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domestic_toez77 's review for:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
WARNING: some brief spoiler-ish mentions
I quite enjoyed the layout of Charlie writing letters to some unknown being. And in each letter he wrote I found at least one thing that I related to wether that be a good or bad thing. In fact, as the book continued on I started to wonder, especially in the last few pages, if the reason Chbosky never said who they were to is because the messages from Charlie were meant for the reader. Additionally, at the end of the book when the big secret about Aunt Hellen comes out I wasn’t as surprised as I have watched the movie, but I still indeed did cry. I think one of the reasons I took off half a point was because of the way what happened to Charlie was solidified. I kind of wish he would’ve told Sam why what happened that night before she left really happened, but i guess that isn’t enough of a reason to deduct that half point. Another reason for that was because the final additional letter felt to much of the author writing to the reader than Charlie writing to his unknown friend. Too much additional information was disclosed in that small letter that it felt like less of a full circle moment than it was meant to be. Overall, my final thoughts are that this book is a wonderful representation of the struggles of a teen, even for those who hadn’t experienced the trauma Charlie had, and that Chobsky did a wonderful job crafting an intense yet readable plot line.
I quite enjoyed the layout of Charlie writing letters to some unknown being. And in each letter he wrote I found at least one thing that I related to wether that be a good or bad thing. In fact, as the book continued on I started to wonder, especially in the last few pages, if the reason Chbosky never said who they were to is because the messages from Charlie were meant for the reader. Additionally, at the end of the book when the big secret about Aunt Hellen comes out I wasn’t as surprised as I have watched the movie, but I still indeed did cry. I think one of the reasons I took off half a point was because of the way what happened to Charlie was solidified. I kind of wish he would’ve told Sam why what happened that night before she left really happened, but i guess that isn’t enough of a reason to deduct that half point. Another reason for that was because the final additional letter felt to much of the author writing to the reader than Charlie writing to his unknown friend. Too much additional information was disclosed in that small letter that it felt like less of a full circle moment than it was meant to be. Overall, my final thoughts are that this book is a wonderful representation of the struggles of a teen, even for those who hadn’t experienced the trauma Charlie had, and that Chobsky did a wonderful job crafting an intense yet readable plot line.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault