The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age story written by Stephen Chbosky. The main character, Charlie, is quiet and shy, a typical “wallflower,” but he is also a thoughtfulteenager. The book is made up of a series of letters Charlie has written about his life to a “friend” who has never written him back.
The story starts when Charlie is about to begin his first year of high school. Sadly, he is struggling with the suicide of his best friend from middle school and the death of his aunt Helen, both of whom were important people in his life. Thus, Charlie puts all his feelings and concernsabout high school in his letters to an unknown friend.
Fortunately, Charlie is soon accepted by other people. He becomes friends with Patrick and Sam. Before long, Charlie quickly develops a crush onSam and confesses it to her. Meanwhile, he is still hauntedby his blurrychildhood memories. When Sam begins to like him, some terrible memories keep flashing through his mind, which eventually leads to a mental breakdown. As he recovers in the mental hospital, more memories begin to surface. Eventually, he learns to come to terms withthem and decides to stop writing letters and start participatingfully in his life.
