“He’s a wallflower. […] “You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.” — Page 37
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
ByStephen Chbosky
Publisher: MTV
Published: 1999
ISBN-13: 9780671027346
224 pages
Charlie, a teenage boy, begins writing a series of letters starting on August 25, 1991, addressing them to his ‘friend.’ Coincidentally, in 1991, I was 14 and probably the same age as Charlie. I put on my teenage mindset and began reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Friendship, family, death, sex, alcohol, drugs: I could relate to what he’s trying to convey, which affects young adults at that stage of their lives. The only difference is Charlie’s a boy, and I’m a girl. One thing that is unusual (or perhaps not) about Charlie is that he cries very easily (me too). He is also quiet (me too). The way he writes almost makes me think of him as a girl.
He is honest, perceptive, blunt, and at the same time gentle and caring. When his best friend Michael committed suicide, he became friendless. He cries when the news is announced over the school’s PA system. Later, he befriends two seniors named Sam and Patrick, and is exposed to the world of rock and roll, sex, drugs, and the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show.’
Through it all, Charlie learns about life. He likes Sam, but Sam is attached to another promiscuous guy named Craig (though Sam doesn’t know about Craig’s promiscuity). He also learns his friends’ secrets. For example, Patrick has a girlfriend, but the truth is he is not a regular guy. I enjoyed reading about how Charlie’s advanced English teacher, Bill, keeps giving him additional books to read. The teacher sees Charlie’s strong reading and language skills, so he gives him additional assignments in the form of essay writing. I sincerely wish I had such a teacher when I was still a student. What Bill said touched me:
“So, when the school year ends, and I’m not your teacher anymore, I want you to know that if you ever need anything, or want to know about more books, or want to show me anything you write, or anything, you can always come to me as a friend. I do consider you a friend, Charlie.”
This book is said to be something like The Catcher in the Rye, and perhaps that would be the next book I’d read—time to add it to my to-be-read pile. It also reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night by Mark Haddon, which has a similar writing style. Although my teenage years weren’t as dramatic as Charlie’s, reading Wallflower still made me reminisce about those growing-up years. I like this book!
