The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Summary
Charlie is a boy who has just started high school, and is somewhat of an outcast. His only friend committed suicide the year before and now he is friendless. His story is told all through letters that he writes to someone- who remains anonymous throughout the whole story.
Charlie finds two friends in seniors, Patrick and Sam. He instantly falls in love with Sam but appreaciates the friendship in both people who show him a whole new world. Throughout the book Charlie talks about being very sad, his connection to his Aunt Helen who has died, and how he got very sick with what seems like depression when his Aunt Helen passed away. At the end of the book, it becomes obvious why Charlie has been so sad and been such a different kid in the story.
Suggested Activities
   This book was just recently turned into a movie and would be great featured in a section about books to movies. The students who have read the book and seen the movie would complete a voting for to see which was better- the book or the movie. There could be a big contest about which book was better than the movie or which movie was better than the book which could be featured in the library displays.

  Another important part of the novel is the music. Charlies is forever talking about great songs that were playing at moments and the mix tapes he makes for Patrick and Sam. It would be great to have the students make their own soundtrack to the novel and have it displayed for other students to stop and look at- and maybe even check out to listen to with the book while they read!

Reviews

Charlie is an outsider, a typical wallflower. He gets bullied at school and prefers taking the forty minute walk home instead of the school bus. Charlie is sixteen years old and when he starts high school, his life is going to change forever.

Isn't this a familiar set-up, don't we already know these stories where the loser turns out to be the really cool, popular guy? Well all this is true too for The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, but just wait and you will find so much more. This book is going to catch and surprise you every time you turn a page.

In a series of letters written by Charlie and sent to an anonymous person we learn about his life, his new friends, his family and especially Charlie himself. He writes about school and his English teacher, Bill, who gives Charlie extra books to read. Charlie then writes essays about them. He would like to become a writer some day.

Charlie himself is a mystery. He has mental problems, gets angry, sees things and then passes out. Right before he started high school his best friend shot himself, but there is also another, worse reason for his problems. At school Charlie meets Patrick and Sam, both of whom are outsiders too, just cooler ones. Patrick is gay and before his stepsister Sam introduced him to "good" music, he was a popular kid. They introduce Charlie to all kinds of new things. Parties, drugs and rock music become new parts of Charlie's life and for the first time he knows what it really means to have good friends.

What makes this book so special and authentic is its reality. As an adult it takes you back to when you were a teenager, as a child it shows you what lies ahead and as a teenager it inspires you. And as we all know there is no other time when finding out who you are and where you belong to is more immediate than when you are a teenager.

(2013). The perks of being a wallflower. The Guardian, Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2013/jan/20/review-perks-being-wallflower-stephen-chbosky

My Thoughts 
 I had read this book several years ago, but forgotten the ending (which happens to me a lot!). I knew it was somethng big so I wanted to re-read it. I re-read it and just did not like it as much as the first time I had read it. I liked the letter format of the story, but I wanted desperatly to know who he was sending letters to and what their response was- if they had any. I also just had such a hard time figuring Charlie out- which I guess is part of the plot. But it was frustrating to read about someone that I just didn't understand at all.What I did like about Charlie and his friends though, was that they were very relatable. I think a lot of adults can look back and think "I had those feelings in high school" or  "I had a friend like that in high school." I think that made the book more enjoyable for me. But I wonder how high school students would relate or younger students. I did like that the book was an honest representation of high school. Nothing unbelievable happened. Charlie did not become popular all of a sudden, he didn't get the best girl and he didn't join the football team. He stayed true to character the whole the time, which is something I enjoyed.
Bibliography
Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower. New York City: MTV Books.