Book Review: Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
I first heard about Wonder a couple of years back from my sister. She's a teacher, and she was telling me about this book about 5th graders that dealt with the issue of bullying. It was supposed to be really good. "Oh, that's cool," I thought. "Bullying is a real issue. Hopefully this will have a real impact on the kids that read it."
At the time I didn't really consider reading it myself. I hadn't realized yet that I wanted to write for young people, and with an infant at home, any reading I found time for was books about how to keep tiny humans alive.
Fast forward several years, and Wonder was chosen by our homeschool group as the first selection for our "moms book chat." By now I was interested to read it - I'd heard all the buzz and I knew they'd made a movie about it - but I was also a little nervous. So often when I read books with that much hype around them I end up disappointed. Sometimes I think the story is dumb, or the writing is terrible. How would Wonder stack up?
Here's the blurb from inside the dust jacket:
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial difference that prevented him from going to mainstream school - until now. He's about to enter fifth 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?
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't perfect, but there was a lot to like. The obvious target audience is late grade schoolers (and maybe their parents), but I think this book could be appreciated by just about anyone who keeps the intended audience in mind.
To start, I think Palacio touched on a lot of super relatable themes. Though most people will never have to deal with the specific challenges Auggie faces, we all have felt the fear of not being accepted as we are, and the subsequent sting of rejection when we are not. Auggie's friend Jack feels stuck between wanting to fit in and doing the right thing. Via, Auggie's older sister, harbors a secret shame. I wouldn't say the characters are all that complex, but they each bring something important to the story.
One of the unique things about the book is that there are a total of six different narrators. While I often find changes in point of view to be gimmicky, I actually think in this case it was a great storytelling device. Each change in narrator revealed important information from the right character at the right point in the story. My one gripe is that for some reason one character was written entirely in lowercase, which I found to be unnecessary and a little distracting.
One of the main critiques I see about Wonder is that the story is too sweet and that it ends a little too perfectly. I would counter that by reminding readers that this is a book about empathy written for children. There are plenty of sweet moments, but there are also moments in which the kids in the story say and do some pretty upsetting things. Sure, the end is wrapped up in a neat little package. Awards are given. The bullies are defeated. But the point is made: be kinder than is necessary.
The verdict: I think it's a great read. Teen and adult readers should remember that this is a book intended for a younger audience. But I think part of the power of the book is that it's easy to relate to both the good and the ugly in the characters, and it's an excellent reminder that it's always better to choose to be kind.