The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower  by Stephen Chbosky                   Audio Book:  6 hrs., 3 0 mins       Hardback Book: 224 pages         

What a great story.   I love the way it is told in the first person by a young man coming of age, who has dealt with a lot of emotional baggage of his own that has damaged him slightly but he is so brilliant that a group of older radical outliers themselves bring him into their fold and treat him as a peer whereas kids his age think he is weird and hassle him.    He has such a joie de vivre ( joy in living)   whether it be learning how to kiss, finding his own happy ending (read between the lines) he has such an innocence and yet a sage wisdom too.   What a likeable character.   And    all of the older set have their own Breakfast Club vibe only on a far more cerebral scale.    Thee are lots of clandestine activities and conversations and this story is just a delight.    The film is good too, but, I am so glad to read the book, it goes so much deeper into the main characters’ psyche.    Excellent story.   I recommend this one to young and old there are so many aspects of life and family personas that everyone will find a touchstone here.     I liken the main character to Ponyboy in the Outsiders.    Well written book so much more behind everything here.     

 - Shirley J