Book post: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Book cover from Simon & Schuster

Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower. New York, NY: Gallery Books.

Charlie is a wallflower. He sits on the sidelines observing life, but is trying hard to participate. He is starting high school having just lost his best friend to suicide, and when he starts making new friends again, they are a group of seniors who teach him a lot about life. Charlie is immersed into a world of music, books, drugs, alcohol, and sexuality. He doesn't know where he fits or what he's ready for yet, but tries to be a good friend and to be himself. Dealing with depression the entire year, Charlie is still optimistic about life as he makes observations about everything happening around him. Written as an epistolary novel, Charlie writes letters to an unnamed "friend." This would be a good exercise for all high school students; when you feel like there is no one to talk to who would truly understand, write anonymously to someone to tell them the types of issues you are dealing with. I love Charlie because he is a very dynamic character, who changes because of his experiences, the books he reads, the music he listens to, his reflections of his past, and his dreams for the future.