(image from goodreads.com)
Ok, this is my first book review but I couldn’t help myself. I originally heard about Wonder when I was perusing facebook and one of my favorite romance authors, Julia Quinn (yes I read a little bit of everything as long as its entertaining) posted about this book. Here is what she wrote :
“If there is one thing we can all agree upon, it is that we should aspire to being kinder to others in our daily lives. I have never read a book that more beautifully illustrates this than Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. It is funny, uplifting, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking, all without ever being preachy. This is a children’s book (grades 4-5 and up), but I know dozens of adults who have read it this year, and we have all been overwhelmed and astonished by how much we love it. If you are looking for a holiday gift, look no further.”
I couldn’t help but download the book and read it myself. I loved it and have since recommended it to many of my friends and family. The book is told from the point of view of various people throughout the story starting with the main character August and including his family members, their friends and his classmates. It is a journey through acceptance, growing up (in more ways than one), friendship, empathy, and life. I believe I laughed and cried at various points in the story and I was so glad I had seen the blurb on facebook. This book is not only a great story but can also be great as a book to read as a family to stimulate conversations on differences, similarities and (not to sound cliche but…) not judging a book by its cover.
I’d love to hear what those of you who read it or have read it think about this book. Thanks for allowing me to shake things up a bit on here (maybe I’ll throw a few more book reviews in for this year)!