Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

1009 reviews

booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

I almost DNFed this book. It's a book for high schoolers about high schoolers, and since I'm nearing my thirties, it didn't seem like this book was for me. The writing felt too simplistic and not deep enough. It felt too childish. But I gave it a bit more of a chance when I realized more about what he was going through. I learned of the experiences and pain that contributed to Charlie's simplistic view of his day-to-day teenage life. And then book began to make so much more sense, and I began to see its beauty. I saw my own story and pains reflected in Charlie's and could see the experiences I shared decades ago as a teen reflected in Charlie's. This book captures the effects of Charlie's source of pain so well - better than I've ever experienced in a book, and I was feel so grateful to get to read such a beautiful story capturing and empathizing with that pain. I read this book in the form of an audiobook, and this will definitely be a book I'll be purchasing a physical copy of to read over and over in the future.

And to any young person reading this, who relates to the pain experienced in this story, I just wanted to pile on and remind you that there really is light at the end of the tunnel. What used to haunt you will lose its ability to hold you down. And you will be okay.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Homophobia, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization

missmarguerita's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol

mbhcad's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

3.0

There’s a dissonance in the way Charlie is described by others as a writer and storyteller and the way he writes that bothers me. It sort of disrupts the relatability by making it much clearer that Chbosky is an adult man who doesn’t really know how a 15 year old would write, so what ends up happening at times is that Charlie has thoughts and feelings that most readers around his age also have, but he’s much worse at articulating them than they are going to be. It’s frustrating. He thinks like he’s 15, but writes like he’s 13. Some of the ways in which women and feminism are approached is so 90s it’s painful, but I can’t fault the novel for that, really. Overall an enjoyable read that absolutely would’ve done some terrible things to teenage me, just rocky in some places. I quite liked it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual assault

Moderate: Incest, Racism, and Violence

ylle's review against another edition

reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

I knew this was going to be a 5 star read from the first page or so. The book being written as letters really ads something. I loved all the music being mentioned and all the great quotable things being said. 

Throughout the story we get to know the 15-year-old boy Charlie. And up to the last few pages or so, it feels like that’s all there is. A teenager doing the typical teenager stuff. Learning the complexity of relationships, both romantic and platonic. Getting high and getting drunk. You get glimpses of something not being right, not quite normal. Mentions of doctors and “episodes” happening again.

It’s in those last pages that everything really falls into place, the penny drops so to speak. Suddenly the book goes from a “light-hearted” coming of age novel, to a very deep and real story about sexual assault at an early age. And how the mind really processes that.

 

Finishing the book, felt similar to finishing a really good thriller movie. Everything suddenly falls into place and it all makes sense. I feel the urge to reread it all, with this new information. When I didn’t think it could get any better, it gave such a plot twist I really couldn’t have foreseen. It’s safe to say I won’t forget this book in the near future.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, and Alcohol

panda27's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Abortion

moonwillow27458's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Suicide

sarahmmichael's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative lighthearted reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Abortion, and Alcohol

sandysmith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Another young adult book I really enjoyed set in a high school. The story is of Charlie, whose best friend Michael dies, leaving him without friends as others close to him no longer want to know Charlie. He makes friends with Sam and Partick, also known as nothing due to his phrase call me Patrick or nothing. Patrick is gay and in a relationship with Brad, who is desperate to keep their relationship a secret. The book is entirely made of beautifully written letters from Charlie to a friend who remains anonymous. We can speculate who this is, but it is not revealed. Read as part of my banned books book club pick banned due to alcohol, drug and sex content, but you know what that's teenagers for you and they will be involved in this regardless of whether a book is banned so it's a big pah to the book banners. Full of teenage angst and deep themes, I really liked it. My favourite quote " you get the love you think you deserve" emotive fab stuff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

olliereads04's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual content

bellasierra's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content