Quick summary: Charlie is a freshman in high school and a social outcast, a "wallflower." He prefers to watch from the sidelines rather than participate in life. The book is a series of letters written by Charlie to an anonymous recipient (presumably us, the readers) describing his experiences during a year of high school. We witness Charlie growing up, uncovering pieces of his past, and learning how to be actively involved in his life.
I really liked Charlie. He has a sweet innocence and his perceptions of the world around him are very mature and insightful. I think Chbosky did a great job at telling the story from a 15-ish (can't remember his exact age) year-old's point of view.
Now for the negative.... perhaps this book has been built up too much, but I didn't like it nearly as much as everyone seemed to think I should. It had way too much explicit material for my taste and was somewhat hard for me to relate to because my high school experience was nothing even remotely like Charlie's. While I appreciate the story for it's own merits, it just felt a little too artsy-fartsy for my preferences. I can see why this book has an almost cult-devoted following, but I have never identified with those people.
Anyway, I don't want to offend anyone who does like this book. I enjoyed it. I finished it and was interested to see how it ended. I just am not in love with it like a lot of people are. To each his own.
3 out of 5 stars
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