending it from the moment I first read it. Even all these years later, it holds such a special place in my heart. Charlie will always be a character I resonate with. The storytelling format being in the style of letters - as though the reader is the receiver - makes it so much more personal, and adds a layer of relatability to Charlie’s character. He shares and expresses so much I wish I had been brave enough to share at fifteen - or even when I first read this (and now!).

It is such a unique method of writing and truly captures the turmoils in those formidable coming-of-age years. I do wonder how life may have turned out if I had the chance to read this earlier sooner, but I truly believe this story found me just when I needed it and I will be forever grateful to Stephen Chbosky for this remarkable, beautiful book.

TW:

There are a lot of heavy themes within this book, including (but not limited to): SA, r-pe, child SA, mental health, homophobia, ab-se, ab-rtion.

Content Warnings