Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Have you ever been really excited to read a book because there's all this hype around it and have ended up disappointed? That's kind of what happened to me when I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It just wasn't what I expected it to be. And it leaves me to wonder if I would have liked it better if I had just happened across it in the library one day and had no idea what it was about. But I guess I'll never know.

This book dealt a lot with sex, drugs, drinking, and emotional trauma. And maybe I've been out of high school for too long but this book didn't resemble my high school experience at all. And it definitely made me nervous for when my kids go to high school.

I did appreciate the book's unique main character, Charlie, and his simplistic but insightful view of relationships. I also liked the message that was put across in the last chapter, however I felt like the delivery of the message was badly done. It was just thrown out there in a big glob and didn't seem to fit with the rest of Charlie's narrative. It really seemed to be coming more from the author and less from his character. But sometimes as an author, it's hard to separate the two.

Overall, I did not like the book and wouldn't recommend it. The best parts of the book can be summed up in simple phrases:

• "Go out and actually participate in life instead of just observing." 
• "You are in charge of your own life."
• "Only accept what you truly deserve and want."
• "Accept your past and move forward."

And while these motifs are good and thought-provoking, you can find these in many books that are more enjoyable to read.