The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age novel following the story of Charlie Kelmekis and his first year of high school. After Charlie’s friend, Michael, passes away at the end of his 8th-grade year, Charlie has to deal with the struggles of being a teenager, alongside grief and depression. It’s a story of friendship, family, love, mental health and identity. This is one of my favourite books ever because of how authentic and genuine it is, and how much I relate to Charlie’s character. The book’s writing style is in the form of written letters and a diary, the inner thoughts of Charlie are evermore personal and emotional, and you begin to empathize deeply with him. Charlie’s character is extremely well-developed; he feels like a real person that you’ve interacted with. His character is consistent and feels like an authentic teenager who isn’t always perfect and makes mistakes. The story has a good and believable plot as it’s just Charlie’s experience in high school. Stuff like breakups, falling-outs, and reconciling with people. Even though it's not anything crazy or adventurous, it’s the simplicity of the plot that makes the reader connect with it. One thing I love about how Charlie writes his letters is how he ends them. He always writes: ‘Love Always, Charlie’, which is a subtle detail that strikes a chord in me. It’s never clear who Charlie writes these letters to and whenever he refers to the reader he always says: ‘Dear, friend’ but I find it even more genuine because no matter who he’s talking to, he considers them a friend. Even though this book is a coming-of-age story meant for teenagers, anyone who has experienced high school in their own way can read it. I would especially recommend this to parents of teenagers as it can give more insight into their child’s perspective and mind. This book sparks relatability and sensibility for anyone willing to give it a chance. I gave it a chance and I loved it.