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notthatcosta's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Although quite saccharine at points (particularly the ending), there was a lot of grit to this book that surpassed my expectations. Beyond the book itself I was almost more fascinated by the lore around the story and how R.J. Palacio was inspired to write it.
Books like this make me wish I had discovered them when I was much younger, but perhaps I wouldn't have appreciated them at the time. I sincerely hope reading this book made some kids a little bit kinder to their peers, because if there's a moral to this story, it's that kids can be cruel.
Books like this make me wish I had discovered them when I was much younger, but perhaps I wouldn't have appreciated them at the time. I sincerely hope reading this book made some kids a little bit kinder to their peers, because if there's a moral to this story, it's that kids can be cruel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Ableism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Bullying, and Medical content
vibingjaren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was absolutely fantastic. It was recommended to me by a friend, and I loved it! The story starts off a little slow, but as you get further in it gets more interesting. Multiple points in the story, I got teary-eyed. I love the character development, and the way you can see the change. It’s a beautifully written book, and a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, and Bullying
Moderate: Animal death and Classism
Minor: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
leahg22's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Physical abuse, Animal death, Medical trauma, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship
catwhisperflubbs's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book deserves more than the hype.
10-year-old auggie pullman has a facial disorder that keeps him from blending in. he tries to ignore the double takes people make or the whispers behind his back, but it's hard to do that when he's catapulted into the adolescent abomination of middle school. it's a beautiful novel about self acceptance in the midst of social hierarchy and i recommend it for readers 10+.
10-year-old auggie pullman has a facial disorder that keeps him from blending in. he tries to ignore the double takes people make or the whispers behind his back, but it's hard to do that when he's catapulted into the adolescent abomination of middle school. it's a beautiful novel about self acceptance in the midst of social hierarchy and i recommend it for readers 10+.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Violence, Medical content, and Animal death
Minor: Death
whosfernn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pretty good. Enjoyed the film more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Medical content, Chronic illness, Ableism, and Animal death
Moderate: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Body shaming
Minor: Blood, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts
midnightverde's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is a true wonder, pun intended. I loved the multiple points of view and the uniqueness of each character. The experiences of Auggie were realistic and written perfectly for a middle grades audience as there was always a little lightness along with the darkness. Books that highlight the human experience are some of my favorites because I know they help develop understanding, empathy, and compassion. I’m looking forward to reading this with my children when they are around 5th grade.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Hate crime, Body shaming, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death, Death, and Vomit
thebookreaderboss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Death
macykey's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Minor: Death
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was adorable and wonderful and I teared up so many times but like happy tears for quite a few of them 😅 the characters are just so wonderful - and of course some of them are just awful but we don't want to focus on them. I laughed out loud so many times at these character's jokes! Such a good read with important messages!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, and Animal death
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Classism, and Death
avacronin's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Wonder" for me, was a solid 4 star read. To be honest, if I could, I would even dare to rate it 4.5 stars. Wonder follows the story of August, "Auggie", Pullman, who has a facial deformity. As you may imagine, this has created roadblocks in August's life, and in this book we see him face his fears and face the harsh reality of life.
After reading this work of art from R.J Palacio, I have been left feeling sympathetic and touched. However, every book has it's pros and cons, and as I appreciate seeing these in other book reviews, I will list them here.
The Pros
- R.J Palacio's writing is rich, and filled with beautiful descriptions and stunning quotes. Honestly, I was breaking my pen out many times during reading this to underline all my favourite quotes.
“You don’t need your eyes to love, right? You just feel it inside you. That’s how it is in heaven. It’s just love, and no one forgets who they love.”
- Keeping with the theme of writing, Wonder is a book told from multiple perspectives, each having their own respective section. While the majority of the book is told from Auggie's p.o.v., it also shows what it's like for other people in Auggie's life. Personally, I like this, and Palacio's writing makes this highly effective, as she creates a clear distinction between the writing styles of each character. For example the character of Justin writes completely in lower case, while Via's writing is highly descriptive and has a certain "flourish" to it.
- It's execution of it's setting and themes is close to perfection, in my opinion. Never once did I feel the setting was just "hanging" there, and each different setting in New York plays an important role in the story. It also shows the reality of living with a visible condition, and how it effects children's lives and the ability to carry out "normal" activities, like go to a "real" school. While I do understand that people can view this as a "cliche" description of living with a disability, I believe that Palacio offered a different insight into this by showing how it takes a toll on the surrounding people. Spoiler Take for example, the honest confessions from Jack Will and Justin on how they were a little bit taken aback at first upon first seeing Auggie. Or how Via admits that, while she loves Auggie unconditionally, for a moment, she could see him through the eyes that everybody else sees him through.
The Cons
- While I understand this book is centered around Auggie's life, I can't help but wish that the adult characters had been developed slightly more. Although it is clear that they share concerns about Auggie and his life, I just wish there had been a deeper development that allowed me to establish a deeper connection with the adult characters. That being said however, I do highly praise the character of Mr. Tushman and his unapologetic yet professional approach to dealing with sensitive topics in a middle school.
- Spoiler The character of Julian made me physically mad. While this is on the cons list, it is a result of good writing, as I believe Palacio wrote Julian to be an extremely annoying character, as is shown through his horrible behaviors. While I have seen people bash how unrealistic it is on the other children's interactions and relationships regarding Julian, I beg to differ. I understand exactly how children react in a situation where a "popular" figure, who has a high influence on everybody, develops a bad opinion about somebody or something, and how people instinctively follow them. Also, the book is about literal children, you can't expect them to have a fully developed sense of moral values.
Overall, I would recommend this book to people of all ages. Personally, I read this book after watching the film and I appreciate both pieces of work separately.
After reading this work of art from R.J Palacio, I have been left feeling sympathetic and touched. However, every book has it's pros and cons, and as I appreciate seeing these in other book reviews, I will list them here.
The Pros
- R.J Palacio's writing is rich, and filled with beautiful descriptions and stunning quotes. Honestly, I was breaking my pen out many times during reading this to underline all my favourite quotes.
“You don’t need your eyes to love, right? You just feel it inside you. That’s how it is in heaven. It’s just love, and no one forgets who they love.”
- Keeping with the theme of writing, Wonder is a book told from multiple perspectives, each having their own respective section. While the majority of the book is told from Auggie's p.o.v., it also shows what it's like for other people in Auggie's life. Personally, I like this, and Palacio's writing makes this highly effective, as she creates a clear distinction between the writing styles of each character. For example the character of Justin writes completely in lower case, while Via's writing is highly descriptive and has a certain "flourish" to it.
- It's execution of it's setting and themes is close to perfection, in my opinion. Never once did I feel the setting was just "hanging" there, and each different setting in New York plays an important role in the story. It also shows the reality of living with a visible condition, and how it effects children's lives and the ability to carry out "normal" activities, like go to a "real" school. While I do understand that people can view this as a "cliche" description of living with a disability, I believe that Palacio offered a different insight into this by showing how it takes a toll on the surrounding people. Spoiler Take for example, the honest confessions from Jack Will and Justin on how they were a little bit taken aback at first upon first seeing Auggie. Or how Via admits that, while she loves Auggie unconditionally, for a moment, she could see him through the eyes that everybody else sees him through.
The Cons
- While I understand this book is centered around Auggie's life, I can't help but wish that the adult characters had been developed slightly more. Although it is clear that they share concerns about Auggie and his life, I just wish there had been a deeper development that allowed me to establish a deeper connection with the adult characters. That being said however, I do highly praise the character of Mr. Tushman and his unapologetic yet professional approach to dealing with sensitive topics in a middle school.
- Spoiler The character of Julian made me physically mad. While this is on the cons list, it is a result of good writing, as I believe Palacio wrote Julian to be an extremely annoying character, as is shown through his horrible behaviors. While I have seen people bash how unrealistic it is on the other children's interactions and relationships regarding Julian, I beg to differ. I understand exactly how children react in a situation where a "popular" figure, who has a high influence on everybody, develops a bad opinion about somebody or something, and how people instinctively follow them. Also, the book is about literal children, you can't expect them to have a fully developed sense of moral values.
Overall, I would recommend this book to people of all ages. Personally, I read this book after watching the film and I appreciate both pieces of work separately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Minor: Animal death and Death