The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story of teenage alienation and acceptance told through a series of letters written by Charlie, a high-school freshman, to an anonymous reader.  Charlie starts off the novel as an outcast, but he meets Patrick and Samantha, who are step-siblings, and they help to bring him out of his shell and experience the social world of high school.  Charlie struggles through issues of drugs, homosexuality, relationships, and suicide in his distinctive detached-yet-observant manner.   Charlie's unconventional nature is ultimately revealed to be the result of a trauma that he experienced in his childhood, and the discovery leads to a short stay in a mental institution.   He is released with a positive outlook on the future, having faced his problem and overcome it through acceptance.

Themes: social alienation, sexual abuse, drugs, underage drinking, sex, homosexuality, violence

Reflections on the Reading
I found this book to be an excellent read, and one that many high-schoolers would instantly relate to.  We have all had the experience of feeling socially out of place, and Chbosky's character Charlie is a subtly charming mirror for the alienated teen mind reminiscent of Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye.  This book would be an excellent lead in for the above-mentioned novel.  Although it not very difficult to read, I think that this book would be ideal for high-school students, since it deals with a set of problems that usually don't crop up until high school

Discussion Questions
1. Do you feel that you can relate to Charlie's character in this novel?  Why or why not?

2. There is a kiss between Patrick and Charlie in this novel.  Do you think that Charlie is gay?  Why or why not?

3. Drug use occurs in this novel.  From the scenes in this novel, do you think that the author is advocating drug use or just portraying the situation realistically?  Why or why not?

4. How did you feel about what we found out about Charlie's aunt at the end of the novel?  What does it tell us about Charlie's introverted personality?

5. Music is an important part of Charlie's social awakening.  Have you ever had the experience of feeling "infinite" while listening to a song that you like?  What song and group?