Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio


Wonder, to quote the book, is about, "Courage. Kindness. Friendship and Character." When I first read the premise, the first thing that came to mind was the movie Mask. It is a favorite of mine, and I couldn't help it. I had to purchase this book. 

It surprised me to see how strong August was, even if he sometimes doubted himself. It must be so hard to be different, when you aren't different. August wasn't an alien or a horse but a little boy, suffering from Treacher-Collins syndrome.

Darth Sidious

Prepare yourself to see some mean bullying. Including some kids who compare him to Darth Sidious. How rude is that!

When asked why she wanted to tackle the subject of bullying, Palacio said, "I hope that kids will come away with the idea that they are noticed: their actions are noted. Maybe not immediately or directly or even in a way that seems obvious, but if they're mean, someone suffers."

You can find more of the interview on her webpage: here.

Also be prepared to switch points-of-view, as the author jumps from August, to his sister, her boyfriend, and other school kids.  

5 comments:

  1. I really liked this book. I admired Auggie's strength in facing his bullies and not whining about his disease. I just wished we got more from his sister. I loved reading her point of view. So glad you enjoyed the book. :)

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    1. Yes. She was a great character, plus she had her first boyfriend, first real disagreement with her friends...so much to write about.

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  2. Hey BookCupid,

    Thanks for following me btw!! You are my first follower Yeey. Thanks I think its awesome I have a follower :) Anyway, I am going to read this, because it is about bullying which is a big pain in the ass (I know Ive been)It is a big topic on the news lately in The Netherlands, two kids took their own life because of bullying! I don't understand why people feel the need to harm another (physicaly or phychologically).

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  3. My son's class is reading this in his 7th grade ELA class.He is loving it and he is hard to find a book that interests him.When he first told me what the book was about,MASK is the first thing I thought of too.Crystal Cattabriga wrote a book about a girl who overcame bullying but it is high school level.It was very moving.If you want to can check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PFZDW6/ref=cm_sw_su_dp or http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13447981-torn-souls

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    1. Glad to see your son is enjoying reading. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out :)

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