The Perks of Being a Wallflower, written by Stephen Chbosky, is a poignant novel that anyone who has navigated through adolescence can relate to. After the death of his beloved Aunt and his best friend Michael, the main character Charlie embarks on a journey to find himself while dealing with crippling loneliness and anxiety as he enters into his first year of high school. With the help of some new friends, Charlie discovers how to live in the moment and let go of the past.

The novel is composed of hundreds of letters that Charlie writes to an unknown friend. This writing style allows readers an exclusive look into Charlie’s innermost private thoughts, creating a personal connection with the character. Charlie’s pain tugs on readers’ heartstrings, while his happiness traverses through the pages, bringing great joy to the readers.

Charlie begins ninth grade just after his dear friend Michael commits suicide. With no genuine support system to help Charlie work through his complex and confusing emotions, he feels completely alone. The only person that would understand Charlie is his Aunt Helen, who was his favorite person in the world, but she died in a car crash when he was seven. No emotion can be displayed in his home, as his father and brother have a twisted view of masculinity, believing that a true man must be aggressive and emotionless. With no other options, Charlie decides that his only form of self-expression is writing letters to a “friend”.

As a reserved boy, Charlie has a hard time participating in life. Although he is an isolated wallflower, he is constantly observing the world around him, soaking up information like a sponge. He befriends his advanced English teacher, Bill, who gives Charlie extra reading assignments. Charlie connects with many of the characters in the reading and uses the books as a way to process his experiences. Bill is arguably the most important authority figure in Charlie’s life, as his confidence in Charlie ignites his dream of becoming a writer and gives Charlie validation which he cannot receive anywhere else. He encourages Charlie to actively engage in life and to break down the barrier which keeps him hidden from the world.

While at a football game, Charlie meets two seniors, a boy named Patrick and his sister Sam. Their warm and welcoming personalities comfort Charlie, and they quickly become his best friends. Charlie falls in love with Sam, not just for her beauty, but for her kind personality. Sam and Patrick include Charlie in all of their activities, bringing him to parties and introducing him to their friends. Both of them expose Charlie to the real world, teaching him how to enjoy life and build healthy relationships, as affection is taboo in his family. Listening to Bill’s advice, Charlie begins to participate more, even going to his school’s homecoming dance. On the drive home, Sam stands up in the back of her pickup truck, and as they drive through a tunnel with the music blaring, Charlie says he feels “infinite”. This part of the novel resonated with me, as most people have had a moment where they felt limitless. A moment where all of their troubles dissipated and they genuinely enjoyed life. Above all, Sam and Patrick teach Charlie how to love and respect himself instead of conforming to others so easily.

Although his friendship with Sam and Patrick provides Charlie with newfound happiness, a multitude of factors plague his life with depression. Most of the people that Charlie knows have suffered from abuse. Both of Charlie’s parents were beaten by their fathers, and many of his aunts experienced abusive relationships. Patrick’s boyfriend was also whipped by his father for being gay, and Charlie’s sister was hit by her boyfriend. Along with physical abuse, Charlie has been exposed to many accounts of sexual assault. His Aunt Helen was molested, and he witnessed rape at a party. Furthermore, Charlie blames himself for his aunt’s death, as she got in a car crash while on the way to buy him a birthday present.

All of these factors contribute to Charlie’s deteriorating mental state, and similarly to Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, Charlie turns to drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol in order to cope. Eventually Charlie hits rock bottom after he digs up a traumatizing event from his past, causing him to question the person that he loved most. At the conclusion of the novel, Charlie decides that he cannot blame anyone for his painful experience, and with the support of his family and friends he moves forward and lives in the present.

This novel has been banned on many schools’ reading lists because of its blunt descriptions of touchy subjects such as rape, drugs, abortion, and offensive language. However, I strongly disagree with this decision. I believe that the themes in the book are even more relevant today than 20 years ago, when it was published in 1999. Chbosky sheds a light on numerous problems in today’s society, such as the stereotype that true men must be strong and emotionless, while women should accept abuse from men as normal. Chbosky challenges this notion through Patrick, an openly gay man who shows that men can be homosexual, and Bill, who is compassionate and sensitive. The novel also brings the issue of teen depression to the surface, which is needed more than ever in today’s world. Through Michael’s suicide, Chbosky highlights the grim reality of mental illness, a truth which many tend to ignore. The need for confronting these issues is presented through Charlie’s discussion with his parents about the disturbing experience he suffered at the hands of the most trusted figure in his life.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, specifically to high schoolers. The only complaint I have about the book is that the ending was too abrupt, and I wish the author continued the story line longer. The most magical aspect of the book is how relatable the characters are. Just like Charlie, countless high schoolers have felt out of place, like they were not actually living, but merely observing. Everyone has felt that fear of entering high school, not knowing if they would have friends to eat with at lunch or walk through the halls with. Along with the lows point that readers can identify with, they can also relate to the many highs that Charlie experienced. From something as small as singing with friends in the car, the novel reminds readers to relish the present and let go of the past. As for me, this book taught me to live in the moment and to stop obsessing over every petty issue, as high school goes by fast and you should enjoy the time you can with friends and family. If readers take away anything from this novel, it should be that bad times are not permanent, and as displayed by Charlie, things will always work out.

I truly admire that Charlie never tries to fit in with his peers or change who he is to please others. Charlie is not popular, in fact, his classmates think he is strange. Even though Charlie feels lonely, he consistently sticks to his morals and never acts different to make friends. In today’s society, people are constantly trying to fit into boxes to gain the admiration of others, but Charlie’s unique personality reminds people that in order to find real friends, you must be yourself. Although Charlie is not popular, when he is with Sam, Patrick, and his other friends, he feels complete, and that feeling is so much better than being on the top of the social hierarchy.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower brings readers on a journey through high school, all its lows and highs. It teaches readers about growing up and finding themselves in an unforgiving world. Some parts of the novel will make people ecstatic, others will make people depressed. The book may even make readers cry. But one thing I can guarantee is, this book will make everyone feel infinite.