It’s back to school season and the two books featured in this column are perfect autumn reads. They draw from both fantasy and real worlds and describe the unfamiliarity of both going into freshman year of high school and being scooped up and taken to a school for magic. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and "The School for Good and Evil" both explore themes of belonging, new beginnings, and teenage emotions. So grab a cozy blanket, watch the leaves fall, and try to get the upcoming school day out of your mind. All that’s missing is the perfect book!
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
A number one New York Times best-seller, with over 8 million copies printed across the world, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky is a classic back-to-school favorite. It is revered by R.J Palacio, author of “Wonder,” and Judy Blume, author of classic coming of age novels like “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” published in 1999, was Chbosky’s first novel. It is a generationally relevant tale, woven with immaculate skill. The book follows the protagonist, Charlie, throughout his first year of high school. Charlie is a creative and passionate young man with a story to tell.
The entire novel is told over a series of letters, each addressed to a “friend.” The reader never discovers who Charlie is writing to, but his somewhat rambling letters are akin to a diary. Charlie speaks of life in a way no 14 year old boy would normally do. Impressionable, empathetic, and somewhat naive, he all but stumbles through high school, collecting stories as he goes. He discovers the importance of a good friendship, what it feels like to be “high” and why his family is the dysfunctional machine it is. The novel is a messy, beautiful puddle of emotions, just like Charlie himself. It explores themes of self-discovering, trauma, and friendship.
The book addresses sensitive subjects like drugs, alcohol, domestic and family abuse, and sexual assault. It is generally recommended for teens at least 14 years of old. In addition to “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Chbosky has written two other books, “Pieces” and “Imaginary Friend.” He also directed the movie adaptation of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller.
“The School for Good and Evil”
“The School for Good and Evil” by Soman Chainani is a fantasy back-to-school favorite of mine. Another New York Times best-selling book, it is renowned by the authors Rick Riodran, creator of “Percy Jackson & the Olympians,” R.L Stein author of the “Goosebumps” series, and Gregory Maguire, author of “Wicked,” and Chainani’s writing is somewhat reminiscent of their styles. “The School for Good and Evil,” the first book in a series of seven, is a mixture of fantasy and mystery with a romance subplot.
The series follows the best friends and polar opposites Sophie and Agatha. Sophie is the ever-dainty, full of practiced poise golden girl of the village. Agatha on the other hand, is the town “witch’s” daughter, hostile, anti-social and never in a particularly cheery mood. Despite their differing personalities, Agatha becomes Sophie's “charity case.” By becoming Agatha’s friend, Sophie aims to get herself into the legendary and revered School for Good.
In Sophie and Agatha’s village, the Schools for Good and Evil were considered old legends, until children started to go missing. Every four years on a night deemed Kidnapping Night, two children are snatched from the village in the darkness, and it is said they are either deemed fit for the School for Good or the School for Evil. They are placed in such schools, and never seen again by commonfolk.
In the days leading up to Kidnapping Night, Sophie and Agatha’s friendship begins to strengthen, and on the fateful night, they are both scooped up. The whole town is expecting a fate full of shadows and villains for Agatha, and one full of princess fairytales for Sophie. But when the girls are dropped off, the school expectations flip. Sophie ends up amongst future villains, and all of Agatha’s classmates are pink prissy princess hopefuls. While trying to find what went wrong with their sorting, they learn things about themselves and their friendship that help them discover their true selves.
I love both of these books. They really get readers into the back-to-school spirit. I know reading these books will put a little bit of school-related excitement in everyone, whether the fantasy of fairytale academies or the real retelling of teenager life strikes your fancy.
As ever, I'm always open to suggestions, so feel free to share your book recommendations with me at [email protected].
Happy reading!