THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Pocket Books | February 1, 1999

     The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
     A #1 New York Times best seller for more than a year, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2000) and Best Book for Reluctant Readers (2000), and with millions of copies in print, this novel for teen readers (or “wallflowers” of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life.

I expected to enjoy this book to some degree because it's widely beloved—my cousin used to quote the movie out of context, and even my sister likes it! Although I don't love the book enough to put it on a pedestal and worship it, it's a "relatable," entertaining, and beautiful (because of the friendship) book.

The way the story is told is unique: letters written by "Charlie" to someone readers don't know, and readers don't actually know the characters' real names. I put Charlie in quotations because I doubt that's his actual name. Would you tell a stranger all your secrets? The possibility of them finding you is slim, but you don't want someone airing your laundry... I have a love-hate relationship with the style. Although it allows readers to see, or in my case, hear the narrator's most intimate thoughts, it does not seem prudent. 

At first, I was unimpressed by the writing. It's bare and simple, which made me unenthused, but it captures, what I think, a teenaged-boy would sound like perfectly. It's uncomplicated, straight-forward, and does what it sought to do. Charlie is naive and earnest, which makes him lovable. After reading the revelation, I understood why Charlie acted the way he did, and it is incredibly disheartening. In retrospect, I was pitying him throughout the book: I was pitying him because of his naivety and struggle to interact with people, but then I started pitying him for what he went through. That is in retrospect! When I was reading, I was celebrating his little victories with him: his friendships, familial relations, and maturation.

The author does a fantastic job of developing all the relationships in this book that it is hard to pick a favorite. Bill is an amazing English teacher, mentor, and friend that encourages Charlie to look at life differently, and he broadens his mind through reading. Sam and Patrick both helped Charlie grow as a person, to fit in, and to live. I especially loved Charlie's relationship with his sister Candace; I believe everyone with a sibling can relate to not getting along with your sibling but then building this close and valuable relationship later on. I was never really close to my sister until high school when we started talking more about our shared interests. Charlie's relationship with his father is quite sweet; fathers have a different dynamic with their son than with their daughter, but how they express their love is cute.