The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A Review

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Young-adult, 1999)

my rating - 5/5

This book is a collection of letters written by Charlie, a high school freshman, to an unknown recipient. He writes to him about his feelings as he struggles with the traumatic experiences of his best friend's suicide and the death of his beloved aunt, Helen. During his first days of high school he meets two seniors, Sam and Patrick who instantly become his friends and who help him cope and survive school. 

It was a book I literally read in a day. Easy and with a huge plot twist in the end it is definitely a page-turner. However, the main reason why I loved it is because it deals with extremely important issues people need to be aware of.

To begin with, it handles mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Charlie, the main character, is trying to cope with the loss of his friend and his aunt. Due to his overthinking, he feels guilty of their deaths and he keeps quiet about it. It also refers to how hard it is for someone to change their perspective and stop grieving. 

The book also deals with coming out as an LGBTQ+ teenager and the domestic reactions this may cause. I think this is an issue of great importance as it is not only fictional but it exists and it is the reason for many suicidal attempts all over the world. It can really destroy a person, especially one in such a vulnerable age. People definitely need to be more aware of that and find ways to help them.

Lastly, it deals with sexual assault in children and how hard it is to recover. This particular issue is a very sensitive one and Stephen Chbosky does a pretty good job to rise awareness. 

In conclusion, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book that deals successfully with mental illnesses caused by traumatic experiences in children and teenagers without becoming too heavy to read. It also refers to coping mechanisms people use to feel better. It really deserves to be called a modern classic.

"Have you ever done that? You feel really bad, and then it goes away, and you don't know why. I try to remind myself when I feel great like this that there will be another terrible week coming someday, so I should store up as many great details as I can, so during the next terrible week, I can remember those details and believe that I'll feel great again." - Charlie

Thank you for being here 🧡

D.