This project was based on picking a film and creating a typographically expressive book that follows a narrative of my choice, communicating the story only through dialogue and design choices. My book is based on Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky (2012).
The film follows Charlie, an introverted 16 year old who’s navigating his first year of high school while coping with past trauma and social isolation. After becoming friends with two seniors, Sam and Patrick (who are step-siblings), he starts to feel like he belongs again. Through their friendship, Charlie explores his identity and the complexities of mental health, and as it deepens he finds himself reliving suppressed memories that force him to confront all the grief and abuse he had been holding back. It’s about adolescence and its fragility.
The book is completely handmade. The text was stamped into the paper, the final letter is handwritten and was put together using Japanese binding. The idea behind it being completely made by hand was to lean into the rawness of the story and the way I decided to approach it. This book wasn't meant to be printed and put together with metal staples, but to feel like a human story.
