Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
ISBN: 978-0671027346
Publisher: MTV Books
Copyright: 1999
Plot Summary: This story is written as a letter from Charlie, which is not his real name, to an unnamed source. It tells how Charlie, a wallflower, deals with entering high school alone, because he best friend had just committed suicide prior to school start. He is taken under the wings of Sam, a beautiful senior, and her gay stepbrother Patrick. The introduce him to so many different things his was missing including drugs and discovering his sexuality. He is mentored by his English teacher intellectually but will it all be enough to help him deal with the loss of his best friend and a frightening realization he makes about a family member?
Critical
Evaluation: This book is so pure, not in content, but in Charlie's character. The reader cannot help but feel for him. Chbosky did an amazing job writing and developing Charlie and the journey he goes on. The reader can almost feel Charlie's emotions including at some points anxiety, depression, and humor. This book is amazingly well written.
Reader's Annotation: Sam and Patrick attempt to pull Charlie away from being a wallflower.
Genre: Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Author Information: The Perks of Being a Wallflower was the only book Chbosky wrote for young adults. He has worked in the entertainment business, most notably writing the screenplay for the film adaptation of Rent.
Book talks: Sexuality, Suicide, Drugs, Sex
Reading
Level/Interest Age: High School. 14-19
Challenge: This book talks a lot about sexuality but that is a part of Charlie. Nothing gets grossly explicit and it is crucial to the story as Charlie goes on his journey of maturation. There are drugs and alcohol in this book but it is nothing that a teenager has not heard about before, read about before or seen before.
Why was this
book chosen?: This is a fantastic coming of age story that I really enjoyed in high school.
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