Book Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

When I was searching for books to read, I came across this great review of Wonder by R J Palacio from my friend Jana at JanaSays. Jana and I do not always share the same taste in books, but I trust her opinion enough that if she says everyone should read a book, I should probably read it. And when it comes to Wonder, I have to say, I agree with her.

Wonder is the story of August, and his first year in “regular” school, after being home schooled kindergarten through 4^th grade. Oh, and Auggie, as he is known, happens to have a facial deformity. He is not disabled, physically or mentally, he just looks different than everyone else, but in a radical way.

The story is told from the point of view of multiple kids, and one chapter that includes emails between adults. It is first and foremost a story of friendship and of love. There was a part of the book where I was in tears (if you have read it and you know me, it is probably not hard to guess which section). And parts where I was almost cheering out loud. (Luckily, neither part happened on the bus, where I do a lot of my reading.)

This is just a good story about what makes people people, and how we should remember that what we think we see is not always what we are going to get.

So, follow Jana’s advice. Read this book. It is short (by adult standards), and will not take more than a couple of days. In fact, it is one of those books, that if you have the time, can just be a straight read through. I started it on the bus on Tuesday (after finishing Seveneves) and finished it at home on Wednesday evening.

But really, read Wonder. You will not be sorry.