The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
Perks is a coming-of-age story written in the form of letters to a “dear friend”. We see Charlie’s genuine perspectives in navigating relationships and emotional conflicts around him with a hint of teenage naivety and innocence that make his experiences feel deeply personal and real. We share Charlie’s all-familiar insecurities, stumbling through awkward phases and interactions, niches and mixtapes, longing for passion and connection in what moves us, and discovery of who we are alongside the people we love.
Perks evokes nostalgia for those thrilling moments in fleeting summer nights and reminds us it’s okay to reach for the support we need when life is overwhelming, like finally releasing a scream and succumbing to the comfort of a warm embrace.
— From Gina's PicksThe critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
A years-long #1 New York Times bestseller, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and Best Book for Reluctant Readers, and with millions of copies in print, this novel for teen readers (or “wallflowers” of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life.