This will be a review of a novel called The Perks of Being a Wallflower written by the author Stephen Chbosky. I will give some reflections on the book, and give my personal opinion on different aspects, including my reasons for every opinion. I will also address my opinion on the content of the book and its structure.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a novel about a high school freshman called Charlie. The structure of the novel is a series of letters written by Charlie to an unknown person that he thinks of as a friend, a friend he can trust, express his feelings and tell everything he does. Charlie meets two new people called Patrick and Sam. He thinks they are much cooler than he is, and they become good friends. They change his experience in high school completely and makes Charlie feel included and introduce him to new people. He remains shy throughout high school, and he has a special desire for music. Charlie’s life moves further, and he meets a new world with sex, drugs, and even death.
This novel is very special and unique; it is not something you would expect from an average fiction book. It is a novel filled with different emotions. It might make you laugh at times, and sometimes make you sad. The author, Chbosky, uses different situations that teenagers can relate to, and often makes them emotional, which affects the reader and makes them wanting to keep reading. The morale of the novel in my opinion is that you can go through anything as long as you have the right friends, because you can see Sam and Patrick completely change Charlie’s life in a good manner. They took him in by their side, and they taught him different things, like how to get new friends, or how to act when you’re with a girl. They also introduced him to new people, got Charlie new friends and invited him to parties; because of this, Charlie also got a girlfriend, and he went his first date and kissed someone for the first time. He felt included, and he was so happy when he was with his friends, even the sad things that had happened earlier in his life would not bother him when he was with them.
Chbosky made the world Charlie lives in very relatable and believable. Even though it is fiction, the problems that occurred in the book is issues many teenagers have today in their daily life. He introduces the reader to a very typical teenage life where drugs and sex is included, and it makes the story more relatable but also more exciting.
The main characters have a very good image and they fit very well into the story. They make things exciting for Charlie and for the reader by bringing in and introducing elements like drugs, sex and bullies. Charlie seems to be excited and happy to meet new things like that, but it also makes him stressed because of his anxiety. He tries his best with the help of Patrick and Sam to fit in, and the thought of his aunt Helen helps him through rough times and depressive thoughts.
Charlie also loved his English class, and his teacher, Bill. Bill notices Charlie’s talent in writing and considers Charlie as a great student, and towards the end he they also become friends. Because of Charlie’s skill in Bill’s English class the letters are written very well, and almost without any mistakes which makes it much better and more readable in my opinion.
The most important theme in this novel in my opinion is friends. Charlie’s friends are what made him to what he is. Sometimes he lost friends, and got them back. Other times he gained new friends and they joined the journey. Charlie would never have gotten through high school without his friends, as he was suffering from anxiety and was extremely shy. Patrick and Sam helped him with his problems, and everything went the right direction for Charlie. Charlie was a wallflower. He was shy, he was alone in the start, and he had social problems, until he met his friends. That is why I think his relationship between his friends is the main and the most important theme in the book. That is also, why I think the author chose this title for the book. The title fits very well to the book in my opinion, because the definition of a wallflower fits Charlie’s character very well. However, you do not really understand the title instantly without knowing the definition of being a wallflower, or reading the book itself.
I personally got the morale of this novel pretty well, and learned that you can go through the roughest times as long as you have the right friends by your side. I definitely recommend this book for teenagers that are 15 years or older, because I believe there is many aspects in this book which many teenagers can relate to and understand, which makes the reading experience better because you understand the plot. I think Charlie will continue his life, but still go through rough times. However, this time Sam and Patrick will not be there to support him like before.
Reference list (sources):
Chbosky, Stephen. (1999). The Perks of Being a Wallflower. New York City: Pocket Books.
MollieBookworm. (2014, March 2). The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – review. Retrieved 24.10.2016 from: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/mar/02/review-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-stephen-chbosky
Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary. Retrieved 24.10.2016 from: http://www.shmoop.com/perks-of-being-a-wallflower/summary.html