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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Emma Donoghue spins tales as entertaining as they are illuminating. Informative but never didactic. Heartbreaking yet somehow inspiring.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
The ending was better than I could’ve hoped.
But it wasn’t as compelling or gripping as “Room,” the author’s other book and the reason I picked this book up.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will not hesitate to recommend it to others!
But it wasn’t as compelling or gripping as “Room,” the author’s other book and the reason I picked this book up.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will not hesitate to recommend it to others!
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Fantastic book about hunger/starvation, religion, human connection and the desire to make amends for the past. It starts out very slow, and the narrator Lib seems narrow-minded and cruel, but the story picks up pace toward the end as Lib starts to empathize more with people searching for something to believe in.
An easy interesting read. But you can kind of guess part of the story which makes you feel like why aren't we at the end yet. Wanted it to be better than it was.
The characters in this book were so riveting and they are what really made this story. I also enjoyed the plot itself, in how original it was. Overall, this book was definitely a plus.
Excellent, despite an insufferable protagonist.
The premise sells itself: A nurse is sent to the hill country of Ireland, not to heal, but to witness a miracle—a girl who hasn't eaten in 4 months.
No matter how well (or how poorly) this book was written, I was going to finish simply to have this fascinating mystery solved. That's the power of a good story. What keeps this from being a great story is the snarky, pretentious personality of Lib, our lead character. I'm not sure how many times I wanted to shout, "We get it, you aren't religious." Lib's intellectual background is rooted in science, so she understandably enters the story with her mind made up. But her lack of empathy and intuition (two things you need in spades as a nurse), result in her inability to relate to the town's deeply religious Catholics in a way they can understand.
I found the pace to be great, and finished this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Complaints about the slow pace are common among reviewers. But in my opinion, the rural tempo adds to the gradual build-up of frustration and tension that beautifully peaks in the last 50 pages. Like Lib, my emotions ran from mildly annoyed to deeply troubled, even desperate by the book's conclusion.
Emma Donoghue's writing style is so comfortable. No indulgent or flowery language. Relatable dialogue. The Wonder is the kind of book that's easy to sink into.
My only other complaint is that Lib's brush with romance seemed unnecessary and forced. But it probably would've felt more natural had her character been better developed early on. As it stands, she's simply too cold and callus to make any swooning believable.
Despite my complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My copy came from the library, but I'll be purchasing a copy to add it to my personal collection of favorites.
4.5 stars
The premise sells itself: A nurse is sent to the hill country of Ireland, not to heal, but to witness a miracle—a girl who hasn't eaten in 4 months.
No matter how well (or how poorly) this book was written, I was going to finish simply to have this fascinating mystery solved. That's the power of a good story. What keeps this from being a great story is the snarky, pretentious personality of Lib, our lead character. I'm not sure how many times I wanted to shout, "We get it, you aren't religious." Lib's intellectual background is rooted in science, so she understandably enters the story with her mind made up. But her lack of empathy and intuition (two things you need in spades as a nurse), result in her inability to relate to the town's deeply religious Catholics in a way they can understand.
I found the pace to be great, and finished this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Complaints about the slow pace are common among reviewers. But in my opinion, the rural tempo adds to the gradual build-up of frustration and tension that beautifully peaks in the last 50 pages. Like Lib, my emotions ran from mildly annoyed to deeply troubled, even desperate by the book's conclusion.
Emma Donoghue's writing style is so comfortable. No indulgent or flowery language. Relatable dialogue. The Wonder is the kind of book that's easy to sink into.
My only other complaint is that Lib's brush with romance seemed unnecessary and forced. But it probably would've felt more natural had her character been better developed early on. As it stands, she's simply too cold and callus to make any swooning believable.
Despite my complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My copy came from the library, but I'll be purchasing a copy to add it to my personal collection of favorites.
4.5 stars