Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Perfectly Imperfect Many readers consider Stephen Chbosky’s coming of age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower  a modern classic. It’s easy to see why the focus on identity has helped it become required reading for numerous high school classrooms, in spite of a provocative nature which frequently places it on challenged book lists. The recent film adaptation also continues to spread the story’s appeal. Yet, for all its charm, the story contains noticeable flaws. The affecting nature of the novel is achieved via therapeutic letters that Charlie writes to an unnamed friend. He is afraid of starting high school. Plus, he…