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dr_cohen 's review for:
The Wonder
by Emma Donoghue
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I have many thoughts about this book! First off, I listened to the audiobook version, and maybe it’s just me, but that narrator‘s voice was like nails on a chalkboard for the entire book. There is something about those breathy female voices that makes me want to crawl out of my skin. As for the story itself, it would have been better served if the author had not sprung the particularly repulsive twist on her readers that she did. There were so many other options she could have chosen, but she chose that (I don’t want to have to tag my review as including spoilers, so I’ll refrain). I nearly put the book down right then. But beyond the narration and the choice of reason for the child refusing to eat, there is the topic of religion. I find it shocking that the professional reviews of this book don’t mention it. It was like an enormous elephant taking up the entire room and nobody mentioning it. Religion is the root of so much evil and so much vice, and this story creates such a clear connection between blind faith in God and the Bible and operating against one’s own best interests that I can’t believe the powers-that-be don’t talk about it in their reviews. I thought that very serious topics such as despicable family secrets and the powerful control exerted by the Catholic church, both at the heart of the story, were given very little real attention in this book, and therefore I found it wanting. The fairytale ending and the glossing over of the real issues made for a weak novel.