The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Author: Stephen Chbosky
Original title:  The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Pages: 231
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Format: Paperback
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads

Blurb:    
       Charlie is a freshman.
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 thoughts:
      The popularity of this book baffles me. Not that it is a bad one, it is just an ordinary one.
      I don't really know how to feel about this book. I liked the writing and the way the story unfolded through letters. But the characters drove me nuts a lot of the time.
     It was an easy read, while simultaneously tackling pretty much every difficult subject at once. Chbosky wrote a book with so many serious issues like drugs, death, homosexual adventures, suicide, rape, relationship violence, abortion, child molestation/incest, parties, fights, without really dealing with any one of them in depth.  Each one of these issues needs to be taken seriously, not pointed out on one page, just to be forgotten on the next.

My main issue was Charlie. 

     The question is: whether or not Charlie might be autistic. It is hinted at, but never stated explicitly. Thus, I could not concentrate on his narration. He seems very immature, more like a 7-year-old. But then all of the sudden come some philosophical observations and character analysis. I had a feeling that two different people were telling the story and the switch between them was always sudden. Maybe that was the point - to baffle the reader and get him guessing about the boy's story, but frankly, it irritated me and made Charlie’s character less believable.  
       And thought I flew through the book, it did not stir any emotion in me and most probably I will forget about the plot and characters quite soon. The only thing that spoke to me was the friendships and the family dynamics.

Rating:  

    3/5