Perks of Being a Wallflower, The (PB) - B-format

A powerful and perceptive coming-of-age story, in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye, from a talented young filmmaker and novelist, this haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion has become a modern classic. Now with a new cover! Charlie is a shy and introspective teenage boy, a wallflower always standing on the edge of the action. We learn about him through the letters he writes to someone of an undisclosed name, age and gender, a stylistic technique which adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness of the story. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. Charlie encounters many of the struggles familiar to everybody from their school days, from making friends, first crushes, experimenting with drugs and sexuality, but he must also deal with his best friend's suicide and a shocking realisation about his beloved late Aunt Helen which challenges his very grip on reality. But there comes a time to stop being a wallflower and see what it looks like from the dance floor. A funny, touching, memorable first novel which captures with resounding accuracy the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood.