The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Year Published:1999
ISBN:9780613237529
Pages:213 p.
Genre:Epistolary novels,Diary novels,Coming-of-age stories,Realistic fiction,Books to movies Interest Level:9-12
Reading Level:7.0 Subjects:Child sexual abuse victims,Letter writing,High school students,Teenage boys -- Diaries,Teenagers -- Sexuality,Teenagers -- Drug use,Teenagers -- Alcohol use,Gay teenagers -- Friendship

Annotation:A series of letters to an unknown correspondent reveals the coming-of-age trials of a high-schooler named Charlie. (Novelist)

Summary:Aspiring filmmaker/first-novelist Chbosky adds an upbeat ending to a tale of teenaged angst--the right combination of realism and uplift to allow it on high school reading lists, though some might object to the sexuality, drinking, and dope-smoking. More sophisticated readers might object to the rip-off of Salinger, though Chbosky pays homage by having his protagonist read Catcher in the Rye. Like Holden, Charlie oozes sincerity, rails against celebrity phoniness, and feels an extraliterary bond with his favorite writers (Harper Lee, Fitzgerald, Kerouac, Ayn Rand, etc.). But Charlie's no rich kid: the third child in a middle-class family, he attends public school in western Pennsylvania, has an older brother who plays football at Penn State, and an older sister who worries about boys a lot. An epistolary novel addressed to an anonymous "friend," Charlie's letters cover his first year in high school, a time haunted by the recent suicide of his best friend. Always quick to shed tears, Charlie also feels guilty about the death of his Aunt Helen, a troubled woman who lived with Charlie's family at the time of her fatal car wreck. Though he begins as a friendless observer, Charlie is soon pals with seniors Patrick and Sam (for Samantha), stepsiblings who include Charlie in their circle, where he smokes pot for the first time, drops acid, and falls madly in love with the inaccessible Sam. His first relationship ends miserably because Charlie remains compulsively honest, though he proves a loyal friend (to Patrick when he's gay-bashed) and brother (when his sister needs an abortion). Depressed when all his friends prepare for college, Charlie has a catatonic breakdown, which resolves itself neatly and reveals a long-repressed truth about Aunt Helen. A plain-written narrative suggesting that passivity, and thinking too much, lead to confusion and anxiety. Perhaps the folks at (co-publisher) MTV see the synergy here with Daria or any number of videos by the sensitive singer-songwriters they feature. (Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 1999)

Reviews and Awards:YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2000,YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 2000, Banned Book: 2010-2011