When I discovered
The Perks of Being a Wallflower in high school, it felt like I’d discovered the best-kept secret in existence. I was scared to death to tell anyone why I loved it so much, but I was comforted by the idea that there was a book I could relate to so easily—and it was marketed to teenagers! The story contained a side character who was queer and struggled with a lot of the same issues I was struggling with: hiding who they were and facing backlash when they actually opened up about themselves. And to top it off, the main character’s story centered around the after-effects of childhood sexual abuse—an issue I silently struggled with but wouldn’t tell anyone about until I became an adult.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower kept me afloat as a teenager. It gave me the power to keep going, and taught me that something good could still come out of dark times. I write YA contemporaries to pass on that feeling. My stories are the types I wish I could have read as a teenager, putting the marginalized characters at the forefront instead of on the sidelines. I hope to affect even one young adult out there who needs the courage to know they’re not alone—bonus points if I can inspire more.
*Note: This post originally appeared as a comment on Laura Heffernan's blog, in response to a prompt for marginalized writers to share their story.
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