Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Published by Corgi Books
Release Date: 14th February 2012
My rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
My name is august.
I won't describe what I look like.
Whatever you're thinking,
It's probably worse.
"Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go.
Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?
WONDER is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page."
Wonder is the 35th Book that I've read this year, and I'm surprised it has taken me this long to pick it up and read it - because I absolutely LOVED it. Once I eventually picked this up, I fell in love with August and how real his character was - I loved how his character was portrayed as not being ordinary, and the extent the author went to show this, but in fact how he is just an ordinary child.
August was simply a child who was born with facial defects, who wanted to live a normal life like any other child. He wanted to be able to go to school, to have friends and to learn and grow as a small human being. August knew he was different, but he didn't want to be treated differently just because of how he looked.
This book has the opportunity to change minds, to uplift and empower individuals to step outside of their comfort zone and to be who they are supposed to be. It helps individuals to realise that no matter what you look like, you can be someone and do something, anything, regardless of what others might think of you or say behind your back. You just have to continue to be yourself and whilst you do that, you'll change the people around you.
This book is heart wrenching, uplifting and empowering all at the same time and if you haven't had the opportunity to read it, I recommend getting your hands on it now. You may shed a tear or two, but it will really make you think about how others may be feeling about themselves, and how kindness can be the only thing that matters.
What have you been reading lately? Let me know in the comments, or tweet/facebook me.
Kimberley Jessica
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