A powerful and perceptive coming-of-age story, in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye, from a talented young filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist. This cultish book exploring the sense of alienation that many teens experience and questioning who they are and where they belong is a bit of a marmite read (you will either love it or hate it) - so why not see where you stand?
The film of the book starring Emma Watson and Logan Larman is due for release in September and you can view the trailer for it below.
Charlie is a shy and introspective teenage boy, a wallflower always standing on the edge of the action. We learn about him through the letters he writes to someone of an undisclosed name, age and gender, a stylistic technique which adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness of the story. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating.
Charlie encounters many of the struggles familiar to everybody from their school days, from making friends, first crushes, experimenting with drugs and sexuality, but he must also deal with his best friend's suicide and a shocking realisation about his beloved late Aunt Helen which challenges his very grip on reality.
This is a funny, touching, memorable first novel which captures with resounding accuracy the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood.