I read this book for a book club. The reader travels through Charlie's first year of high school. The protagonist is quiet and introverted with issues that come to light as the story progresses. Awkward among his own peers, he latches onto a group of seniors and soon becomes caught up in their lives and activities, sometimes at the expense of his own. The story is one of teenage angst, and for that reason, it wasn't my favorite read as I'm not a big fan of young adult fiction. That being said, there is still plenty for adult readers to absorb, and I found it easy to empathize with Charlie and become part of his world. I would recommend it to fans of this type of novel.