One of the greatest coming of age tale. That is what I think about Perks of Being a Wallflower. Your opinion may differ but you have to admit that it is a very iconic book. Chbosky’s take on a shy freshmen’s adventure and exploration of himself is very relatable and fun to read through.

Perks of Being a Wallflower is about Charlie Kelmeckis, an introvert trying to cope with his best friend’s death while attending high school. Charlie has trouble making friends and fitting in. He meets two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who accepts him for who he is and teaches him to move on and open up in a fun witty adventure with it’s up and downs.

This book, even with it’s comedy, it can still teach deep life lessons. The main focus this book tackles is to forgive yourself and to move forward leaving the past in the past. Charlie struggles with forgiving himself but all the people in his life try, in many different ways, to help him. A quote expressing how one helps is his english teacher, Bill, telling him that “ We accept the love we think we deserve.” this encourages Charlie to think differently. His dysfunctional family is also always there for him which teaches that family matters.

Perks of Being a Wallflower is aimed at young adults but I recommend it to everyone above the age of thirteen. This is a great young adult book tackling the harsh realities of high school and not being able to fit in. This book is very different as how it presents itself. The book has a typical “young boy coming out of his shell” theme but portrays it in a very unique way. I genuinely enjoyed this book. It talks about the dark truths of very relatable high school problems. The characters feel alive with own flaws that makes them even more understandable. All the characters are very easy to fall in love with.

I hope this encourages you to take a stab at the book. The books meaning is fun, relatable, and powerful.