Book Club Review: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Here's the latest review from the Student Edge Book Club! Read a member's take on Stephen Chbosky's beloved The Perks of Being a Wallflower and share your thoughts below.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a messy look into the mind of a 15-year-old boy dealing with suicide, death and beginning high school, juxtaposed by the clean and tidy front cover.

When I first read The Perks of Being a Wallflower (published in 1999) a few years ago, I related to the fear of beginning high school. After reading it again now, I feel a connection with main character Charlie's plethora of firsts.

While they may be very different firsts (my first year of VCE; his first time trying drugs), the underlying anxiety and excitement resonates with me as author Stephen Chbosky takes the reader through Charlie's experiences in astonishing detail.

Incredibly emotional, The Perks of Being a Wallflower describes the arc of Charlie's freshman year with devastating realism and gives the reader no time to catch their breath before he stumbles into another mess.

Chbosky intricately describes the life of a young man both sheltered from and overexposed to the world, and his struggle to survive real life.

This novel touches on each and every one of the issues teens face, but manages to do it without judgment or condescension and remains a book to which teens everywhere can turn.

This classic has managed to stay relevant since its release 17 years ago, which is no mean feat for any novel, let alone one within the constantly changing YA genre.

This is a book that will make you happy-cry and sad-laugh (just go with it), all the while reminding you to take a step back and try to view your life from a different perspective.

5/5

Congratulations to Emma for writing last month's winning Book Club review. Emma scores a $200 Simon & Schuster book bundle for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest Book Club selection. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!