Module 15: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Summary: Through a series of letters, Charlie reveals the inner turmoil of his freshman year as he grapples with abuse, the death of his aunt and the suicide of a close friend. When seniors Patrick and his stepsister, Sam, befriend Charlie, they open up his world and he begins to come out of his shell. As Sam and Patrick prepare to leave for college, Charlie realize that many of his problems stem from childhood abuse. 

Citation:

Chbosky, S. (2012). The perks of being a wallflower. New York, NY: Gallery Books.

Impressions: The epistolary nature of the narrative definitely makes the story more intense and personal than your standard third person narrative. Charlie's story and downward spiral becomes so intense that I had to take a break from reading a few times. 

Reviews:

Aspiring filmmaker/first-novelist Chbosky adds an upbeat ending to a tale of teenaged angst—the right combination of realism and uplift to allow it on high school reading lists, though some might object to the sexuality, drinking, and dope-smoking. More sophisticated readers might object to the rip-off of Salinger, though Chbosky pays homage by having his protagonist read Catcher in the Rye. Like Holden, Charlie oozes sincerity, rails against celebrity phoniness, and feels an extraliterary bond with his favorite writers (Harper Lee, Fitzgerald, Kerouac, Ayn Rand, etc.). But Charlie’s no rich kid: the third child in a middle-class family, he attends public school in western Pennsylvania, has an older brother who plays football at Penn State, and an older sister who worries about boys a lot. An epistolary novel addressed to an anonymous “friend,” Charlie’s letters cover his first year in high school, a time haunted by the recent suicide of his best friend. Always quick to shed tears, Charlie also feels guilty about the death of his Aunt Helen, a troubled woman who lived with Charlie’s family at the time of her fatal car wreck. Though he begins as a friendless observer, Charlie is soon pals with seniors Patrick and Sam (for Samantha), stepsiblings who include Charlie in their circle, where he smokes pot for the first time, drops acid, and falls madly in love with the inaccessible Sam. His first relationship ends miserably because Charlie remains compulsively honest, though he proves a loyal friend (to Patrick when he’s gay-bashed) and brother (when his sister needs an abortion). Depressed when all his friends prepare for college, Charlie has a catatonic breakdown, which resolves itself neatly and reveals a long-repressed truth about Aunt Helen. A plain-written narrative suggesting that passivity, and thinking too much, lead to confusion and anxiety. Perhaps the folks at (co-publisher) MTV see the synergy here with Daria or any number of videos by the sensitive singer-songwriters they feature.

The perks of being a wallflower. (2010, May 20). Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stephen-chbosky/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/

Library Use: This would be another great book to generate discussions about sensitive topics such as sexual abuse. Since it it frequently on the banned book list, it would also be a great way to discuss why it has been banned and why it is an important book to read.

Module 14: Tricks

Summary: Ellen Hopkins profiles five different teens--Eden, Seth, Whitney, Ginger, and Cody who all turn to prostitution for different reasons. Eden is the daughter of  preacher who falls into prostitution after her father discovers her illicit relationship with a young man. After escaping a camp designed to "reform" her,  she turns to prostitution to survive. Seth's father kicks him out of the house after discovering he is gay. After drifting from man to man and trying to find a place to live, Seth becomes a prostitute to survive. Whitney is forced into prostitution by her rebound boyfriend. Ginger is a victim of sexual abuse by her mother's boyfriend. Cody becomes a prostitute to support his family.

Citation:

Hopkins, E. (2009). Tricks. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Impressions: Much like Crank, this book unflinchingly tackles a controversial issue. Hopkins never sugarcoats the truth so at times, this book was difficult to read. Like her previous books, it shows how a few wrong choices can result in devastating consequences. Considering how popular media tends to romanticize prostitution, this is a sobering example of how the real world works.

Reviews:

Gr 9 Up-- Five teens desperately seek to find their way through the darkness in Hopkins's latest epic novel in verse. Eden flees an evangelical household; Cody blocks out a family illness with gambling and sex; Whitney gives up her body in exchange for the love she finds so elusive; Seth struggles to define himself as a homosexual; and Ginger comes to terms with an awful truth about her neglectful mother. Burden after burden piles on the teens' shoulders until they resort to the unthinkable in order to survive. As they near rock bottom, their narratives begin to intersect. It is only when their paths converge that a glimmer of redemption appears out of the hopelessness. From the punch delivered by the title, to the teens' raw voices, to the visual impact of the free verse, Hopkins once again produces a graphic, intense tale that will speak to mature teens.


Maza, J. H. (2009, October). Tricks. School Library Journal, 55(10), 128-128. Retrieved May 8, 2016, from Academic Search Complete.

Library Use: I think it would be an excellent discussion starter about the consequences of our decisions and the reality of prostitution. I think it is an excellent way to let teens know that there is help out there and they are alone.