In school this year, we read the novel “Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky. The novel is told in an epistolary structure through a first person point of view from a teenage boy named Charlie. Through the novel, the reader learns about Charlie’s social and emotional issues. Charlie suffers from anxiety and depression and it has always played a debilitating role in his ability to make friends and participate in social events. He starts off his letters by addressing them to a friend, who he says he trusts, and telling them how he is starting high school the next day and he’s very nervous to go back to school. The epistolary structure, and the addressed being a general “friend”, makes the reader feel as though they are that friend. As if this whole story they are about to endure is being told directly to them. From that point on, the reader is hooked into the rise and fall of Charlie’s personal and social life. As a freshman, he meets two seniors named Sam and Patrick who happen to be step siblings. Through them, Charlie is introduced to a mass of different types of people that he has never known and is fascinated by their every move. The reason I have so much praise for this novel is because of its relevance. High school criteria usually requires students to read many novels that aren’t directly relatable, or are outdated. Although those novels may have the same themes as Perks in terms of coming of age, abuse, love and relationships, ect; reading these themes be expressed from a fellow kids perspective in an actual high school environment makes the themes more tangible and less abstract. Many kids can relate to Charlie’s character. He’s a shy boy, who suffers from anxiety due to a deep, oppressed memory that he neglects to face until the very end of the novel. There are many kids who have dealt with trauma at a young age and suffer immensely in their everyday life because of it. I feel as though people who read this book who have yet to face their hidden issues will come to be inspired by the end of it. Charlie’s story could become a journey of self-discovery for these specific readers. Besides those with deep, underlying emotional issues, I believe this novel could be a journey of self-discovery for anyone. Whether you’re a closeted teenager who can relate directly to Patrick and Brad, or you’re a misunderstood, diamond in the rough trying to conquer a bad reputation like Sam, or a seemingly mean, strong, woman’s activist who’s faced with an incredible decision and forced to show weakness by asking for help like Charlie’s sister, or a mixture of everyone, readers will be able to find pieces of themselves within various parts of this heart-wrenching, captivating, and simply genius piece of work written by the magnificently talented Stephen Chbosky.