The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie seems to be the average teen: awkward, on the fringes; the perfect wallflower. In this series of letters broken into four parts, readers learn to love Charlie and his unique sense of being. He shares his world and his struggles. Charlie is a sensitive soul and he touches the souls of readers with his words.

As a Charlie starts high school, readers watch as he makes friends with Sam and Patrick. Even as they accept him into his fold, he still sits on the edge; watching and not participating. There is more to Charlie than readers originally assume as he digs deeper into his past and into his present. His wallflower status allows him to give readers details that many other narrators wouldn't have noticed. He is a wise voice for his age - an old soul in a young body.

Charlie writes letters to a unknown person because it is a way for someone to know him without either party becoming hurt. This is a fantastic read for young adults as it covers a wide range of experience on may face in high school and beyond. While in the beginning he doesn't seem to be a completely truthful narrator, by the end of the book he is a trusted narrator. He reaches inside of himself and becomes more than just a wallflower.