Review: "Wonder" by R.J Palacio

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J Palacio

Publisher: Knopf

Year: 2012

Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9780375869020

Price: 15€

Note: 10/10

SYNOPSIS

His face makes him different and he just wants to be one more. He walks always looking at the ground, his head down and his bangs trying in vain to hide his face, but even so, he is the object of furtive glances, muffled whispers and elbows of amazement. August leaves little, his life passes between the cozy walls of his house, between the company of his family, his dog Daisy and the incredible stories of the war of the galaxies.

This year everything will change, because this year will go, for the first time, to school. There you will learn the most important lesson of your life, which is not taught in classrooms or in textbooks: grow in adversity, accept yourself as you are, smile at gray days and know that, in the end, you will always find a Helping Hand.

PERSONAL ASSESSMENT

JUSTIFICATION

I found the review of this book by a YouTube channel or a blog and from the moment I saw the synopsis I put it on my list of pending books. I've been wanting to read it for several years but I have not done it so far, I do not know if it was because of laziness or simply because I discovered other books that caught my attention. Recently they have released the movie "Wonder" (original title) based on this book and this is when I decided to read it because I did not want to see it without having read the book before.

PLOT

It deals with a child like any other, but, because of genetics and little luck of destiny was born with Treacher Collins syndrome (craniofacial malformations), for that reason and the multitude of operations through which it has passed along its short life. mother has given her classes and has never been to a school. His parents decide that the time has come to face the biggest challenge they could put August ... go to school. If it is already difficult to go back to a school, imagine how it is for August with its peculiarity, with it you will have to face the children that can sometimes be very cruel and the not so children (that is what annoys me the most).

He also tells us how August loved ones reacted the first time they saw or met him, how that relationship is progressing and how they are learning that not everything is a pretty face.

CHARACTERS

• August: Shy, funny, sincere, loves Halloween, Star Wars ... that's our beloved character, as well as having an amazing family. She lives with her father Nate, a comedian of the family, her mother and teacher Isabel, her sister Olivia or Via (as they call her at home). We will also see what her first year of high school is like with her pluses and minuses, as well as his brother has his own problems, they are all great protectors of him. He also has a dog that they adopted called Daisy and her best friend and sister. This will be his first year of school and he is terrified because he knows how the rest of the world looks at him when he goes down the street, this year he will face the looks of other children, whispers and the people who really want to meet him . He will have to do exhibitions, speak in public, do physical education, sing and even sleep away from home, something he has never done before, without counting when he was admitted after each operation. Throughout the book we will learn with him the true values ​​that we should all have, and most importantly, we should not be prejudiced with anyone.

• Jack Will: He is one of the three children that the director Traseronian summons so that they teach the school to August, next to Charlotte and Julian. He is a common child, like any other, he likes sports very much and he has a brother, he lives with his parents in a flat, besides being the only one who at first inspires confidence in August. Of the three is the one on the first day of school he sits next to him because the director told him, but little by little he realizes that he is a great person, with whom he has a lot of fun besides discovering that even if there is not I've never been to school, it's very smart. Later discover a friction that he and our protagonist have but as expected everything ends well, of these two comes out in a very great friendship.

• Julian: Just like Jack Will is one of the three children that the director Traseronian summons to teach August school. He is the typical posh child who likes to show off everything he has, the money of his parents and his economic position, besides the teachers face is the "ideal" student but then he is a bit of a bastard, I mean, at first it seems very nice with August but little by little he lets go of his physical appearance, until he tries to put the whole school against him and make him empty. As we read the book, we discover that he is just as good a stick as his mother is the same or worse, since he wants August to be thrown for "causing nightmares" with his physical body to his son. As you will see is the character that I hate the most and I hate the most.

• Summer: It's a girl who from the first day sits in the dining room next to August because he felt sorry that he was alone, but little by little they become great friends. Together they form the group "Summer" and only people whose name relates to the summer can sit at the table, but accept anyone after all. I find the friendship that they manage to forge very tender, although there is a moment that August doubts if his friendship is true or because the director Traseronian imposed it on him. She doesn't care about her physical appearance because she knows him more and sees in him a super fun, intelligent and great person.

WRITING STYLE AND ATMOSPHERE

The novel is written in the first person by the character, as the story progresses, the narrators rotate: Olivia, Miranda (best friend of Olivia), Jack Will, Summer ... tell us how they know August and how that relationship develops with him. It is very well narrated and even better written, it describes perfectly what millions of children or adolescents suffer every day in their schools or institutes, either because of their physique or some characteristic that makes them different. School bullying is the order of the day, 100 children 98 are harassed or are harassing, for reasons such as those who hate going to school and later can end serious psychological problems, so I think this novel would have to be required reading in each school, to make visible and try to eradicate those behaviors.

GENERAL COMMENT

What better summary of this wonderful book than a phrase that describes its essence:

"When you can choose between being right and being kind, choose to be nice."

Marta