<P> The Perks of Being a Wallflower was first published on February 1, 1999 by Pocket Books through its MTV Books imprint . It became the subsidiary's best - selling book with 100,000 copies in print as of 2000, and was included on school reading lists and gathered a cult following . By 2012, the novel had been published in 16 countries in 13 languages, and that same year it placed at number 16 on NPR's list of the "100 Best - Ever Teen Novels". </P> <P> Critical response was mixed; Publishers Weekly called the novel "trite", dealing with "standard teenage issues" in which "Chbosky infuses a droning insistence on Charlie's supersensitive disposition ." Although Kirkus Review said it had "the right combination of realism and uplift", the reviewer criticized Chbosky's "rip - off" of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye . Although other reviewers made similar comparisons, Chbosky said he "was not trying to mimic (Salinger's) style as a writer"; he saw "how readers could compare Charlie to Salinger's Holden Caulfield, but "they are very different people with unique problems and perspectives". More positive was Francisca Goldsmith of the School Library Journal, who said the novel "cleverly" makes the readers the recipients of Charlie's letters, and it "will engage teen readers for years to come ." Common Sense Media's Kate Pavao praised its relevant themes for teenagers: "Readers will find themselves quickly feeling sorry for the protagonist and worrying about him throughout his transformative journey ." For The A.V. Club, Marah Eakin wrote that although for an adult "Perks suffers from an overabundance of pure, raw angst...unlike some more arrested development - friendly young adult fare like Harry Potter, Perks speaks to a more specific age range and does it well ." </P> <P> The Perks of Being a Wallflower has appeared six times on the American Library Association's list of 10 most - frequently - challenged books for its content . A Wisconsin school board refused to ban the book, angering local parents . The Glen Ellyn District 41 school board in suburban Chicago unanimously voted to reinstate the novel after it was removed from eighth - grade classrooms at Hadley Junior High School because of a parent's objection to its sexual content . Further objections to the book include the use of "profanity", "drug abuse", "sexually explicit" scenes, and "torture". Groups like PABBIS (Parents Against Bad Books in School) work to restrict literature considered "controversial" from being accessed by younger children . The group believes these "bad books" should be moved to the adult section . In 2009, Perks was repeatedly challenged for descriptions of masturbation, sexually explicit conduct, drug use, and talk of suicide and there have been multiple pushes across the United States to move this literary work from the children and young adults section to the adult section . Parents have raised issues with the novel for its "pornographic" content and "vulgarity", but others have argued that the book deals with real and common teen issues concerned with growing up, so it presents a truthful viewpoint . Issues are also raised surrounding the books themes of homosexuality, as well as a "glorification" of the use of drugs and alcohol . In an interview, Chbosky said that he knew of two school boards which have banned the book (in Massachusetts and on Long Island). Since he "didn't write it to be a controversial book," he was "surprised" by the bans . </P> <P> Since he wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky aspired to adapt it into a film, calling this "a lifelong dream of mine". After the publication of the novel, the author said he received film offers, refusing them because he "owed the fans a movie that was worthy of their love for the book". In 2010 Mr. Mudd began developing a film version, and the author was signed to write and direct the film by producers John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon and Russell Smith . The film, shot in the Pittsburgh area from May 9 to June 29, 2011, starred Logan Lerman as Charlie, Emma Watson as Sam, Ezra Miller as Patrick, and Nina Dobrev as Charlie's sister, Candace . </P>

When was the perks of being a wallflower banned