Perks of Being a Being Wallflower

By Ashley Mertel
SC Staff Writer

Sex, drugs, profanity, parties and dances—Stephen Chbosky sure knows what to include when writing a mature teen/young adult novel.

In his New York Times bestseller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky writes about the struggles high school freshmen Charlie endures after losing a close friend to suicide.

Like all high school freshmen, Charlie embarks on a journey to find friendship, happiness and love. He ends up meeting Patrick and Sam, who become his best friends.

Through them, Charlie finds himself. He gets the courage to step out of his wallflower limelight and starts participating in life.

Charlie shares his journey through letters that reveal tidbits of his life. He never formally addresses the audience, but the reader will eventually feel each piece is written especially for him or her.

Chbosky does an excellent job portraying how the innocence of a child slowly slips away and how the emotional journey a teen makes when becoming a young adult can truly fascinate.

Although The Perks of Being a Wallflower is set in the early 1990’s, Chbosky shows the timelessness of high school drama, clichés and stereotypes, making the story relevant for many future generations. This story is cleverly written, witty and tugs at every heartstring.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is now a major motion picture (out in theaters now), starring Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller.

Hopefully, the movie does the book well-deserved justice and captures the emotional journey of finding one’s self.

Email Ashley at:
abm3087@live.esu.edu