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Upsetting, uplifting and life-affirming

The New York Bestseller "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" was written by Stephan Chbosky and published in 1999. It’s a modern cult classic. The novel has 231 pages and the language is quite easy to understand.

The main character is named Charlie. He is a 15-year-old boy who has kept a diary since his first day of high school. His only friend has just committed suicide before Charlie enters high school. The event makes him a wallflower. Then, Charlie meets Sam and Patrick at the homecoming ball and they instantly become friends. From that day the three boys spend a lot of time together. How and why do Sam and Patrick "change" his life? And will he ever get over his best friend’s suicide? And the death of Helen who used to be another important person in Charlie’s life?

The novel is about topics everybody can relate to, for example feeling like an outsider or finding out about one’s sexual orientation. And, the novel has a pretty amazing message, too. Kids should learn to become the protagonists of their own lives. Also, the setting is well described so you can easily picture the characters.

I quite enjoyed reading this novel. I could easily identify with the characters, because they deal with typical teenage problems. The novel is for readers not younger than 14 because it contains explicit content which is unsuitable for young readers.

I would recommend this novel.

Caroline (16)

The novel “The Perks of being a Wallflower” was written by Stephen Chbosky and published in 1999. The novel, a modern cult classic, became a New York Times bestseller. The novel was made into a film which was directed by the writer. It was released in 2011.

The main character is Charlie, who is a 15-year- old boy and who has kept a diary since his first day at High School. His only and best friend has committed suicide, which makes him a wallflower. He is the youngest of three children, who live with their parents somewhere in America. During the first week of High School the only friend he makes is his English teacher. At the homecoming ball he first meets Sam and Patrick. They become very close friends and they are always around. How and why do they change his life? And will he ever get over the suicide of his best friend and the death of his aunt Helen, who he admired?

The novel deals with real-life topics which teenagers can relate to, such as feeling like an outsider or finding one’s sexual orientation. The setting is feasible. In fact, the reader can easily picture the characters. The novel has a pretty amazing message, too: Kids should learn to become the protagonists of their own life. They must make their own mistakes and learn from their experiences. The perfect age for the novel is between 14 and 16, because the novel contains explicit scenes.

I would recommend the novel because readers can identify with the characters and because of its message.

Maxima (16)