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by Stephen Chbosky
This #1 New York Times bestselling coming-of-age story with millions of copies in print takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory.
The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky 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 #1 New York Times bestseller for more than a year, adapted into a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson (and written and directed by the author), and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2000) and Best Book for Reluctant Readers (2000), 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.
"Palpably real... . Charlie develops from an observant wallflower into his own man of action... . This report on his life will engage teen readers for years to come." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"Compelling... . Charlie is a likeable kid whose humor-laced trials and tribulations will please both adults and teens." —Booklist
"Like Holden [Caulfield], Charlie oozes sincerity." —Kirkus Reviews
"Once in a while, a novel comes along that becomes a generational touchstone. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those books, a story so effortlessly told, with characters so truthfully rendered, you can forget just how beautiful the writing actually is. So I'm here to remind you: Chbosky is not just a great storyteller, he's a master of his craft." —R.J.Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder
"Twenty years after its initial publication, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is somehow more resonant, more relevant, than ever. This is the mark not just of a good book, but a classic one." —Gayle Forman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and I Have Lost My Way
This information about The Perks of Being a Wallflower was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Stephen Chbosky wrote and directed the feature film adaptation of his award-winning novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He has worked in film and television, on projects including the film version of the smash-hit musical Rent; the TV show Jericho; and others. He also edited Pieces, a collection of short stories. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Chbosky graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program. His first film, The Four Corners of Nowhere, premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Follow Stephen on X @StephenChbosky.
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