“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is worth a read
Are you interested in reading a book that fully encompasses what it actually feels like to be a teenager? If your answer is yes, then “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Cbosky is a book for you!
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is written as a series of letters narrated by a boy named Charlie. The story follows Charlie during his freshman year of high school as he tries to find his place in the world.
Following the recent suicide of his best (and only) friend, Charlie starts ninth grade alone and evidently becomes a victim of bullying, that is until he is befriended by a group of senior misfits.
Throughout the book, Charlie deals with themes like mental illness, sexuality, abortion, first love and substance abuse.
Though this book was written in 1999 and it clearly takes place in the ‘90s, the story is timeless. I am in high school 20 years after Charlie and though the small details of the story (like making mixtapes of cassette tapes) are a little outdated, the main themes of the story are still very current.
I think Chbosky did a great job of showing what it actually feels like to be in a freshman in high school.
Suddenly you have all of this freedom, you get to choose what activities you do, the amount of effort you put into schoolwork and who your friends are. Through the character, Charlie, Chbosky described perfectly how it is both very exciting and stressful.
My only complaint about this book is that the ending leaves readers with a lot of questions. The book ends with Charlie writing his final letter the night before his first day of sophomore year.
Though that ending is good for Charlie because the story has gone full circle, (it started with him writing a letter the night before his first day of freshman year) the story leaves a lot of unanswered questions about what happens to the side characters.
Does Brad ever come out? What happens to the Rocky Horror show now that Patrick, Mary Elizibeth and Sam have gone to college? Does Candace get better taste in men after she leaves?
Because of this, I rate Perks of Being a Wallflower an 8 out of 10. I really enjoyed this book, it was a fast read (231 pages) and every chapter brought a new twist in Charlie’s story.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is in high school, has gone to high school, or is about to go to high school because aspects of this book are relatable for just about anyone.
If you have read “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and liked it, I would recommend: “Looking For Alaska” By John Green, “Far From The Tree” By Robin Benway and “Where She Went” by Gayle Forman. Just like “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” these books are all easy to read books about young people finding their place in the world.