By Adam Kemp

Charlie is the best friend you’ve always wanted to have. He’s compassionate, funny, smart; an all-around nice human being.

Unfortunately, Charlie is not real. He is a fictional character from the novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. This novel is about growing up wild and free in the nineties, when Nirvana was still relevant and flannels were all the rage. Charlie is writing letters to an anonymous recipient about his everyday life, starting with his first day of high school. He writes letters so he can feel like somebody is listening to him. He feels ignored by his own family and has no close friends.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a short read with a great deal of meaning and relevance to life today. Chbosky embodies the thoughts and feelings of a fifteen year old in a way that makes it relatable to anyone. Readers will understand and share Charlie’s feelings of wanting to be accepted and of struggling with self-identity and honesty. Chbosky can make you reminisce on your high school experience and ponder the complexity of friendships and relationships, trust, and honesty.

This novel is being adapted into a movie to be released in December 2012 starring Emma Watson. The screenplay is written and directed by Stephen Chbosky.