The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Review by Haley Johnson

Welcome back to "Chatter!" This week, English Literary Studies major and FIT Pre-intern Haley Johnson would love to share her review of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky:

I have always been under the philosophy that “the book is always better than the film” is not always true. Every time I read a popular book and watched the film adaptation of it, I liked the films more. But when I read this book I had the opposite reaction. I watched the film before I even knew it was a book, and as soon as I found out I picked it up immediately. I loved this book so much, and now it holds a special place in my heart.

Reading from Charlie's point of view in the form of letters is such a creative concept that was done beautifully in this novel. I felt personally connected to Charlie, almost as if he was writing the letters to me. And his character is lovable from the first sentence that comes out of his mouth! He is witty and curious. I felt like I was reading letters from a freshman in high school. It made me very nostalgic, as he unlocked memories from my own high school experience.

There are lots of very dark topics in this book that get handled with grace, and if I were to recommend a novel to anyone who was struggling with their mental health, or navigating the world in general, I would immediately give them this book to read. The plot isn’t exactly intense, but these characters navigate issues that matter in today's society. So, to everyone who is curious, I highly recommend giving this a read!

We hope Haley’s review has enticed you to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower! Stay tuned for more suggestions and reviews.