The Perks of Being a Wallflower Book Review

Author : Stephen Chbosky

Released year : 2012 (movie tie-in edition)

Genre : Young-adult fiction, contemporary

Synopsis:

Charlie is a freshmen. And while he is not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

My reviews:

Okay, what I'm about to say might not please everyone but please understand that everyone is entitled to his/her opinions. No one's opinion is ever right nor wrong. It all depends on an individual's preferences. I did not enjoy this book and I am sorry to say this.

I found The Perks of Being a Wallflower to be rather overrated. The whole excitement behind this book when the movie was out, was a little over the top. Idk. Maybe it's just me but for me, the book fell short of expectations. :/ This got me thinking, yes the hype was just a fad, but I think most people just want to be part of the excitement, no matter whether they really liked it or not. The same goes to The Fault in Our Stars by John Green but that is a different story altogether so I'll post my two-cents worth of thoughts in another posting.

To me, the story was poorly written. I am not a professional writer myself but yes, I said it. In this book, Chbosky has got a very poor writing style. Have you forgotten the usage of proper diction, Sir? Why does the only emotion Charlie knows is sadness? He is CONSTANTLY SAD and there just weren't enough "oomph" to stir my emotions. There are many ways to describe sadness. I expected Chbosky to give a more in-depth description of feelings rather than the same thing over and over again.

Then, it turns out that Charlie was just a shy, socially awkward but extremely intelligent teen but that does not go hand-in-hand with the fact that there were hints of him suffering from some form of autism or he is just plain naive and immature. I mean look at Charlie's actions and behavior and THOUGHTS!

All in all, the book failed to live up to expectations. It was just plain boring. More could be explored but oh well...

Rating : 5/10 stars.

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