Like many other books, I watched the film of the Perks of Being a Wallflower, before reading the book. Unlike most people, I actually prefer this order as I think it makes reading the book more enjoyable as I don't spend the time trying to get to the point of the story but simply slowly meander my way through the story, giving myself time to appreciate the language.
The first thing that struck me about the book is the strikingly genuine voice the narrator speaks with, this, as well as the awkwardness of the main character and American literature, written decades earlier; The Catcher in the Rye. Both these novels revel in the confusion and emotion of growing, yet what makes this books special is the way they embrace these emotions.
The soundtrack that is actually included in the novel, given to the narrator in a mixtape, perfectly characterises the story. So if you would like to get a feel for the kind of novel this is then I've posted the collection of Perks of Being a Wallflower songs below:
