As you grow up, it becomes easy to forget what it was like to be a misunderstood teenager. Life's misfortunes become so intense that they overpower any memory that the adolescent mind previously believed to be a struggle. This is why young adult literature exists; to remind aging adults how difficult those agonizing years were. One such book that successfully accomplishes this great task is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Whether the reader is 12 or 112, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a relatable YA book that tugs at the heartstrings with every page read. Stephen Chbosky is the man who wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He is a novelist, screenwriter and director born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was raised Catholic and politically leans toward the Democratic Party. Some of his major influences were F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams, and the novel The Catcher in the Rye. Although he primarily specializes in writing film and television scripts, Chbosky achieved his greatest success writing his young adult novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The reception given to his novel among adolescents was astonishing. According to Chbosky, two children wrote to him to say that after reading his book, they had decided not to kill themselves. When asked how this made him feel as a writer, he replied: It's very upsetting. It's beautiful on one hand, because you're just grateful that you can have such a positive impact on someone. It's almost beyond words, but at the same time it's very sad, because we realize that it was a book that did this, and not a friend, a relative, a priest or someone. 'one in the young person's life. I'm happy that no one died, of course, but I'm just sad that these young people have reached such points...... middle of paper ...... that touch the hearts and minds of all age groups. The author, Stephen Chbosky, has written a relatable YA book that covers many issues prevalent within the teenage generation. Although the novel is written at a young adult level, it is still very applicable to be taught in the classroom, and the main movie in the book can also be a fun classroom activity. Overall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a fantastic YA book that will inspire the young and leave the old nostalgic. Works Cited Beckerman, Marty. “An Interview with Stephen Chbosky.” Riot of words. 2011. Internet. April 21, 2014. Chbosky, Stephen. "The perks of Being a Wallflower." New York: Pocket Books,1999.Print.Handy, Bruce. "Q&A: The perks of being Wallflower's Stephen Chbosky on casting Emma Watson, High School Yearning and 'Hereos'." The Hollywood Blog. October 5, 2012. WebApril 22. 2014.