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A review by moonyreadsbystarlight
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
I have read this book so many times. I read it quite a few times in 2013/14, this is the first time I have read it in quite some time. In my initially readings, I adored Charlie and connected very deeply with his character.
After this reread, I still really adore Charlie and still connect with his character, though at a little bit more of a distance. Before, a lot of parts about him I was relating to because I was living in those struggles (though in college rather than high school – same awkwardness in making friends and learning what actually participating and not living for others means), but now I’ve gone through some of that process more. I still regularly struggle with it in a lot of ways, but I have learned more about myself since then enough to see it in a different light and to see other parts of the story. In particular this reading had me thinking a lot about the role of violence and how it is passed or not, and who is at fault (if we even have an answer for that). I found myself focusing even more on these other characters and invested in seeing how this issue impacted them and understanding them in different ways.
In general, I really love the way it is written. The framing alone tells us a lot about Charlie as a character. But the style is so clearly in his voice, which makes it so personal and immersive. He has a specific way of talking, but even in the mistakes and wandering trails of thought he goes on, it makes it feel that much more honest and like we are getting a very authentic version of him.
This book deals with a lot of tough topics and there are some parts where characters say and do problematic things, often with Charlie acknowledging the issue but not fully (largely because he’s a child and it’s the 90’s). But I do think that a lot of these elements served a purpose (excluding, for instance, slurs that were normalized at this point) and showed us Charlie’s reality.
Ultimately, I still really love this book. Charlie and this book as a whole holds a very special place in my heart.
CW: sexual assault, mental illness, physical violence, homophobia (verbal, also physical), drug use, alcoholism, incest, child abuse
After this reread, I still really adore Charlie and still connect with his character, though at a little bit more of a distance. Before, a lot of parts about him I was relating to because I was living in those struggles (though in college rather than high school – same awkwardness in making friends and learning what actually participating and not living for others means), but now I’ve gone through some of that process more. I still regularly struggle with it in a lot of ways, but I have learned more about myself since then enough to see it in a different light and to see other parts of the story. In particular this reading had me thinking a lot about the role of violence and how it is passed or not, and who is at fault (if we even have an answer for that). I found myself focusing even more on these other characters and invested in seeing how this issue impacted them and understanding them in different ways.
In general, I really love the way it is written. The framing alone tells us a lot about Charlie as a character. But the style is so clearly in his voice, which makes it so personal and immersive. He has a specific way of talking, but even in the mistakes and wandering trails of thought he goes on, it makes it feel that much more honest and like we are getting a very authentic version of him.
This book deals with a lot of tough topics and there are some parts where characters say and do problematic things, often with Charlie acknowledging the issue but not fully (largely because he’s a child and it’s the 90’s). But I do think that a lot of these elements served a purpose (excluding, for instance, slurs that were normalized at this point) and showed us Charlie’s reality.
Ultimately, I still really love this book. Charlie and this book as a whole holds a very special place in my heart.
CW: sexual assault, mental illness, physical violence, homophobia (verbal, also physical), drug use, alcoholism, incest, child abuse
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Abortion