The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

WARNING! SPOILERS!!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.


I started this last night, and finished it this afternoon. It made me cry.

A wonderfully moving book about 'Charlie', a shy, socially awkward kid. I say 'Charlie' as he uses this as an alias. The book is basically a journal of letters 'Charlie' writes to a 'friend'. The 'Friends' name is never mentioned, which I actually liked.

Charlie meets Sam and Patrick, who become his friends, and show him the world. He delves into drugs, sex, alcohol and society.

Charlie is a great character. He is extremely bright, and loves to read. He mentions lots of his favorite books, some of which have now been added to my 'to-read' list. But he is very shy and quiet. He has traits which reminded me at first of someone with Aspergers Syndrome. I have 2 young children with autism, and the social awkwardness Charlie experiences, and the way he talks, made me think he did have Aspergers. You later find out whats happened in his life. Charlies aunt died when he was younger. he loved his aunt a great deal, and finds it very hard to talk about her without becoming very upset. He makes it well know how much he loved his aunt, and how he blames himself for her death.

He loves Sam, actually no, he is in love with her. And eventually in the last pages of the story, he kisses her, and she kisses him back. But as she moves things on, Charlie stops her, as he remembers his aunt touching him when he was younger. This prompts a meltdown, and his parents find him naked, watching TV, unresponsive. Charlie ends up in hospital.

There is a poem in the book, which I have just found out is real, and was written by a 15 year old boy 2 years before he took his own life. This just makes it a little sadder:

 Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Chops"
because that was the name of his dog
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and a gold star
And his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his aunts
That was the year Father Tracy
took all the kids to the zoo
And he let them sing on the bus
And his little sister was born
with tiny toenails and no hair
And his mother and father kissed a lot
And the girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's
and he had to ask his father what the X's meant
And his father always tucked him in bed at night
And was always there to do it

Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"
because that was the name of the season
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because of its new paint
And the kids told him
that Father Tracy smoked cigars
And left butts on the pews
And sometimes they would burn holes
That was the year his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
And the girl around the corner laughed
when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
And the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed a lot
And his father never tucked him in bed at night
And his father got mad
when he cried for him to do it.

Once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Innocence: A Question"
because that was the question about his girl
And that's what it was all about
And his professor gave him an A
and a strange steady look
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
That was the year that Father Tracy died
And he forgot how the end
of the Apostle's Creed went
And he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
And his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
And the girl around the corner
wore too much makeup
That made him cough when he kissed her
but he kissed her anyway
because that was the thing to do
And at three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly

That's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem
And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
Because that's what it was really all about
And he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
And he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didn't think
he could reach the kitchen

This is really titled 'To Santa Claus and Little Sisters', and just reading it again has made me cry. I've heard this has been cut from the movie, which is a shame. Chbosky didn't tell what the poem was, or who it was from. But my interpretation is that it was Michaels suicide note. Michael was Charlies friend who committed suicide.

This was a fantastic book, which really pulls at your heart, as you seem to really feel for Charlie. His letters bring out all his emotions and feelings, and you start to truly understand how he feels.

Everyone should read this.