Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

23 reviews

sophietoes's review against another edition

Go to review page

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

booksalacarte's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m including trigger warnings because I had NO idea what was covered in this book.

Child abuse, Sexual abuse, Rape, Pedophelia, Molestation, Drug use, Alcohol abuse, Incest, Homophobia, Bullying, Suicide/suicidal thoughts, Grief, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorder, Mental illness, Addiction

Hate crime, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalism

How did I miss this book? How is this the first time I’ve read it?! I was doubtful about what value could be gone over in a book so small, and I am so glad that I was wrong. It wasn’t a book that I enjoyed, per say, but how it was able to pack so much punch is why I gave it 5 stars.

I was drawn in by the journal/letter style of storytelling. The voice of the MC, Charlie, was immature and naive for a high school freshman. It’s the first clue that something isn’t quite right. As the story progresses you hear about him making friends, going to high school parties, trying alcohol and drugs and crushing on a senior and first girlfriends.

I would say that this is a book for ages 15+ , because of content maturity.

Content Warnings

averywashere's review

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

ka_ke's review

Go to review page

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a sadly wonderful story. It’s the kind of novel that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it and remains one of my favourites to this day.

Content Warnings

mrdeadman's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

alisazhup's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Content Warnings

o0ruthie0o's review

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Stephen Chbosky´s The Perks of Being A Wallflower tells the story of 15-year-old Charlie, a terrified freshman going into a new school after a year out of school. Throughout the year he encounters sex, drugs, drinking and so much more, all while beside his two new best friends, Sam and Patrick, seniors at his school. Charlie grapples with finding his place in the world and his friend group. The entire book, a collection of letters all written to an anonymous receiver, gives the reader a glimpse of Chbosky’s take on teenage life in the ’90s.
I thought this novel left something to be desired. Right from the beginning, I found myself getting anxious and upset about Charlie. The way he acts and talks obviously tells the story of a boy who has some mental health and developmental issues and I didn’t understand why that was never fully addressed in the book. However, mental health is just one of the many important issues that come up and is never addressed any further. Some others include rape, substance abuse, abortion, and domestic abuse. I think if you take on these topics in a storyline it is your job, as the author, to give some kind of insight or resolution to them.
This doesn’t mean that it always has to be some kind of happy ending, but I also don’t think it’s a good idea to use things like abortion to portray sister-brother bonding and then never talk about it again or address the toll a clinical abortion can have on anyone especially a teenage girl. Scenarios similar to this are abundant in this novel and some issues almost feel romanticized. I understand the author's choice to not further elaborate on these heavy issues but as the reader, it felt insensitive and lazy.
All that being said, there were a handful of things I enjoyed while reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I thought the style of writing in the form of only letters was very interesting and fun to read. I also enjoyed the style in which Charlie was written, the way he analyzes things gives so much insight into who Charlie actually is as a character I really loved this stylistic choice.
Overall, I was disappointed in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I had heard so many good things about the story and was very excited only to be upset and underwhelmed.

Content Warnings