The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
# pages: 228
Date read: November, 2012

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed 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.

Similar in style to Marcelo in the Real World and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but even better than both. I picked it up yesterday morning to read on my commute to and from work, but ended up finishing it at home instead, because I simply couldn't put it down.

Charlie, Patrick and Sam were all adorable, and I loved reading the friendship that grew between them, and how it influenced Charlie and changed him (for the better). In general, all the characters seemed very real and well described. I couldn't help but wonder whether Charlie actually has Asbergers (or something similar), because of his way of reacting to things.

I'd expected a pretty run-of-the-mill YA - what I got was anything but. I highly recommend it.