The Perks of Being a Wall Flower by Stephen Chbosky - Book Review

“The perks of being a wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky is an excellent read that tackles powerful themes such as mental health, sexual abuse, homophobia, and even toxic relationships through the lives of teenagers, in high school.

The style it is written in is unique. The events of the story unfold in a series of one-way letters from Charlie, the protagonist, who addresses an unknown friend about his thoughts and the things he experiences as a teenager.

Chbosky highlights the ramifications of mental health on a teenager’s life by portraying how deeply affected Charlie was by his best friend’s suicide and how it shaped his character and actions.

It’s a touching story of acceptance, when a group of seniors welcome him into their circle and spread his life with love, friendship, joy as well as loneliness, judgment and the consequences that surface once a person is honest about their emotions.

The narration by Charlie highlights his struggles, his thoughts and how too much empathy can cause a lot of pain. Chbosky takes us on an emotional roller-coaster through Charlie’s traumas, making the reader feel severely connected to the characters because of how genuine and real they are.

However, one of the most powerful aspects of this book is that it shows how much influence acceptance, love, and strong positive relationships can help a person overcome their issues and learn to face the truth.

While this book is heart-wrenching and filled with frustrating and traumatic events, it is a book worth reading, due to its powerful content and eye-opening themes that many people choose to disregard, as part of our daily lives.

Once you’ve read the book, you’ll be teleported back in time to your teen years and the struggles of having to deal with real-life issues in the midst of just wanting to have a good time.