by R. J. Palacio
publisher’s synopsis
I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.
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.
Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope.
Wonder is a thoughtful, charming read.
While the multiple POVs weren’t per-say necessary for the plot, I appreciated the different angles they provided for people’s relationships with Auggie and each other. Though, the lack of punctuation in Justin’s POV did bug me. I’m sure that it, and the lack of capitalization, were done for stylistic reasons, but it didn’t make sense to me.
Also, the discussions about middle school dating just made me shake my head. I agree with the parents that there’s no reason to date in middle school. 🙂
Cautions: seven blasphemies; seven instances of coarser language; light romance; one kiss; brief rude humor; a character says they would kill themself if they looked like someone, and this instance is briefly referenced afterward; brief allusion to a character’s father having had a past affair
Side note: I also watched the movie adaptation of Wonder, and personally thought that it did a great job. As with any adaptation, several things were tweaked to better fit the medium of film and the time constraints of a movie, but none of them bothered me. It still felt very close to the book. If you enjoyed Wonder, check out the movie. You can find a content review for it over on Plugged In.
Hailey Huntington 
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