The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky has been causing a stir since it was first published by MTV in 1999. It has been banned from schools in Massachusetts and New York. In 2008 it was number 6 on the ALA’s top ten list of challenged books. For more on the author’s thoughts about his work being banned, read this interview.
I chose to read this book because I had heard the hype, had been asked by parents about the book, and just needed to know for myself what it was all about. From the things I had heard I was expecting 200 pages of sex, drugs, and f-bombs.
What I found was a touching story about a teenager who had to deal with a lot of serious issues in his life. I enjoyed the pop culture references (that are totally dated at this point), the awkward family moments, and the genuine friendships that Charlie develops. I think the main flaw of the book is the sheer number of issues Charlie faces: suicide, date rape, homosexuality, drug use, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, and abuse. He struggles with these issues (any one of which would be a lot to deal with) while trying to navigate through high school as an outsider. Chbosky writes about each issue on his checklist of traumas with sensitivity and compassion and Charlie does a decent job of coping.
While there are definitely better written books for teens that deal with the issues found in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I am glad to have finally read this book, which left me with two thoughts. First, I miss that feeling of being infinite and second, you can’t always believe the hype.
Read it or Weep 