Dear Stephen Chbosky,

It’s not very often that I find a book that I can sit down with and just read intently. I’m picky when it comes to books – what can I say? However, there was something about your novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower that really intrigued me. It didn’t take long before I was absorbed in each letter Charlie would write to “friend.” With each page, I could visualize the characters, the town they all lived in, and the emotions that spread across their faces. I could visualize these things because of how equally my life and surroundings related.

Being an average teenager, myself, and going to a big high school, even the smallest of things related to me or to the people in my life. I may not have had quite the traumatizing past that Charlie did, but his awkward personality reminded me of my freshman self from three years ago. Not only that, but with each letter he wrote, I felt more and more attached to him. I felt like I understood him and like he was actually a close friend to me. In fact, I found myself getting so engaged in the book that I actually started to believe Charlie was writing the letters to me. Despite the fictitious narrative of the novel, Charlie’s realistic story of beginning high school really came alive for me.

While reading, I realized many things about myself, as well as the people I hang around with. When I first engaging in the book, I realized how lucky I was to have friends – ones like Sam and Patrick – that stick around and are there for me no matter what. But after thinking about it and as I read on, I realized how difficult it was for me freshman year when I was trying to make new friends. Just like Charlie, I felt alone and somewhat scared. Luckily for me, I was able to open up and meet new people who I am happy to call my friends, today. For Charlie, it was a little more difficult, and this made me sympathize for him. He was fortunate to eventually find Sam and Patrick who accepted him for who he was. Anytime I read a section about Sam or Patrick, I would instantly think of my best friends who have always accepted me.

Another thing I realized while reading is how fortunate I am to have a supportive, loving, and well-functioning family. Never have I had to deal with traumatizing family calamities at such a young age, like Charlie had to. Because of this, finishing the book was harder than I had ever imagined it to be. Finally figuring out why Charlie had been a little “off” compared to the rest of the kids now made sense. His awkward and quiet personality now seemed like an effect from what had happened to him as a child. The emotions that came over me after reading this novel were unbelievable. I felt sad, happy, mad, and eager, sporadically throughout the book. Never have I felt so much sympathy for a fictional character. And that – the fact that one book could make me feel so strongly – is what made it so meaningful and influential to me.

As I turned the pages, the more my emotions would grow, and the stronger my feelings got. The more I learned about the inside lives of Charlie and his friends, the more I noticed how realistic the fictional scenarios actually were. I started to realize that there must be people at my own high school who live with secrets and hard lives, just like the ones portrayed in your novel. The fact that I was able to compare my life to this made-up one, and the fact that I felt a connection with Charlie through the letters he wrote to a “friend” made the message of the book that much stronger.

All in all, your novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower has really influenced me to be a better person and to always remember that everyone has an obstacle in their life that is difficult to overcome. I am inspired from your novel to never take friends and family for granted and to always be myself around people. However, I think the most powerful message of all that has stuck out to me since I first read this book, is that we must never judge a person by their outward appearance or for being who they are. I learned that you never know what kind of life a person has unless you take the time to get to know them. Because of your magnificent novel, I now look at the world differently and see people as they should be seen – as themselves.

Thank you for writing such a powerful and inspiring novel that I will always remember. I may be a picky reader, but your book stood out to me, and this is why. I hope you never stop writing and that future novels to come will impact me, and others, just as much as this one did. Thank you, again.

Sincerely,
Courtney H