The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Book) Review

Wallflower – A person who is socially awkward especially one who does not dance at a party due to shyness.

-Urban Dictionary

           

            The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the journey of an American teenage boy Charlie’s incidences over an academic year at his new high-school his dealings with his friends, girlfriends and family.

It is primarily about high-school relationships and the author has captured all the elements attached to it – alcohol, making-out, drugs and prom culture in the story. The books is in the form of letters that the protagonist writes to a stranger revealed (or not?) at the end of the book.

The story revolves around Charlie’s lovely family – Dad, Mom, a sister repeatedly changing her boyfriends and a brother who is in the navy and plays football for the country’s team. He meets the brother sister duo – Patrick and Sam and they become his close friends although both are senior to him. A girl Mary Elizabeth interested in Charlie and his first girlfriend.

Charlie the wallflower has an excessive habit of thinking a lot in his own mind and how that somehow makes him an awkward nerd in front of the rest of the people but he is not aware of it and that comes to him from others bit by bit. At the same time he is unable to read the clues when one signals him to leave them by saying – ‘Let’s do it later.’ On the other hand he would be the winner of “Best Friend” award as he would not let anyone down no matter what. He is the nicest guy on the planet.

The book has captured almost all the things a wallflower goes through like…

·         Thinking a lot about anything and everything all the time.

·         Finding it tough to deal with big social groups – often being made fun of and the point of laughter.

·         Charlie tries to please everyone – he’s good at academics and gets straight As in every test. His professor Bill keeps on giving him more and more assignments and books to read which he accepts willfully and once he crosses the line by being physically being intimate with a guy friend because he was feeling lonely. In short he never says – “NO”.

Verdict…

Unlike a Sherlock Murder mystery every line of this book is important as every minute happening holds a huge importance in the subsequent instances that unfold. Every character is unique and the story filled with details explodes at the end leaving one spellbound. Personally this has been one of the most engaging books that I have ever read as a certain mystery of what will happen next keeps you engrossed. One can say that it is a great young-adult book but I won’t disagree if someone were to call it a teenage boy’s trashy diary entries.

The book is a must read for anyone who feels is an introvert like for one who finds it difficult to deal in social situations, if one would rather be reading a book/ watch a movie than going for that friend’s birthday party – go and grab TPOBAW. But more importantly for an extrovert this book is a great guide to understanding the brain functioning of their opposites.

A few more points that troubled me …

·      I purchased the book with the cover of the movie which seems like there is a love triangle and one person gets sad while the other two move on living happily ever after, it certainly is not that way (I haven’t watched the movie though).

·      Most of the situations in the school is where the ones who would come to the prom are good which something tough to digest as for the bullies Charlie is an easy target and I don’t recall an incident where something bad has occurred to him (also the whole book is an exhaustive diary of a teenager) and not to mention this is all happening in America.

·      Charlie has had feelings for Sam ever since he saw her and has a sex dream and with almost zero hesitation he tells about the dream to her. No wallflower would do that. Period. Sam on the other hand she consoles Charlie and does not slap him (kinda feels like all the mature high-school kids are in the book).

·      At first it first feels like Charlie is the loneliest guy on the planet which paints a different picture altogether and the story did not stand true to what it has been advertised as.

·      A point I would personally not agree to would be – Charlie is not an emotionless guy and keeps crying often BUT in front of others… as in not hiding his emotions and feelings.

Would like to conclude this review by adding that TPOBAW is a book that has captured the perspectives of an introvert to a great extent. The book managed to keep me engaged and give me a lot of points and situations to ponder upon as I could relate to a lot of things.

Movie

PS – I also watched the movie that is also directed by the author of the book and is a great adaptation of it. The few points that seem incomplete or loopholes have been completely filled in the movie. If one is to watch the flick as a standalone part from the book it makes perfect sense and might as well shed a few tears L A few more extra elements added in the movie makes perfect that makes it worth a watch and it was indeed beautiful to see the incidences from the book coming alive in the cinema and the transformation of Charlie from the shy guy to holding up his hands in the class to answer a question has been captured beautifully!

Book and the movie manages to get a special place in my heart…