The 1999 novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is about the pains and glories of growing up.  

Stephen Chbosky’s most famous novel tells a story about a boy named Charlie Kelmeckis living in Pittsburgh who lives his life lonely and without any friends.  Kelmeckis is writing to an unknown person about what goes on in his life every day. 

He meets friends Patrick Dutton and Sam Dutton and feels the joys of friendship and growing up – but also has to go through awful parts of loss and growing up.  After going on adventures, and finding new things he likes to do, he starts to understand the meaning of friendship and really starts to be happy.  

Kelmeckis and his friends run into problems involving love, school work, friendship, loss and everything else in between, while still dealing with their thoughts and personal feelings.  

My favorite character was the main character, Kelmeckis because I was able to connect with him and understand how he was feeling in different situations thrown at him.  With gaining his friends and feeling stable, and losing them and feeling awful, I have felt the same. I have also been through, and continue to go through, all of the things that being a teenager consists of: the hardships and the good times. 

This book is a must read for all students and anyone who likes books about growth and friendships.  

Personally, I didn’t like reading books, but when I started reading “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” I couldn’t put it down.