Thursday, February 20, 2014

MARIAH'S THOUGHTS on The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Genre:
Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Realistic Fiction, Coming-of-Age
Publish Date:
August 8, 2012
Publisher:
MTV Books

Synopsis:
Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his year yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix 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. But he can't stay on the sidelines forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

    

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**About the Author**
Stephen Chbosky grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program. His first film, The Four Corners of Nowhere, premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win Best Narrative Feature honors at the Chicago Underground Film Festival.

Stephen is the recipient of the Abraham Polonsky Screenwriting Award for his screenplay Everything Divided as well as a participant in the Sundance Institute's filmmakers' lab for his current project, Fingernails and Smooth Skin.

Stephen Chbosky lives in New York.

Stay connected with Stephen Chbosky
  

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***Review***
Dear friend,

Hasn’t freshman year… anywhere really ever made people nervous? Our young Charlie, the main voice in this story, seems to be nervous almost every day or maybe he’s just quiet. No, he’s just both. I haven’t seen the movie and can give you my review. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartwarming tail of the lonely guy in the corner but I don’t particularly believe Charlie was lonely, all he was doing was observing and he isn’t lonely after befriending seniors Sam and Patrick. Doesn’t everyone just need one person to bring them out into the open? The Perks of Being a Wallflower taught me lessons about life and enjoying it, the fears people have, how everyone should take a minute and step back to look at the bigger picture, and how to express yourself no matter who you are. I might not being getting this all out right or maybe we won’t see eye to eye on our review of this book but I hope you don’t mind.

It wasn’t until the end of the book that I started crying because I just had that feeling of “They grow up so fast”, especially when the book is small enough to finish in a day. Even though the book is told through letters, Charlie always referring to the reader as “friend” really makes me feel like Charlie and I were friends and he was confiding in me… a random stranger. You can feel sympathy or maybe even empathy for the kid seeing things through his observation as a story being told to you. I could feel his heart break and fun interactions in life; it makes me want to go on an adventure of my own and “participate” in life ;). The Perks of Being a Wallflower isn’t a book that makes you set up your beliefs or persuades you into new ideas; it opens you up to new ones. You know what. I want to tell you that you are the most amazing person I’ve met today… even if we haven’t really met.

Love always, Mai

My rating:

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