Review by andst - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

andst 's review for:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

4.75

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

I feel like this book really encaptures self-improvement during high school. How, at that age, we feel aimless, worthless, unlikable and inadequate. How we tirelessly look for a sense of belonging and how somehow it's never enough. It's depressing, stressful, and deeply relatable.
Throughout the book Charlie experience a sense of hopelessness while he sees the world (and the people) around him break down into pieces, just to realize that he cannot do anything to fix them no matter how much he tries. All the characters come with their own set of problems and we can see how these problems consume Charlie completely, even if they don't belong to him. Which is something some of us can deeply relate to.
This book makes you feel seen and understood. It encourages you embrace those around you despite their flaws, because we are not perfect either. We are all trying to get through life one day at a time, might as well just do it along those you care for.

Content Warnings