The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky

The book The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book about the problems and challenges that follow when you are coming of age. It is about mental illness, friendship, love and youth and shows us not only the wild, exciting and scary life of the average teenager, but also the difficulties of a young adult struggling with mental problems. Meanwhile he is pushed into taking the responsibility that is necessary, when you are finally forced to live your own life, no longer standing on the sideline.

In the book, we follow the young boy Charlie as he begins his first year of high school. Around a year ago, his only friend, Michael, committed suicide and thereby left Charlie all by himself. In his first days of school, we see him as he tries to get used to the life as a lone freshman, whose grades are only high because of sympathy and who spends his life watching and observing instead of participating. This all of a sudden changes as he meets Patrick and Sam, stepbrother and stepsister, senior students, who shows him how life as a teenager can be. He is introduced to the world of drugs, alcohol, parties, girlfriends, sex and love in the most innocent way, helping him, combined with the guidance of his new English teacher, Bill, to participate in the world instead of standing on the sideline.
What makes the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower so special is the gracefully chosen narrative technique, that the author Stephen Chbosky has used. Letters written to an unknown character make up the chapters of the book and it is often implied that our protagonist does not know this character personally. The fact that our protagonist/narrator writes these letters anonymously gives us a mix of total honesty, in an almost diary-like form, and direct addressing to the intended reader. The almost childlike unsophisticated and spontaneous writing gives you, as a reader, the feeling of being told the direct thoughts of our protagonist, meanwhile giving you his exact look at the world, which is clearly very different than most.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a different, humorous and pleasant book and, as only the best books do, it leaves you with a blend of feelings like heartbreak, a sense of betrayal, amusement, nostalgia, sympathy and anger. It is short, easily read, straightforward and amusing and it can be recommended to anyone who either are or have been fighting through the weird and confusing life as a teenager.