Wonder by R.J Palacio

It’s a good read; but it’s a hard one.

10 year old August Pullman is a one in four billion. A combination of a chromosomal abnormality and an illness has caused a rare craniofacial deformity. To quote Auggie, “Whatever you’re thinking it’s probably worse.” And that’s after dozens of surgeries. Auggie’s parents have decided the time has come to enroll him in school for the first time. Though being a new kid is hard; being a new kid with a jaw dropping face is even harder.

It’s raw, brutally honest and written with a sense of humor. The short chapters and shifting point of view make reading this one a breeze. Wonder is told from a total of six of perspectives, which is one of my favorite aspects of the novel. Each one is surprisingly insightful. We read of how Auggie’s face effects his friends, his sister and his sister’s boyfriend.

One of Palacio’s continuing themes throughout Wonder is that everyone has a story. Author R.J. Palacio released a follow-up e-novella this past March entitled The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story which follows Auggie’s bully. This is available through our library via MyMediaMail. Next, on August 26th, Palacio releases 365 Days of Wonder: Mr Browne’s Book of Precepts.