Every year, Banned Books Week reminds us how powerful stories can be, they have enough power to challenge the way people think, make readers feel seen, and sometimes even make others uncomfortable. For me, one of those books is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It’s not just a book I read in middle school, or just my favorite book, it’s a book that genuinely helped me with how to deal with things even if I didn’t specifically relate to all the events that happened in the book.
When I first picked it up, I didn’t realize how deeply it would resonate with me. The main character, Charlie, is quiet, observant, and trying to make sense of a confusing world. That is something I think almost every teenager can relate to. The book talks openly about mental health, friendship, identity, trauma, and finding your place when you feel like you don’t fit anywhere. The coming-of-age book highlights the good, happy moments you create while going through these years but also the harsh realities.
But despite how relatable and healing the story can be, The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been one of the most frequently banned and challenged books in schools and libraries across the U.S. for years. According to the American Library Association, it’s often banned because of its “explicit content” because of the mentions of drug use, alcohol, sexual situations, LGBTQ+ themes, and discussions of mental health and trauma. Some schools have even removed it because they feel it’s “inappropriate for teens.”
And yet, those are the exact reasons why the book is so important. It doesn’t glorify any of those things in the reading, it explores them honestly, showing what it’s really like to grow up and face things you might not be ready for. Teenagers deal with these issues in real life every day. Ignoring them or hiding books that talk about them doesn’t protect anyone. It creates more of a isolating feeling for younger people looking for something to help guide them through things.
Reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower in middle school helped me understand myself and others better. It showed me that everyone is fighting battles you might not see and that kindness and empathy go a long way. It gave me words for feelings I didn’t know how to express yet. Which is what is being taken away from others.
That’s why I think banning books like this is so harmful. When we take away stories that deal with real, complicated emotions, we take away the chance for understanding and growth. Books like Perks remind us that being human means feeling everything with the good, the bad, and reality
During Banned Books Week, I’m grateful I got to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I did. So many books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower create this feeling for readers to feel open and seen, and others are ruining this by having banned books. Reading is about freedom.
Noel Baliey ’28 is a luxury brand marketing & management major with an advertising minor. She serves as the Executive Communications Chair for the Student Government Association, the Executive Managing Editor of of Publication Design for The Quill, the Executive Event Manager for Luxury Brand Marketing Club, and is a member of Kappa Delta.
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