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Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Coming of age
Format: Novel
Number of pages: 224
Publish date: 1999
Published in 1999 by American author Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age story centring round a teenager called Charlie, who recently lost his best friend to suicide. Since he lost his best friend, Charlie has struggled to fit in. But when he meets Patrick and Sam, everything changes. This is a story of loss and the vices of teenage years.
Synopsis of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Charlie – the fifteen-year-old protagonist – writes letters to an unknown recipient. He addresses these letters to a ‘dear friend’, and within them he recounts his freshman year of high school, his struggle with the recent demise of his best friend – who he lost to suicide – and the death of his favourite aunt. Charlie does not plan on meeting Sam and Patrick, to students from the year above, but they pity him and drag him into all of their teenage drama.
With them, Charlie begins using drugs and drinking alcohol. He develops a crush on Sam, who reveals her own past is not too dissimilar to that of Charlie. He is accepted by their larger group of friends and begins living life to the fullest. However, Charlie continues to struggle with mental health issues, and the memories of his aunt come back to him in flashbacks.
Plot
It is the 1990s, and fifteen-year-old Charlie has just lost his one and only friend, Michael Dobson, to suicide. On top of that, he has just lost his favourite aunt in a car accident. To cope, Charlie turns to writing letters he addresses to a ‘dear friend’. We can assume that these letters may be intended for Michael. Charlie instantly connects with his new English teacher – Bill – who recognises Charlie’s passion for reading and writing and sets extra reading for him in the hopes that he will churn out some brilliant book reports. Despite his quiet nature, Charlie is befriended by the charismatic Patrick, and his stepsister Sam.
Through them, he is quickly dragged into the world of sex, drugs, and drinking, and is accepted by Patrick and Sam’s larger group of friends. Charlie has a growing crush on Sam but struggles to tell her. Instead, he dates Mary Elizabeth, who is sweet in her own way, but not Sam. When playing truth or dare, and asked to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, Charlie kisses Sam. This leaves Mary Elizabeth feeling heartbroken and betrayed, and causes conflict with Sam. With most of the friend group shunning him, Charlie’s flashbacks of his aunt become more frequent, and drag his mental health down.
When Charlie defends Patrick when he and his love-interest get into a fight, he earns back the trust of Sam and Patrick. However, it is not long until Sam and Patrick are leaving for college, and Charlie will be left alone again. While helping Sam pack for college, Charlie reveals his feelings for Sam, who is angry that he did not tell her sooner. But when they begin to engage in sexual activity, Charlie begins to feel uncomfortable, and is bombarded with memories of his aunt molesting him as a child – memories he has supressed until now.
In an epilogue, Charlie is shown to be catatonic – the only activities being the constant infiltration of memories. He resides in a mental hospital, until he is released two months later and is visited by his friends. Sam, Patrick, and Charlie drive through the tunnel again, and Charlie reveals that he feels infinite. He begins participating in life again, and his letters stop.
Characters
The characters we focus on in the novel are all a similar age – all youths. Charlie is our main protagonist, and through him we explore teenage mental health and the effects of vices, such as alcohol, drugs, and sex. Through Patrick and Sam, Charlie’s new best friends, we investigate the importance of friendships and observe how the connection Charlie makes with his friends gets him through his struggles.
Analysis
Through Charlie and Sam, in particular, we explore some darker themes. For both of these characters, PTSD, and trauma – of a sexual nature – play a significant role in how they interact with the world. Charlie has little positive experience when it comes to love, so does not always express his feelings in the correct way. Fortunately, Sam is understanding, and gives Charlie the support he needs.
For many kids, drugs and alcohol will play a huge role in their childhood, so it was important for Chbosky to include it within his novel. This makes his material relatable, and important for youths today. Charlie’s healing process provides hope for many – Charlie found a way to beat his past, and so can others.
Summary
Stephen Chbosky’s novel explores many dark themes, but also many that are relevant to youths today. His novel carries an air of hope, and perseverance, and involves a ton of self-healing. I would recommend this book to anyone high school age and over but look into trigger warnings first.
Overall Rating: 9/10 – Outstanding
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