It’s really rare when a young-adult (YA) fiction book captures an accurate glimpse of what it’s really like to be a teenager. In the YA world today, there are tons of books about star-crossed lovers or the type of nonstop partying lifestyle that saturates the entertainment industry.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not that book.

It’s the story of the ups and downs of Charlie Kelmeckis’ freshman year of high school, told via letters written to an unnamed friend. Over the course of the year, Charlie meets Sam and Patrick, two seniors, and joins their group of friends.

It’s a relatively short novel, totaling only 213 pages, yet still manages to be so incredibly emotional. I will readily admit that the last letter before the epilogue always makes me cry.

Another great aspect of Perks is its modern relevance. Taking place in the early nineties and published in 1999, Chbosky managed to write a story that stands true over a decade later. Charlie’s story could still be anyone’s, just replace the music and update the technology. This book realizes and emphasizes how polarizing being a teenager is: one second you’re drowning in depression, the next, you feel like you’re going to live forever with your best friends. One minute, you’re miserable, the next you’re on top of the world.

In 2012, it was adapted into a film version that, in my opinion, was excellent. Stephen Chbosky, the author, wrote and directed it, allowing for the movie to be very true to the book. After seeing lots of my favorite books ruined by directors who, from the accuracy of the movie, didn’t even read them, it was refreshing (to say the least) to see this book-to-movie adaptation not only be true to the novel, but actually add to it. The movie offers even more perspective on what the characters are feeling and thinking, and helps to clear up some of the more confusing parts of the story. Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson were the perfect choices for the three main characters.

We all know what it’s like to be lonely. We’re all just trying, however pointlessly, to feel infinite. That’s what The Perks of Being a Wallflower is at its core, and that’s why both the novel and book will remain in the hearts of teens and adults alike no matter how much the world changes around us.