If there’s one book that can be dubbed the most “quintessentially American-high-school-coded coming-of-age story”, well, this is it.

#BookReview: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A spoiler-free synopsis:
15-year-old Charlie is having a hard time adjusting to high school. His best friend from middle school just committed suicide, and the girl who went out with his late friend now pretends she doesn’t know him. Inherently shy and awkward, Charlie is endowed with an uncanny level of introspection, and he often found himself observing others and mulling over the deeper meaning behind even the most run-of-the-mill [insert teenage activity]. That said, his gentle temperament soon helps him make friends, and he experiences the many firsts of his life – first kiss, first date, first break-up – without knowing that these experiences will also unearth a deep-seated trauma he has long suppressed.

Personal Opinion: 

In line with the ideals of impartiality (insofar as the “personal opinion” section allows me) to best convey the fullest picture of a book possible, I’ve decided to turn this section into the pros/cons format. In doing so, hopefully you can quickly grasp a balanced overview of this book and make an informed decision on whether to proceed with it! Of course, please take every book reviewer’s opinion with a pinch of salt, because after all, the opinion that matters most is yours.

Without further ado, let’s explore what The Perks of Being a Wallflower offers us:

+) Pro – Innovative format: The entire novel is the compilation of letters Charlie sends to a stranger. Though no doubt original, the novelty may wear off as the format doesn’t change one bit throughout the entire story. But trust me, it will all add up toward the end!

+) Pro – Fresh perspective: The novel, luckily, isn’t another YA book with an adolescent main character doing the most impulsive and dangerous and supposedly valiant things every single scene. Instead, Charlie is introspective and introverted, more often narrating and dissecting what he sees.

+) Pro – Address difficult issues: From mental health issues and teen pregnancy to drug use and child abuse, Chbosky addresses the mental health hardships and other issues teenagers face that are sometimes glossed over in other YA books. The gravity of these topics also affect the book’s tone, for Charlie’s voice always seems so dreamy and nebulous, almost like he’s suppressing something from the surface of consciousness.

-) Con – Quintessentially American-teenager book: Despite praising its originality in formatting 5 seconds ago, I must say the setting – a white suburb full of teenagers doing teenager things like prom, homecoming, and graduation – can’t get more cliched. Granted, it’s a coming-of-age book set in America, but I personally feel like the book can still be more innovative thematically.

–) Con – Sometimes the book feels like a teenager’s rambling: Again, yes, it’s a teenage book, but it certainly feels like Charlie recounts every detail possible of every scene and person he met. These superfluous details, coupled with the teenage voice that, though introspective, may sound pseudo-philosophical, may come across as not-so-good-writing.

Nonetheless, regardless of my assessments here, you should always give every book a try by reading the first 10, 20 pages online before deciding whether you want to purchase it and enjoy it in full. After all, I believe even the worst book has at least a charming redeeming quality. Not that The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a bad book from my perspective, but it certainly isn’t one I particularly like, either.