Written by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a heartfelt story of growing up and learning. The main character, Charlie, is a naïve high-schooler who has no idea where he fits in, until he meets Sam and Patrick. They are brother and sister, and they become Charlie’s first real friends. Charlie has been seeing people change as they’ve grown up, and now he’s seeing changes in himself. While he was once very socially awkward, he’s beginning to understand how to be himself and find friends. He’s also finding out that the world can be an incredibly scary place, and not everyone is happy. This book fully explores what it is like to be a teenager, and many of the things teens face. Charlie learns to try new things, but he also makes mistakes along the way.

The characters in this book were very realistic, and I felt that I actually knew them. I especially enjoyed reading from Charlie’s point of view, since he is an unconventional thinker and often makes interesting observations about the world. The story is written through letters that Charlie has sent, each beginning with “Dear Friend…” It is not made clear who he is writing to, but whoever it is, you can tell that he was very close to them. Stephen Chbosky is an outstanding writer, with a style all his own. The Perks of Being A Wallflower if definitely one of my absolute favorite books, and I would recommend it to any teenager.