The Perks of Being a Wallflower

  I read Stephen Chbosky's 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' before I found out that it was being made into a film. I would just like state this because one of my pet peeves is when people read a book after watching its film adaptation and then decide that the film was better than the book. I personally do not see how that makes sense as books are the source material; without them, there would be no film but I am digressing and going off on a tangent.

  The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written in epistolary form from the perspective of a teenage boy under the alias of 'Charlie' who is beginning his freshman year of high school. The letters are addressed to an anonymous person that Charlie does not know personally and he describes various aspects of his life, especially his experiences at school.

  I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. First of all, the reader can really relate to and understand Charlie because he has such a clear way of viewing the world, describing everything he sees in such a naive manner that I sometimes felt uncomfortable reading. Also, the themes of introversion and confusing adolescence are heavily explored in the book, themes that teenagers face daily and can relate to. As corny as it might sound, I myself have been a 'wallflower' before and as a result of this, the character of Charlie was more real for me. Another reason why I enjoyed the book was that Chbosky's characters are well developed, from encouraging English teacher Bill to the opinionated Mary Elizabeth. Furthermore, despite the sometimes heavy themes (sexuality and drug abuse to name a few), the book did have its funny moments.  In addition, the book's twist will leave you reeling and crying but the latter might just be on my side because I tend to be overemotional at times.

  However, it could be argued that the book is clichéd and cheesy at times, as well as not being timeless due to the many references to the popular culture of the 90s such as with TV shows like 'M*A*S*H' and 'Love Boat'. But these references didn't stop me from enjoying The Perks of Being a Wallflower in 2012. In fact, thanks to them, I've been introduced to some really good songs!

  As I started this post by talking about the film, I'd like to end by saying that the film version didn't disappoint. Logan Lerman was a heartbreaking and believable Charlie and I really liked him in the role. Although Emma Watson's American accent was shaky at times, I still found myself thinking 'Hermoine Granger, who?' whenever she was on screen.

  The Perks of Being a Wallflower is very good and I'd really recommend it. Be sure to read the book first before watching the film though!

Rating 4/5 ****

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perks-Being-Wallflower-Stephen-Chbosky/dp/1847394078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356380693&sr=8-1