The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I loved this book. Charlie is such a lovable and relatable character, even though I had a different high school experience and completely different family life.

At first, I had a bit of a hard time getting into it because Charlie's inner voice seemed much younger than the one of a 15 year-old boy's, and I thought maybe he was autistic. Then I remembered about my old journal from high-school. Guess what, I sounded pretty much the same in my “Dear diary” entries, much more juvenile than 15. I realized that Charlie was just outstandingly innocent and naive and I was able to enjoy the book for what it was. One thing I wish had been emphasized less though is about him constantly crying. This was quite irking.

I loved that it tackled a lot of serious issues such as introversion, suicide, rape, abuse, violence, drug use, sexuality, abortion. I loved the the setting and the constant references to other books and music. I enjoyed all the side characters and how their lives intertwined. They all had sad, sad stories but the best thing is that these unlikely friendships changed their lives, helped them know more about themselves and even overcome some of their problems.