The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Coming of Age Young Epistolary Adult Novel
ISBN: 0-671-02734-4
MTV Books, New York, 1999
213 p.
Suitable for 15+

Reader's Annotation: A young high school student who goes by the alias of "Charlie" writes letters about his experiences during his first year of high school including drugs, sex, music, etc, to a person he has never even met.

Plot Summary: A high school freshman who goes by the name of Charlie is introverted and shy, thus a wallflower and not popular. He writes letters about his experiences of his freshman year of high school, which takes place in 1991/92, to a person we never meet. These include trying to make new friends since his best friend recently committed suicide, trying to fit in, questioning life in general, his love for pop culture, his family life, drugs, sexual experiences, friendships, having a crush, among other things. During the school year, these experiences come to fruition as he befriends a couple of seniors who are much more popular, Patrick and Samantha, who are step-brother and sister, who show Charlie the ropes, which helps him break out of his introverted shell. Charlie also befriends a teacher who gives him books to read and write on, which improves his writing and thinking. From all this, Charlie gets an understanding of a different kind of high school education where everything is not all that it seems, which in the end leads him to understanding high school and himself much clearer.

Critical Evaluation: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written in first person from the perspective of Charlie. He is very good at showing the struggles of what almost every teen who enters high school goes through and accomplishes this through writing that is honest, real, and direct. He's writing letters to an unknown character so it doesn't have the usual narration feel and instead is portrayed in dialogue as if Charlie is talking to you. The writing ranges from humor and joy to sadness, pop culture, and a cry for help. It's also heartfelt and innocent at times; Charlie is an introspective outcast and he is finding himself through a series of new experiences. When Charlie doesn't know what's wrong with him, there are plenty of teen readers out there who feel the same way. These experiences, however, do not hide the fact that his issues are starting to come up to the forefront more than ever as some physical moments in the story show big hints of psychological problems. Eventually this leads to the shocking ending when it all becomes clear, perhaps too much so, of why Charlie is the way he is and this may upset some readers who were hoping for an open ending, which this story is not.

Author: Stephen Chbosky was born January 25, 1970, and is best known for writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He graduated in film from USC in 1992 and wrote, directed, and acted in the indie film The Four Corners of Nowhere. By this time, he was also writing his famous novel and stated from the get-go in 1994 that the book would be very different from anything else out there. He also admits that he relates to Charlie, the protagonist of the book. Chbosky has also edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories.

Chbosky returned to film and wrote the screenplay for the broadway musical-turned-film Rent. Chbosky put in his two cents on television as he was the co-creator and writer of the television drama, Jericho, which premiered in 2006. And it has been announced that he will be serving as the screenwriter for the adaption of his novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which should be released in 2011.

Booktalking Ideas: Booktalk surrounding his friends suicide. Booktalking surrounding sex, drugs, homosexuality within teens.

Challenge Issues: This is one of the most challenged books of YA fiction due to its depictions of drugs, sex, homosexuality, and suicide.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries. There are also many other novels in the same vein, which are now considered classics such as Catcher in the Rye and The Outsiders. Those books were once under scrutiny, but now have been accepted. The same can be said for The Perks of Being a Wallflower in the near future. Teens should feel aware, not ashamed, of these issues, and this novel helps them relate. Librarians can meet with administration if necessary.

Why Included: I enjoy reading books that I could relate to and this book is one that hit right on the nose. Many of the issues in this book were similar to what I went through in high school. There's nothing better than knowing that you're not the only one and there's another person out there that you can relate to, even if it is YA fiction. Not only that, but the writing is exceptionally diverse as its funny, sad, introspective, with references to popular culture, which always grabs my attention.