Books: "Being a Wallflower" Has Its Advantages

Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being A Wallflower is a sweet, startling, gripping, and brutally honest coming of age novel.
Fifteen-year-old Charlie is coping with the suicide of his one and only friend, Michael, right before he enters his freshman year of high school. To lessen the fear and anxiety of starting school alone, Charlie begins writing letters to an unknown friend.
Charlie is a wallflower. He is socially challenged and emotionally unstable, he observes people all the time, and he feels very deeply for the experiences occurring around him.
But when his English teacher realizes his potential, he asks Charlie to try to participate more in class, which in turn leads to two astounding friendships.
As Charlie's friendship grows with classmates Patrick and Sam, he begins to experience what high school is all about. He has his first date and first kiss, makes friends, loses friends, deals with bullies, and experiments with drugs and alcohol.
Unfortunately when Charlie is finally starting to find his place in the world, a disturbing family secret surfaces and puts Charlie into a deep depression, where he must face entirely new battles.
Having written the book in letter format, Chbosky has produced a plausible way of putting one's life into perspective. He has written the book in a way where you think about each moment of your life, demonstrating why one should embrace every moment and the importance of being as much alive within each moment as possible.
It's about looking around and appreciating the world we live in and the people that surround us. It's about learning not to judge one another and finding an appreciation in not knowing everyone's story, not knowing the pain and happiness they experience each day.
I truly believe this book is a great read for anyone over the age of 12. I think anyone, male or female, could find a new understanding and appreciation after reading this.
And if you enjoyed the film version that was released in theaters this past September, then the book should be at the top of your must-read list, as I believe it was even better than the movie.