Wonder - R.J. Palacio

"Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.”

Synopsis

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Wonder, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others.

Review

I'll admit that this is a book I read because I had to and not necessarily because I picked it up myself from a book store. By day, I'm a teacher and it's the first book we're going to read with the children in the first term of school. Sometimes though, the books that are thrust upon you are the ones you get the most out of and that is the case with Wonder, an absolutely gorgeous book and an experience of a story. It's uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure and will have you reaching for the tissues on more than one occasion.

The story centres on August, a boy going into fifth grade who was born with a facial deformity. Multiple operations since have left him feeling more isolated and looking about as different from his classmates as you can get. Told from the perspectives of he and the people who interact with him, the story follows August as he navigates his year in fifth grade and the different obstacles he faces.

“Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.”

What is great about this story is how we see August from different perspectives. Not only do we hear August's inner monologue and understand how he sees his place in the world but we get an insight into how his deformity affects his family and friends. Constructing the story in this way is a masterstroke as we are forced to reflect on our own prejudices and question how we would act around someone like August. He repeatedly speaks of how people react when they first see him, from pitying looks to genuine squeals of shock and then the laughing and pointing. To him though, this is the norm but are these reactions justified? Can they ever be justified?

With this topic, it would be easy to guilt us into feeling sorry for a character like August. However, the story is written with such charm that we don't ever feel the need to pity him or feel sorry for him. He gets on with his life in such an affirming way and with such strength that to pity him would be doing him a serious disservice. There are times when his mask of strength slips but if anything, that vulnerability only goes to humanise him and make him a more relatable figure.

Final Thoughts

This is a book which will stay with me for a while! It's a realistic and honest look at a rarely discussed issue and it's often brutal in its depiction. However, there is so much heart within these pages and so much love between the main characters that it will leave you feeling like you've gone on a much needed journey of discovery. With a message which is ever more topical, Wonder is an essential read.