Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Okay... Umm, wow? It's hard to articulate my thoughts at the moment. It has been a day since I finished Wonder, and I'm still in shock at how beautiful and delicate this novel was. I haven't read a book like this since John Green's heart-breaking The Fault in Our Stars, and let me tell you now, this was right up there near that standard. I guess I should just get on with the review...Wonder isn't a complicated book at all, it is just a book about a boy... And I don't want to say: "August Pullman is not like any other boy" because that's a lie. The beautiful thing about this book, is the fact that August is completely normal. He's not extraordinary (despite contrary beliefs). Just because he has a facial deformity, doesn't mean he's part of a different race or anything..! In the short introduction, I compared this to The Fault in Our Stars, and I still stand by that comparison. Hazel is also just a normal kid, who happens to be extremely unlucky. And in the short, that's why I loved this book so much. It wasn't overly extravagant, but just a simple (and cleverly told) tale that reached out and touched my heart.Narrated by five or six characters in August's life, this book was not only gripping, but insightful and full of wit. Although the book is primarily about Auggie's life, we get to hear from a lot of the other characters he interacts with... And that's another thing I really enjoyed. Whether it be the thoughtful, pretty and charismatic Summer or the well-meaning, laid-back Jack, you can't possibly not love this cast of characters.Full of love, sadness, joy, courage, admiration and determination, Wonder makes you think (as cheesy as it sounds) that it really isn't what somebody looks like that counts. A quote that comes to mind as I write this, is one from a John Green book: "That's always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people want to be around someone because they're pretty. It's like picking your breakfast cereal based on the colour rather than the taste." And that's completely true. I love the way that this book proves that someone (like August) can be a whole lot nicer and more fun than a stuck-up and horrible 'pretty' person. I guess the final thing I want to say about this book, is that it explores us humans as a whole. RJ Palacio could have concentrated on how we are too judgmental of people before actually getting to know them, but no, she chose a different approach. Throughout the course of the novel, RJ Palacio taught me about how we have to be "kinder than necessary", and how us humans are capable of a lot more than just "kind". That's the personal message I learned from this book, and I thank her very much for that!

…the universe was not kind to auggie pullman. what did that little kid ever do to deserve his sentence?Children can be so cruel. I think many of us put our school experiences behind us, it’s part of who we are as adults but it’s not an experience we will be repeating. Wonder made me think back to my school experience. I was overweight, short-sighted with uncool Deidre Barlow glasses and not the most attractive as a child/teenager so I was an easy target in jest and not in many cases. Not the happiest of times.But this is nothing compared to August Pullman’s experience. He doesn’t go to school until he’s 10/11 as throughout his childhood he’s been in and out of hospital for operations to make his Treacher Collins syndrome, a craniofacial syndrome more manageable. Wonder is his story of going to school for that first year but he’s not the only one to tell the story. I heard from his sister Via, his two best friends Jack and Summer and Via’s boyfriend Justin. All together, these are six very distinctive voices telling their version of events over Auggie’s first year at school.I have mention Via’s story. Via’s voice is so grown up and yet so innocent in many ways. Some of the things she says are so perceptive for a 14 year old – August is the Sun. Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the Sun. Not only is this girl living through the changes with Auggie but she’s going through her own stuff as she returns to high school and the dynamics in her friendship groups aren’t the same – it’s not easy being a teenager at the best of time but Via is a tough girl. Listening to her tell her story and the concern for her younger brother was emotional.Auggie’s experience of school changes over his first year but one thing that remains constant is his English teacher’s monthly precepts – Mr Browne sets the precepts at the beginning of the month and at the end of the month, the class writes an essay on what it means to them. These are thought provoking in themselves and I loved the fact that you get a full list of his precepts and those of some of the students at the end of the book. We could all learn from Mr Browne.When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kindWonder is an emotional and thought provoking read. It’s a book about growing up, change, loss. It’s a story about being kind and not to take people at face value. It’s so beautifully written I wanted to savour every word. It’s not a long read at 100 pages but Palacio crams masses into these pages. This may be recommended for 9 to 11 year olds but I think it appeals to all ages. #ChooseKind

My daughters review:Wonder is the type of book that made me constantly go 'aww' and have tears welling in my eyes. It follows the story of ten year old, August, who was born with a disorder that makes him unlike everyone else. August has had to deal with people staring at his appearance ever since he could remember, whether they were in the street, at home, his sisters friends or even professionals. He's always had to hide himself away because there were people constantly doing a double take to stare at him once again. It definitely doesn't help that his parents protected him so much and homeschooled him, so he was unaware of friends and the harsh truth of everyday life. So when they make the drastic change to send August to a normal school, August feels his heart breaking with anxiety and worry. Before he knows it he is shoved into a school where there are bullies, friends and jerks. Although August finds some friends along the way, people are still not getting used to him. And August feels like he has to hide away for ever.This book was beautifully compelling. I love the structure of the book, too. It adds a definite twists to the plot of the story, as you read everyones perspectives on August and find out what everyone else is feeling compared to his usual fear of socialising. It also adds a new feel to the book when you're reading the backstory of his sister and how she is tossed aside for August as you're gradually building up on everyones view on August and how people see people. There are chapters in the perspective of friends also which allows you to understand whats going on behind August's back when he's joining this school and thinking everything is really working out for him.The plot overall, was definitely a shocker to me. I knew that August had a facial disorder which meant his appearance was altered slightly, however I never thought it involved all the heartache and uplifting that this book offers. There is a mixture of fights, truth, upset, heartache and even death at one point, which are all struggles of someone whose growing up, but even worse for someone whose different to everyone else. Its enchanting to read how August copes with it all and how strong he is when someone calls him names, and it definitely tripped my emotions whenever someone was harsh or offensive. The ending also had a great thriving feeling to it, and it made me feel really happy. All of my emotions spilled out at one point because I felt like I was emotionally connected with August.R.J Palacio has definitely worked well to build her characters. They're fleshy enough to make you grasp valid opinions as well as having enough back story and detail to make you connect with them emotionally. Also, I found that the alternating perspective also allowed you to re-evaluate the story, which as a really nice touch. Honestly, I felt very sorry for August in this book and felt like crying alongside him as well as punching everyone who had upset him and R.J Palacio has beautifully presented the feelings of bullying, insecurities as well as harsh disorders.I'd recommend this story to anyone, really. Any age, any gender. I feel like sensitive people would find the emotional connection powerful but I also feel like people who aren't connective to characters at all would still sympathise with August and all of the other characters. I feel like this book is going to go in the direction of The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time because it has that same sort of feel, although being different. Absolutely loved it!

Oh, what a treat of a book! In August Pullman, Palacio has created one of the most loveable and memorable characters in modern children's literature. August is ten years old, and is a completely normal little boy in every way but one - he was born with severe facial disfigurement. The book opens as his mother tries to persuade him that it might be time to go to 'real school' for the first time. August has always been loved, protected - and taught - by his family, but during his year in the fifth grade of Beecher Prep, life is going to be very different.Auggie's story is pretty irresistable reading. Switching between various viewpoints as the book progresses, including Auggie himself, his sister Via and his friends Jack and Summer, the author deftly explores the effects of Auggie's disfigurement on his life and the lives of everyone around him. It's a clever device that allows the reader to not only get inside Auggie's head as he faces the trials and tribulations of school life, but also to get the wider picture of how other people are coping, what people are saying, and how his new friends react to the pressure being placed on them by the less savoury characters at school.It should come as no surprise that while Palacio offers much to smile, laugh and chortle over in this novel - it is lightly written, quite amusing and her children's voices are spot-on - there were also parts that made me frown, parts that made my eyes open wide with horror, and parts that made me tear up with indignation. It's a sad fact of life that a lot of kids (and a lot of parents) are relentlessly cruel to people who are perceived to be 'different' - and that's exactly what makes this book so important. I'd go as far as to say that it should be required reading for every child.From start to finish the emphasis is on kindness and courage. Palacio doesn't steer away from moral gray areas - her characters make mistakes along the way and things aren't always as they seem - but ultimately she shows very clearly how bullying and insensitive behaviour can have a harmful ripple effect on people's lives, and how strength, friendship, compassion and good humour are always the better choices. I finished the book with tears in my eyes, a smile on my face - and a little place in my heart reserved for Auggie. Highly recommended!

"I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives," says August Pullman, the main character in Wonder, and RJ Palacio certainly deserves hers for this bittersweet but ultimately uplifting novel about a severely disfigured boy. Wonder appears to be aimed at kids of perhaps ten upwards, but it's an equally engaging and moving read for an adult and I thoroughly enjoyed it.We all know that starting a new school at all is hard enough as it is, but things are doubly difficult for Auggie, whose facial disfigurement is so significant that he is fully accustomed to people visibly recoiling when they meet him for the first time, even if they think they're hiding their reaction.As we follow him through his first year, Auggie is self-deprecating, quietly determined and, like most children of his age, an amusing and sometimes poignant mix of naive and astute. It's impossible not to root for him. However, a major strength of wonder is the introduction of perspectives other than Auggie's in the narrative. Wonder is among other things a book about how we perceive others, so it's only fitting that we hear not just from Auggie himself but from those around him. The sections narrated by Auggie's teenage sister Olivia, who is fiercely protective of her younger brother and yet at the same time acutely aware that his unique needs mean she will always play second fiddle, are particularly enlightening, but every voice struck me as vivid and authentic.The toughest challenges Auggie has to overcome are related to his appearance, of course - but anyone who can remember being eleven will be familiar with typical anxieties like their first overnight school trip, mysteriously shifting social cliques and peer pressure to grow up too soon, and there is much in Wonder that any reader can identify with.If I have a criticism of Wonder it's that there are times when Auggie's parents seem a little too understanding, a little too indulgent, even, to be true, and I would have liked to see a little more complexity in their characters. It's also fair to say that Wonder isn't particularly plot-driven. But it's a lovely, oddly life-affirming read that reminds us of some simple but vital truths, good and bad, about human nature, and although there a couple of heartbreaking chapters, I'd defy anyone not to finish this book smiling.

When your nine year old recommends a book, you don't expect to sit down and finish it in one sitting. You also don't expect to laugh and cry, to feel the pain and joy of a mother, and to come away feeling so grateful for your own life, and so moved by someone else's story, even though this isn't actually based on any particular person's reality, but rather the collective experiences of many turned into one.Who said "Children experience the world as it is presented to them." Google doesn't even seem to know. Maybe I made it up, but I was struck by that in this fantastic story about a boy born with not one, but two genetic defects that made him intellectually 'normal' but physically very different. He wasn't disabled or handicapped, just deformed, and though he knew himself to be different, he was just that - himself. As he leaves homeschooling and goes to a private, but normal, schoolhe faces the challenges you'd expect - the 'assigned' friend who becomes a real friend, the betrayal of people who pretend to be his friends, the discovery of true friendship by a child who chooses kindness. While the book glosses very briefly over a lot of the reality of being a person who has to undergo numerous surgeries time and again, and the physical impact that has on said person, it does a good job of presenting the world through the eyes of a 9/10 year old boy. It looks at one year of school through a variety of different points of view and takes not only the main character but all the other characters through a growth journey.It's a serious subject but is presented with lots of laughter and lightness, and I'm so thrilled that Kyra has been reading it and enjoyed it enough to recommend it.I tell my girls all the time that courage and kindness will get them through life, and this book thoroughly reinforces that point.A highly recommended read, especially for young people - I believe there's so much value in learning to see the world through others' eyes, and sharing even briefly in their experience.

I bought this book for my 10 year old daughter, and she quickly devoured it. I asked her to write her own uncensored review so here it is:When I first picked up this book I didn't know what to expect. The blurb didn't give a lot of information about what was inside the book. The cover of the book was irrelevant to what happened in the book but it was a nice touch and it gave you a picture in your head of what August might have looked like. When I started reading it I couldn't put it down and I finished the book in about a week. August has a face that you could never imagine in your life. It is the type of face that you just want to scream and run away but your eyes are fixed to him, never looking away. But he realizes that he has to face his fears of going to school (as he has been home-schooled most of his life until now). A world that has never see a face like his. This book is a moving and serious book but has a loving feeling when you read it and when you do read it, it will make you think (which is a good thing) about people who have disabilities and how they must feel about going out in public and how they feel when we look and stare and what they must feel like inside. It is a truly heart-warming book that has something for everybody. There's adventure, romance and lots more. I think that this book is for children and some adults. Wonder is just an awesome book and I loved every word, page, chapter, I loved it all. I can see that the book will be read for many years and that people will never get bored of it. I think that it is a stunning book and I would certainly recommend it to all.Written by Charlie brush aged 10 xxx

This is definitely a book that everyone should read - old or young, reader or non, Wonder will make you see the world in a whole new light.This book is full of wonderful relationships and certainly packs an emotional punch. Before you even start the story you know that this little boy will face many challenges in life because of his condition, but as we go through the motions with him, it is a hard read. We get to see Auggie at his lowest point, and also at the high points along the way - the author does well to balance the story with enough reality to get the point across, but lighten the load with elements of laughter and heartwarming moments.The relationships within this story are incredible and I really enjoyed seeing them change as the story progressed. The multiple viewpoint element was great and really helped to see how this boys condition affected others around him, as well as himself.The raw moments were exactly that, raw and honest. I think this was needed with a story like this and actually, it made the happier moments even nicer because we had seen the journey to get there.Great, evocative writing with wonderful character development throughout. The pace was just right to keep me turning the pages and when I reached the end, I could have kept reading about Auggie and his friends.A wonderfully perceptive and honest story that is a must read for everyone!

Esse livro é muito bom!!

Fantastic

What a wonderful story ! August, Via, their parents, Jack Will, Summer, Charlotte ... they all are such inspiring characters ! I love how this is not a melancholic and boring book but a story about emotion, courage and bravery ! All the point of view are so rich and interesting... I learned about courage and right of feeling bad how expressing it is not complaining ! You have to read it no matter what age, sex or race you are ! Thank you RJ Palacio !" You can't blend in when your were bien to stand out "

I recently got the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio for my 10-year-old, and it has been an incredible read for both of us. This beautifully written novel offers a powerful and moving story that is perfect for young readers and adults alike.Engaging and Relatable Characters:The book centers around August Pullman, a young boy with a facial difference who starts attending a mainstream school for the first time. The characters in Wonder are incredibly well-developed and relatable. Auggie’s journey, as well as the perspectives of his friends and family, are portrayed with great empathy and realism. My child found it easy to connect with the characters and became deeply invested in their stories.Important Themes and Lessons:Wonder tackles important themes such as kindness, acceptance, and the challenges of being different. It encourages readers to look beyond appearances and to understand the importance of empathy and compassion. The story beautifully illustrates the impact of both kindness and cruelty, making it a valuable lesson for children as they navigate social interactions.Appropriate for Young Readers:The language and style of writing are accessible and appropriate for a 10-year-old reader. The book is engaging and easy to follow, making it a great choice for young readers who are starting to explore more complex themes. It’s a perfect balance of being thought-provoking without being too overwhelming for children.Positive Message:The overall message of the book is incredibly positive and uplifting. It encourages readers to “choose kind” and to celebrate differences. The narrative is touching and often heartwarming, making it a feel-good read that leaves a lasting impression.Encourages Discussion:Wonder is also a great book for sparking discussions about empathy, bullying, and the importance of kindness. It provides a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to talk about these topics and to reflect on their own behaviors and attitudes.Conclusion:Overall, Wonder by R.J. Palacio is an exceptional book that I highly recommend for children and adults alike. It’s a beautifully crafted story that teaches valuable life lessons and promotes a message of kindness and acceptance. My 10-year-old thoroughly enjoyed it and found it both touching and inspiring. It’s a book that every child should read, as it fosters understanding and compassion in a way that is both engaging and accessible. A truly wonderful read!

Before starting this book, I had heard so many great things about it. I never heard anything bad about this, so obviously my expectations were high about this. And yes, it didn’t disappoint me. In fact, it was way too good for my imagination. There are some stories which touch you deeply, and surely it was one of them.This is a story about 11 years old August Pullman who doesn’t have a normal face. He has a rare medical facial deformity, which he refers to as “mandibulofacial dysostosis“, more commonly known as Treacher Collins syndrome and a cleft palate. After his birth, he went through multiple operations on his face to look like what he was now. He was homeschooled by his mother until fifth grade. The story starts when his parents decide to send him to a private school called Beecher Prep. The story revolves around what difficulties Auggie (August) faces int he school, how everyone treated him, how he made friends there.His Principal arranged some students to be friends with him. Although they were scared of him at the beginning, they eventually started liking him, except for one boy Julian. There were a few children whom he could have called his friends. Rest of the students treated him like he had any kind of plague and they will be infected even if he touched them. At first, Auggie didn’t like the school, he was devastated, but his parents and sister were always there for him and encouraged him and he started liking the school.The story further progresses telling various turn of events which eventually make Auggie everyone’s favourite. He was successful in making people believe that he is perfectly normal, just his face is different.It was a fast paced story. There were small chapters and the story quickly progressed. It was not dragging one. The main thing that I liked most about this book was that there was not a single PoV of just August, rather there were 6 different POVs. Surely, it sounds a way more, but when you keep reading through each person’s chapters, you don’t feel it. Rather you would feel as if it was necessary to write the story from the perspective of all those characters. The persons having their individual PoV includes Via (August’s sister), Miranda (Via’s old friend), Justin (Via’s boyfriend), Jack and Summer (Auggie’s new friends at Beecher Prep). The added bonus in my copy was Julian’s chapters (Auggie’s classmate who didn’t like him at all).The writing was simple and up to the mark. R.J. Palacio knew that what she was writing and what she had to present. Each character was shown flawed at first and then it was little sympathetic. I really liked how she portrayed Via’s thoughts. It’s true that it was most difficult for Via to handle his deformed brother and facing everyone’s reaction when they see him. But she also loves him a lot. Palacio perfectly managed both the conflicts. Similar conflicts were showed for Summer, Jack and Justin.Julian’s PoV was an added bonus as I said earlier. It was very interesting to see how he changed from a bad boy to a good one and how his grandmother played an important part in that transformation. I really love the story that his grandmother told him.Palacio portrayed the kids really well – how they talk, what they think, how mean they can be, how brave they can be, what friends and friendship mean to them. She really “gets” to their feelings.There was also a part where bullying was highlighted. It shows how it can have different impacts on students lives especially of those ages.Points I liked1) The way the story is told from everyone’s point of view and not just from August’s.2) How not just August’s life has been mentioned, but other people’s life too like Justin.3) That story didn’t stop when changing from one person’s pov to another one’s, rather it was progressive.Things I didn’t like / wished would have been different1) I was disappointed by my copy. There were lots of editing errors and the whole Justin chapter was wrongly structured (though it was not the fault of the story 😛 )2) I wished to read a few pages from Isabel and Nate’s point of view too (August’s parents).I felt that this book was real. I felt the emotions of each person, that how difficult it was to handle that kind of kid. When you finish reading it, you feel good. It’s heartwarming. It is a tear jerker. For me, it was the point when Julian’s grandmother told her story to him. It really moved me. And it had a perfect message:"WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING RIGHT OR BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND."Many of us don’t read middle-grade books. But I really feel that this is an important read, not just for middle grade readers but for all the ages. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!I can happily say that it’s one of my favourites now. It left me thinking about the story for many days and made we think that how we treat others often.This is soon going to be a feature film and I can’t wait to see the movie.Would Recommend To1) Middle grade readers2) Readers who don’t mind to shed a few tears 😛3) Book readers who like to read about some different topics4) Those who like to read realistic fiction.