The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book about teenagers trying to find their place in the world. Charlie, a freshman, integrates himself into the world of seniors Patrick and Sam. He is introduced to things he had not previously considered and, in turn, finds an eccentric group of friends. Charlie lives the good times with the joy of a child and the bad times in a bout of depression enough to destroy him. He is hesitant to allow the full bond of friendship to take root without understanding his own hesitation. When everything comes to light with the help of Sam, who he has loved almost from the beginning, it is almost too much for him to handle. Will Charlie be able to accept not only his friends, but himself as well?

This novel is a realistic portrayal of what it means to be a teenager. It admittedly shows a very controversial side to Charlie, Sam and Patrick's world; however, it is exactly this reason that I would recommend this book to be read and taught to teens today. The novel is written in the format of a compilation of letters from Charlie to an anonymous friend and does a wonderful job of capturing the voice of an adolescent. Though some of the subject matter shows the darker side of teenage life, the novel is a fast read and flows easily. Below I've included an interview with the author and another blog post from another reader.


Interview with Stephen Chbosky

Perks Blog

This video is the song Asleep by The Smiths. In the novel it was Charlie's favorite song and something he shared with everyone he cared about.

And finally, a quote that carries throughout the novel:

Lock and Key

In Sarah Dessen's Lock and Key, Ruby is torn away from everything she has ever known after her mother abandons her. She is thrown into an alien world and sent to live with her estranged sister. Far from being grateful or relieved from her daily struggles to provide herself with meager meals, Ruby rebels and yearns for familiarity. Though she soon understands her mother's long-time deceit, she learns that changing a lifetime of habits is harder than she could have ever anticipated. Her neighbor, Nate, is determined to not only befriend Ruby, but encourage her to take on a more positive outlook to her life. But as Ruby soon learns, she is not the only one in need of a new outlook on life. Will Ruby succeed in turning her life around and, in the process, gain Nate's trust?

In this novel, Ruby is shown as a strong willed young woman with a distinct fight or flight instinct. Ruby shows some great moments of vulnerability, though she keeps a hard facade in place most of the time. She cares deeply for her sister and longs for a connection with her; however, the environment she grew up in taught her not to trust anyone or be willing to receive anything without feeling indebted to them. When focusing on Ruby, I believe Sarah Dessen does a good job of representing the female character in a positive light without casting her into a "damsel in distress" role. Though Ruby does go through several issues, she never asks to be saved and, in fact, resents everyone constantly making choices for her. It takes some concessions on her part and some growing up before Ruby understands that she could save herself if she is only willing to accept that she is worth saving.

This novel does a good job of representing female characters (and male alike) in a positive way. Each character has positive and negative aspects, as do most normal human beings, that would make for good discussion. Included below are a links to two separate blogs giving some more heavily opinionated outlook on the novel as well as a fan video of how a reader views the book:


Sherry Book Blogs


Aly's Book Away

Extra Virgin

"Extra Virgin" is a short story by Joan Bauer. It can be found in an anthology of short stories called Love & Sex: Ten Short Stories of Truth Edited by Michael Cart. It includes several stories about different sexual situations all types of teenagers in today's world may face. "Extra Virgin" is the first in the anthology and is told from a sixteen year old Elizabeth's point of view. Elizabeth sees the world as overly sexualized and has made the decision to abstain from sex until marriage. When she meets Cal, her resolve is challenged.

In this story, emotions are well depicted. As a teenager, emotions are often overwhelming and this story does a good job of representing how a young girl with little sexual experience would react to a young man's attentions. The author does a good job of giving some strong, but not overwhelming images to help fuel the story. However, at times I believe there is too much uncertainty and sugary-sweetness about the characters. Elizabeth's mom seems almost too perfect in her willingness to talk with her about her relationship with Cal, even if their conversation is somewhat awkward.

Overall, I believe this is a good story for teenagers to read. Elizabeth is a strong female character in that she doesn't sway from her difficult decision, even under pressure from her college boyfriend. She feels emotions and desires like every other teenage girl, but because she created a goal for herself and has strong family support, she knows she can can reach her goal. I will be continuing to read this anthology to discover what other hidden treasures it has in store.

If you're interested in more from this author, I've listed some sites that may interest you. The first is Joan Bauer's official website with more information about her as well as more material she's written. The second is a video interview that gives some insight into who she is as an author and what she wants to achieve with her stories. The third is Joan Bauer's blog.

Joan Bauer's Website

Video Interview

Joan Bauer's Blog

Here is a video that addresses the issue of abstinence education, the main issue addressed in this story.