The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author:Stephen Chbosky

ISBN:978-0671027346

Publication Information:MTV

Plot Summary: Charlie is a quiet, introspective high school freshman, and is having a difficult time figuring out himself, so he decides to write letters to an unknown person about his life, and his first year of high school. The letter go on to detail his friendships and crushes, the relationships he has with his family members, and the relationships they have with each other, and the adventures he has as he tries to form his self identity. During a party someone calls Charlie a "wallflower" and mentions that he is the type of person to observe quietly and sees things that other people don't take the time to see. Judging by the letters Charlie writes, this seems to sum him up perfectly. As the year goes on, and Charlie reveals himself more and more to the recipient of his letters, the reader begins to see that something traumatic happened to Charlie that landed him in the hospital when he as younger. Will Charlie be able to confront his past, and figure out who he is?

Critical Evaluation: Charlie is an extremely well written character. His insights on human behavior are both innocent and spot on. His growth throughout the book is well paced, and something that many older teens can relate to as they look back on their first year of high school. Writing the book in the form of letters that Charlie is sending to an unnamed person is a move of pure genius, because the book reads like the letters are being written personally to the reader. The relationship between Charlie and the letter's recipient does not seem to be close, so as the novel continues, it becomes more and more plausible that Charlie is talking directly to the reader, instead of an unnamed person. The letters themselves are equal parts insightful, funny and heartbreaking. Chbosky does an excellent job of having Charlie reveal just enough about his past for the reader to want to know more. This is a book that may change some teens lives, and, at the very least, many teens will devour in one sitting. Highly recommended.

Reader's Annotation: Charlie is an observer, a wallflower. This is what he sees.

Author Information: Stephen Chbosky was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He is an author, film maker, script writer and playwright. He received an undergraduate degree in the Filmic Writing Program from the University of Southern California. His films have won several awards, including Best Narrative Honors at the Chicago Underground Film Festival for his movie The Four Corners of Nowhere. He is also the creator of the popular television series Jericho. The Perks of Being a Wallflower was his first novel.

Curricular Ties: English Literature

Genre: Issues

Book talking ideas:

• Why was Charlie so attached to Aunt Helen?
• Why do you think the author chose to tell the story in letter format?
  
• Why did Charlie's sister allow her boyfriend to hit her? Do you think Charlie did the right thing by telling Bill about the abuse? Why or why not?

Challenge issues: Sex, Underage drinking and drugs

• Familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
• Check the library for specific policies on challenged books.
• Check the ALA website for advice on how to respond and react when a book has been challenged. (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/index.cfm)
  
• Find positive reviews from reputable websites.
• Ask the challenger for their specific objections and try to address them using information from the above research.

Interest Age:Grades 9 and up

Why I selected this piece: I first read this book before I ever knew it was geared towards young adults. I loved the book and had to include it in the blog.