Thankfully, I am not a teenager anymore, but sometimes I like to get nostalgic and reflect upon the days when my pudgy, controlling boyfriend cheating on me was an event akin to the apocalypse and no one articulated my feelings better than Davey Havok of AFI, bless his tranny heart.

For others looking to take a simultaneously funny and painful stroll down memory lane, may I recommend these literary gems to get you in the hormone-laden mood.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Written as a series of letters to an unidentified recipient, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a charming little novella told from the perspective of Charlie, a shy and introverted freshman. True to teen book form, Charlie experiences all the usual touchstones of adolescence – crushes, family drama, drugs, sexual experimentation – but what makes the book stand out is Chbosky’s simple, straightforward writing style.

With excerpts like, “Sam tapped her hand on the steering wheel. Patrick held his hand outside the car and made airwaves. And I just sat between them. After the song finished, I said something. ‘I feel infinite,’” The Perks of Being a Wallflower is like reading the journal of that quiet kid that sat next to you in English that you always wanted to make out with. Plus, it was published by MTV in the days when the network was still clinging to some shed of credibility. Ah, memories. Read More »