Wonder Author: R. J. Palacio | Language: English | ISBN:
B0051ANPZQ | Format: EPUB
Wonder Description
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.
August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face.
WONDER, now a #1
New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.
"Wonder is the best kids' book of the year," said Emily Bazelon, senior editor at Slate.com and author of
Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope.
R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that
you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.Join the conversation:
#thewonderofwonder- File Size: 1454 KB
- Print Length: 322 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0375869026
- Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (February 14, 2012)
- Sold by: Random House LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0051ANPZQ
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #1
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Health > Diseases - #1
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life - #1
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Difficult Discussions
- #1
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Health > Diseases - #1
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life - #1
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Difficult Discussions
...but I couldn't. Here, I'll explain why.
First Sentence: I know I'm not an ordinary ten-year-old kid.
How I Acquired the Book: Borrowed from my town's library.
The Review: When I first read the synopsis of this book, my thoughts instantly turned to a friend of mine who had a facial anomaly, just like the main character, August, in this book. So I was excited to read it, to get a glimpse of what my friend's life could be like.
In that aspect, it did not disappoint. Auggie's voice is brilliant, and you can tell R.J. Palacio definitely spends a lot of time around kids. Auggie sounds just like my friend when he was in fifth grade, and is highly believable. It is this that makes the book so heartwarming and realistic. A book full of Auggie would be great.
But this book is /not/ entirely full of Auggie. The first and last 80 pages or so of it are AMAZING, definitely the best parts, because they're told from Auggie's point of view. But the rest of the book is told from different characters' points of view, like Auggie's friends and family. This just does not work. Each character gets 20 to 50 pages, and as I just was getting used to and liking their voice, BAM, the point of view changed again. In the middle of the book I found myself scanning the book to get to Auggie's part more quickly. Not only that, but the plot is lost in these parts, and these supporting characters are not well-developed.
That said, I completely respect and admire Ms. Palacio for doing something so ambitious. It may have not been the best it could be, but Wonder has absolutely raised my awareness and sympathy of people like Auggie. While this novel doesn't deserve a standing ovation, I will be waiting to see if Ms. Palacio's next novel deserves one.
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