Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

Genre: Children’s lit

Published: February 14th 2012

Dates Read: 9/6/2017 – 9/10/2017

Source: bought from Amazon

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

I had seen people talking about this book here and there early this year but I never really looked into it. When I saw the movie trailer for it, it hit me that there was a book. I immediately looked up the book and proceeded to buy it after seeing the movie trailer because I wanted to read the book before I watched the movie. When I got it in the mail I put all of the other books I was reading on hold because I just had to read this book.

The first paragraph hit me. As soon as I read it I got teary eyed. I literally read the first paragraph put the book down picked it back up to read it again and I think I did that a couple of times before I managed to get past the first paragraph.

This book will pull at your heartstrings and you will get mad at some of the stuff that happens. I had a personal connection with this book and Auggie and what he goes through. Most of you already know this but for any new followers I have I am a double amputee. Because I am different I went through a lot of the bullying that Auggie has to go through although for different reasons of course. Reading this book brought back some of those childhood memories for me.

I love the message “Choose Kind” that this book is trying to get across. Just because someone looks different doesn’t make them any less of a person and we definitely don’t deserve to be made fun of or put down because of it.

Even though this book is geared toward younger audiences I would recommend this to all ages. It truly is such a touching book.