May 2011 - Jefferson County Public Schools

Perks of High School
By: Nikayla Edmondson
Perks of Being a Wallflower, by
Stephen Chbosky, is a story about a boy name Charlie. Charlie is a confused boy entering his
freshman year of high school, not knowing anything; he has many questions about everything. He
is trying to find himself through influences of his surroundings peers.
All of the main characters played an important role in Charlie’s life; they all influenced
him differently. The characters with the most influence on Charlie were his family: Sam, Patrick,
Mary Elizabeth, his deceased Aunt, Helen, and his deceased best friend, Michael. Each character’s
traits had different effects on Charlie’s life. Charlie’s brother was his distant role model who knew
what he wanted to do with his life, and that was play professional football. Charlie looked up to
him because he was a physically fit guy, and Charlie imagined how much easier he’d fit in if he
was more like him. Going into high school, that was Charlie’s main objective, he wondered where
he would fit in.
Recently losing his best friend, Charlie felt like a loner. He tried to become more socially involved; although a
family interest Charlie became more personally fascinated with football, so he started going to his high school games
again, which he hadn’t done since his best friend Michael committed suicide in 8 th grade. Charlie often thinks about his
deceased Aunt Helen, who he thought of as the only person who truly understood him. Charlie began to befriend
Patrick, a guy in Charlie’s wood shop class, and sat with him at a football games. Through Patrick, Charlie met his secret
crush, Sam, Patrick’s step sister. They influenced Charlie, because they were older kids in his school, he looked as them
as people who where in the cool crowd. He hangs with them and begins to adapt their weekend lifestyle. Hanging with
Patrick and Sam, is how Charlie meets Mary Elizabeth, his first girlfriend and the very reason he doesn’t understands
girls. His relationship with Mary Elizabeth is stressful to him and leads him to become closer with his older sister, who is
a senior at his high school. Through his complications with his relationships with friends and family, Charlie begins to
find himself. Charlie goes through several different traumas, and even a hospital treatment, before he truly “discovers
himself.”
Each character reveals more interests of Charlie’s. New discoveries in Charlie’s life lead him to more obstacles.
Charlie has a wide curiosity in every situation that he encounters as he questions its motive.
I recommend that book to students between the grade levels of 8-12; the author Stephen Chbosky does a great
job in keeping his reader’s interest. I applaud the author on his writing techniques; the book written directly to the
audience in letter format. He writes letters consisting of his private thoughts, questions, and interest in life. It’s like
you’re living second hand through Charlie.
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by Mary Shelley New York, New York 2003
Daryl Artis
Dr. Frankenstein is the wise, mysterious
scientist who was un-loyal to the work of art he
created. Frankenstein dropped out of college
after two years, and began to study the human body. Being curious, he learned how the human
body and organs work together. He was very skilled and talented with his hands, and eventually
brought human scraps to life. The beast that was created was quickly drawn to evil events.
Because the creature was lonely, Frankenstein promised he would create the creature a mate.
The story takes place in a small town of Geneva. Before the monster went on a rampage,
Geneva was a peaceful, lovely city. Soon the city turns into a place you wouldn’t want to step foot
in. Geneva, the quiet place, was now the backyard of a furious beast.
Frankenstein’s work of art was very upset with him. First the monster wanted a mate. Second, he was angry
because his creator promised him a mate. The monster was highly upset, but seemed mostly jealous because his creator
had loved ones. To seek revenge, the monster would murder Frankenstein’s loved ones. This creature would make fun
of Frankenstein after the murders and would run off into the woods.
The story becomes very hectic and crazy. Through the creature’s actions, you can tell that he wants one to love
like everyone else. Frankenstein’s monster expressed many feelings. He expresses jealously, angrer, and realized,
eventually, the wrong doing he had committed. Mary Shelley’s creative ways with words allows you to understands the
many messages, one was that everyone needs love.
Frankenstein isn’t a typical book that teens today would read. The story takes place in a very small quiet city
back in the day. Frankenstein is a young intelligent adult. In most teen books they usually can relate to today’s teens.
However this great book deals with science fiction.
Shelley keeps the reader entertained, wondering about what’s going to happen next. She clearly brings the
reader to the conclusion that everyone has feelings through the monster’s actions. No matter who you are or what you
look like, you have feelings and need love. The creature was attacked and could have torn the attacker limb from limb.
However, his heart sank with bitter sickness and he didn’t react. “CURSED, CURSED, CREATOR! Why did I live?....my
feelings were those of rage and revenge” (p 87). The creature felt betrayed because Frankenstein promised that he
would create a mate. Frankenstein chose not to, because two creatures like this would create so much trouble in
Geneva. Unfortunately the beast had enough. “Be gone! I will not hear you!”
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