The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. ISBN-10 0671027344, ISBN-13 9780671027346. MTV Books. 1999.

Summary
Charlie is a high school freshman who isn't a super-jock like his brother, or very popular like his sister, and is thought to be a little odd. When he starts high school, he finds himself on the fringe of a social circle. He isn't meant to be on the fringe with Patrick and his step sister, Sam, but hey are seniors, and they adopt Charlie into their lives. Charlie chronicles the escapades he experiences with Patrick, Sam and all of their friends in letters written to an unknown recipient. And through the letters, Charlie talks about his love for Sam, his concern for Patrick and his lover, the drugs and alcohol that help him cope. We also see his downward spiral into depression as the school year winds down, and as all Charlie's friends graduate, move on and leave him alone again.

Critical Evaluation
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age story that is written in an epistolary style. "Charlie" is the said letter writer who lurks in the shadows of his friends as they maneuver through their senior year of high school. As only a freshman, Charlie writes to an anonymous recipient about his friends as the all frequent the late night Rocky Horror Picture Shows, drink alcohol, take drugs, and explore both hetero- and homosexual relationships. Charlie gets caught up in the lives of his friends, and experiences a depressive breakdown as his friends all begin to fade out of his life after their graduation.

Reader's Annotation
Charlie shares what it is like to grow up in high school through a series of letters written from the point of view of the proverbial wallflower.

About the Author
As a native to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stephen Chbosky graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program, and he's better known for his film and television writing. His film The Four Corners of Nowhere was accepted by the Sundance Film Festival. He's also worked as co-creator producer and writer for the short-lived television show Jericho.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky's first and only novel to date, but he also edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories as well as a hard-to-find Sexaholic. It is said that Chbosky is working on a screenplay for The Perks
of Being a Wallflower.

Genre
Adolescence
Boys/Men
Friendship

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
What would you think if one of your friends wrote about everything you and your friends did in a letter and sent it to someone else to read…

Awards
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
This is an often challenged book, and I read it for my group presentation.