Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publisher/Edition: Pocket Books UK (2009)
Length: 231 pages
Main Genre: Young Adult
Subgenre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ+
Personal Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommended Readership: A brilliant coming-of-age novel for any and all teenagers and young adults provided they are aware of all of the book’s trigger warnings. Older readers may also find this read quite enjoyable and nostalgic and may even learn something new in the process.
Synopsis: This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. Charlie navigates us through his world of first dates, mixed tapes, family dramas, and new friends. In the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, all one requires is that the perfect song is playing on that perfect drive to feel infinite.
Positives: The fact that this book speaks of the sense of alienation that many teens experience and in a way that is incredibly realistic explains why it still resonates with many readers, even today. Chbosky’s characterisation is probably the strongest feature of this novel and definitely one of my favourite aspects from when I was reading it. All of the characters felt well developed, distinct, and arguably most importantly depicted quite realistically because of their flaws and varying degrees of likeability. I definitely wish I’d read this book much sooner, I feel like I would have gotten a lot more out of it had I read it back when I was actually still a teenager.
Criticisms: While Chbosky does a fantastic job of covering many extremely important topics throughout the book such as drugs, homosexuality, suicide, and sexual abuse to name a few, most of them are only briefly touched upon and not thoroughly explored throughout the narrative. The fact Chbosky does this sometimes gives the novel a sense that there is too much going on at once which was a little jarring for me. I do understand, though, that all of these things occurring simultaneously in life is the reality for some individuals. This criticism did not, however, impact my overall reading experience much as I did still enjoy it and it’s well worth keeping in mind that this is Chbosky’s debut novel which adds to just how incredible it really is.
Favourite Quotations: “We accept the love we think we deserve.”
“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.”
“It’s just that I don’t want to be somebody’s crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don’t want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it too.”
Trigger Warnings/Content Warnings: Mental Illness, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Drug Use, Drug Abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal Thoughts, Grief, Sexual Content, Rape, Suicide, Paedophilia, Alcoholism, Adult/Minor Relationship, Toxic Relationship, Addiction, Death, Cursing, Self Harm, Bullying
Angelica the Bookworm 