The book is about a sixteen-year-old introvert who uses his "thoughts to not participate" inside and outside his circle. He was described by his teacher Bill as someone whose "intelligence is beyond [his] age."
Our boy here is called Charlie. He writes to this unknown "friend" in a series of letters accounting his thoughts on people and how they think and act, as well as his feelings as a wallflower.
If you think introverts are just weird people who never give a damn to what is happening around, not Charlie. He is a keen observer and a deep thinker.
Later on, Charlie meets the liberal siblings Patrick and Sam who are both senior students. At this point, he'll be introduced into the world of drugs and sex as other life-changing events unfold within his family and school.
The characters in the book are like real people and not the ones whose lives are entirely perfect and seamless. The way Chbosky created his plot and characters are wonderfully written in this epistolary novel. You'll even cry and get goosebumps as you reach the end. Charlie is like us during those moments in our lives when we struggled "to participate" in the life we belong to.
The Perks of a being a Wallflower is naturally crafted with simple language, wit, and humor. Introspective and transcends you through the past. To quote Charlie, "at that moment, we were infinite." What kind of reader would not feel for him? I bet anyone could definitely relate to his story.
I'm looking forward to the film adaptation of the book. Seldom would you find an author directing his own work into a movie. Oh, not to miss out! Logan and Emma are playing Charlie and Sam.
