Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

32 reviews

curatoriallyyours's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this story - I cried in parts and found all the main characters to be very likeable. The only element that bugged me was that the main character's disability was at times treated as a fetish in the sense that the non-disabled characters (primarily the adults, to be fair) saw him as an "inspiration" and an opportunity for others to learn to be kind. I feel like this diminished his humanity and dignity - as though his existence was limited to his capacity to help those around him be better people. This did not come through the whole time - the author did a good job of creating three-dimensional, flawed characters and multi-layered situations that were a reflection of real life. Over all, this was an enjoyable read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Body shaming

Minor: Grief and Medical content

There is an unexpected death of the family pet towards the end of the book. It is somewhat foreshadowed but I bawled my eyes out!

Medical content - the main character has a number of medical conditions and genetic abnormalities - some discussion of medical treatment and surgery but very mild. Body shaming - some of the children at the school make fun of the main character due to his facial abnormalities.

angelicathebookworm's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective fast-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

5.0

A very sweet and heart-warming story that’s incredibly well written with good pacing, flow, and an incredible amount of depth that makes it perfect for children and adults alike. The characters were by far the strongest aspect of this story and that’s putting it mildly. Palacio has just done such a wonderful job of evoking such strong emotional responses through the various characters and events of the book. Never before have I so badly wanted to go into a book and give the main character a big cuddle while simultaneously punching Julian, and his horrid mother, in the face. Yes, I know Julian is just a child but I’d probably still do it in all honesty. I also liked that the characters showcase a variety of different views of Auggie which is realistic, thought-provoking, and really highlights the impact we can have on other’s lives every day.

The novel does have multiple different first-person narrators and, although they are all very distinct characters, it was a little jarring at times as some of the jumps between the different voices were very quick which sort of took me out of the narrative at times.
 
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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, and Medical content