Review Detail

It’s time to revel in the atrocities of literature as Banned Books Week is upon us (or if you are reading this at some other point in the year, still read the book because it's amazing)! "Perks" has the lucky distinction of being one of the most contested books of recent times. This is due in large part to its discussion of mature themes such as drinking, drugs, sex and child molestation.

So when does mature breach into the territory of too mature for YA? I would say it’s when an author delves into gratuitous moments of sex, drugs and drinking. Moments that serve no real purpose to the greater meaning of the story, and are written only to shock or turn on. There are enough Maxim magazines and Calvin Klein ads to do that without the aid of YA authors.

In "Perks," Chbosky avoids gratuitousness and uses all moments of mature material to teach young readers life lessons. He by no means encourages kids to go out and get krunk while having unprotected sex with the first hot chick/guy they see. Instead he helps teens grow by the mistakes and experiences Charlie has throughout the book. If anything, Charlie’s forays into a not so innocent world help young readers learn what to be wary of as they grow older and discover firsthand that the world is not as picture perfect as parents would like them to believe.

Rather than try to forbid this book, parents and teachers should encourage its consumption as it can help adult mentors ease into these uneasy topics that need to be discussed with teens. Without open dialogue on this mature subject matter, society risks seeing way more teens turn into uneducated, dangerously freewheeling Jersey Shore types in the future. Furthermore, these topics are all things any reader, regardless of age, can relate to. Read this book and don't miss out on the perks of "Perks."