The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Reissue Edition)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Reissue Edition)
Publisher
Age Range
14+
Release Date
August 14, 2012
ISBN
9781451696196
Buy This Book
      

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.

since its publication, Stephen Chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over a million copies in print, and inspired a major motion picture.

the perks of being a wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. the world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. of sex, drugs, and the rocky horror picture show. of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Editor reviews

2 reviews
Coming to a theatre near you...
Overall rating
 
3.3
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
This book has been reissued because it's now a major motion picture (to be released in September 2012). I thought this was interesting, entertaining and the letter writing format to a generic reader was unique. I think anyone whose experienced high school will be able to appreciate what these characters go through, whether it's family drama, dating or just trying to figure out where you fit in.

This particular issue includes a reading and discussion guide which is useful for book clubs or any small group setting.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

6 reviews
 
33%
 
67%
3 stars
 
0%
2 stars
 
0%
1 star
 
0%
Overall rating
 
4.4
Plot
 
4.0(6)
Characters
 
4.7(6)
Writing Style
 
4.5(6)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
Already have an account? or Create an account
View all user reviews View most helpful
I like this one
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
This was a very good young adult book I thought. It avoided some of the other usual stupid things you sometimes get from YA fiction and the character were very realistic and believable. You should give this one a shot!!!
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
The Perks Of Being a Wallflower is a fantastic book which I very much loved. The way it was written and the structure of the book was really nice to read and i'm sure if i were to read it again, it could be read in one day.

The characters of the book are people you love and would be friends with if they were real. This is because, they could help many other teens with the same problems as our main character Charlie and they would be the nicest people.
However, the one complaint i would have, is the plot twist where Charlie is molested. This doesn't need to be in the book and be the reason why Charlie is very quiet and social inactive. That ruined the book and Aunt Helen's image which was very good according to Charlie.
The Plot otherwise is very good and it could even be some form of help to those teens who may be shy and don't "participate".

Overall, this is a very good book and i'm sure i will read it again in the future. I am also using this book for my english coursework because of the deep meaning behind this book.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Overall rating
 
3.7
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I really liked this book, honestly but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. I've heard amazing things about this novel and I guess it just didn't live up to the high expectations I went into it with. I liked the way that the story was told in letter written by Charlie and that I really got to see the way he thought and saw things.

I was definitely surprised by how naïve Charlie was. He didn't know things that other kids his age were aware of until his friends told him about them. Another thing was how Charlie seemed to cry about everything. Charlie was a sensitive kid, I get that but it seemed a little extreme that no matter if someone was nasty with him or did something really sweet, his first reaction was to cry.

Even with all of his faults I really liked Charlie. He was a smart kid and only wanted some friends. He was a sweet kid who was always there to listen but like Sam had an issue with him not taking action so did I. I was just hoping that for once he would do something that made him happy instead of trying to make everyone else happy before him. I loved Sam. She was one of my favorite characters. She was fun and knew how to have a good time. The same went for Patrick. If I had known kids like them in high school they would have definitely been the one's I hung out with.

The whole revelation towards the end of the story about his aunt was surprising. I honestly didn't see it coming and it really explained a lot about Charlie and why he acted and did things the way he did.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone to at least read once in their life. It's a great story about finding friends while finding yourself along the way. In the end, I just wish that I had loved this as much as I thought I was going to.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Love the letter format!!!
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is such a different book. Not just because of the way its written, the letters to a 'friend' who is anonymous throughout the entire, but because of how Charlie sees the world. He sees the world in such a different way to most people, some people might think that he's crazy, but the way he describes it you can see how smart he is. The author must put in a lot of effort to create such an amazing character (and make he seem so real), and to write such an amazing book.

I think that all the mature themes in this book is an eye opener, even if some readers don't realise it. It made me see the hardships some people go through. The mistakes Charlie has is mended, even if it is not in play view. This book has a lesson inside it (that sounds cheesy!), and it is a good one.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is such an amazing book, and I cannot wait to see the movie. I hope it is, it has Emma Watson in it, who is amazing. I just cannot wait to see it!!! Oh, and this a really brilliant book to read.
Good Points
-Charlie was such a cool main character. He was so quiet and thoughtful, and he just seemed like an extraordinary person (I really like his gifts that he gave people, the tapes and things).
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
The Perks of 'Perks'
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
It’s time to revel in the atrocities of literature as Banned Books Week is upon us (or if you are reading this at some other point in the year, still read the book because it's amazing)! "Perks" has the lucky distinction of being one of the most contested books of recent times. This is due in large part to its discussion of mature themes such as drinking, drugs, sex and child molestation.

So when does mature breach into the territory of too mature for YA? I would say it’s when an author delves into gratuitous moments of sex, drugs and drinking. Moments that serve no real purpose to the greater meaning of the story, and are written only to shock or turn on. There are enough Maxim magazines and Calvin Klein ads to do that without the aid of YA authors.

In "Perks," Chbosky avoids gratuitousness and uses all moments of mature material to teach young readers life lessons. He by no means encourages kids to go out and get krunk while having unprotected sex with the first hot chick/guy they see. Instead he helps teens grow by the mistakes and experiences Charlie has throughout the book. If anything, Charlie’s forays into a not so innocent world help young readers learn what to be wary of as they grow older and discover firsthand that the world is not as picture perfect as parents would like them to believe.

Rather than try to forbid this book, parents and teachers should encourage its consumption as it can help adult mentors ease into these uneasy topics that need to be discussed with teens. Without open dialogue on this mature subject matter, society risks seeing way more teens turn into uneducated, dangerously freewheeling Jersey Shore types in the future. Furthermore, these topics are all things any reader, regardless of age, can relate to. Read this book and don't miss out on the perks of "Perks."
Good Points
Mature topics delivered in a way that teaches young readers how to start making sense of a not so innocent world.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Perks
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Ezra Miller as Patrick has got to be the best thing ever! So I love this book, but I kinda dislike it in some ways. Charlie broke my heart throughout this entire book. He seemed so naive. It's more than a coming of age story, it's also a deep book about relationships, family, and abuse. And also secrets.
New cover, same great story.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
View all user reviews