What are "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" ?

For no reason at all, while browsing for a book to read at the library, I came across this book. The librarian told me that it was a great book. I told her that I have already watched the movie and I am just curious if the book is the same as the movie. I have watched the movie once, out of curiosity as well. From a list of the greatest movie for 2012, The Perks of Being a Wallflower came into number fourteen.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was written by Stephen Chbosky, who also directed the film. The story is about an introverted and intelligent boy in the name of "Charlie" and his life in his first year in high school. The story also depicts the lives of high school students - the struggle to be popular, being an outcast, parties, drugs and sex. 

The story was told by Charlie in the form that he was writing letters to an unknown recipient - narrating his life, his first day in high school, how he loss his friend Michael, how he met Patrick and Sam, how he learn to smoke, began addicted to drugs, his first girlfriend - Mary Elizabeth and how his pasts haunts him. Charlie was tagged by Sam as a wallflower, during a party after a football game, upon learning that Charlie has no other friends.This is the start of Charlie being a part of the group of Sam and Patrick which is composed of senior students. And since, he is an introvert and tagged as a wallflower, nobody in his family have the slightest idea that he was sexually molested by his aunt, that he did drugs, and he smokes.

In the epilogue, Charlie was admitted to a mental institution when he was flooded with memories of his Aunt Helen, and emotions that he have suppressed for a long-time. While at the institution, family and friends visits him helping in his fast recovery.

Aside from setting awareness in the problem of teens, the book also introduces readers with other literature classics (books Charlie's teacher assigns him to read) and songs (mixtapes that Charlie makes). Here are some of the books that was mentioned in the story:

- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare
- Naked Lunch by William Burroughs
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Some of the music mentioned in the book are:

- Asleep by The Smiths
- Where Eagles Dare by The Misfits
- Dear Prudence by The Beatles
- Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel
- Heroes by David Bowie
- MLK by U2
- Autumn Leaves by Nat King Cole
- Something by The Beatles
- Blackbird by The Beatles
- Daydream by The Smashing Pumpkin
- Broken Wings by Mr. Mister

This is one of the famous quote from the movie that I think everyone can relate to. This was said to Charlie by his teacher while telling him that his sister was hurt by his boyfriend.

" We accept the love we think we deserve.”

Note: Picture credit from the site below:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lshdgsC7D91qav9ywo1_500.jpg

Pardon me for borrowing the pictures, I was not able to take a picture of the book that I borrowed from the library.