ADRINEDA, PAULINE D.

Understanding the Self

BSMA 1-3 Ms. Lorraine Charmayne S. Manansala

BOOK REVIEW

After I finished reading the book called “Wonder” (in which my friend suggested to

be the subject of my book review), it’s hard not to be inspired and refreshed with its story

and with the lessons it portrays. It is indeed a very simple but life-changing novel enough

to catch the hearts of the readers. “Wonder” is a New York Times bestseller children’s

heart-felt novel written by Raquel Jaramillo, under the pen name of R. J. Palacio,

published on February 14, 2012. According to the author, she was inspired to write

“Wonder” after an incident where her son noticed a girl with a severe facial deformity and

then started to cry. She wrote the novel in a way that it gives a very realistic look at what

other people’s reality feels like and does great job in showing the different perspectives

of her characters which made an impact for the book to be more memorable and uplifting

for those who will read it.

“Wonder” follows the incredible story of a ten-year-old boy named August Pullman

who longs to look normal like everyone else. But being born with a facial deformity and

after going into 27 surgeries, it made people see him in a way that is different from others

as it is said in the introduction of the book, "My name is August. I won't describe what

I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it’s probably worse”. The book goes on to tell

the challenges that Auggie faces everyday living his unordinary life. It focuses especially
in him going to middle school at Beecher Prep after his parents decided to stop

homeschooling and convinced him to try and explore the world outside their doors. With

pure courage and high hopes, Auggie together with the support of his parents whom love

him so much and his sister, Via, struggles in order for people to see the beauty in him

and to be accepted in this world not because of his looks but with his personality that

make him unique. The author did a great job in showing how Auggie’s character changes

as well as the people that is mentioned in the story. She carved his character with the

utmost precision, creating an inspiring and strong ten-year-old kid whom the readers will

truly love for. She also gives a succeeding sections in the book that is told by her older

sister, Via, how she encourages Auggie when she said “You can’t blend in when you

were born to stand out” and supported Auggie despite of having problems of her own

and also includes the different point of view of some other kids in Beecher Prep like Jack

Will who soon became Auggie’s bestfriend and realizes how great he is inside and out as

he said “Like, if all the guys in fifth grade were lined up against a wall and I got to

choose anyone I wanted to hang out with, I would choose August”.

The concept of this book is somehow engaging and is written well for a kid to be

able to understand and attain such wonderful life lessons. Even though it tackles some

rare issues about how our society really works for people who has the same syndrome

like Auggie or those who suffers to such disabilities, Palacio managed to convey her

message in a light but with depth scenarios that is suited for the prevailing mood of the

book. You’ll find yourself laughing periodically as it includes funny remarks from the

characters and then the next thing you’ll end up crying for how tough the story gets and

how amazing the characters surpasses all of those obstacles. Palacio really knew how to
pull the readers emotions out of each pages. I love how she unveil the different

perspectives of the characters and display how each one of them undergo through a life-

changing paces. I really think that it worked well with the development of the plot of the

story because each voice contributed something bigger in shaping Auggie’s character

and life experiences. I’ve felt its purpose of entertaining us readers and make use of it to

tell stories and lessons just like what Mr. Tushman said in the last part of the book,

“Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us

as human being and propel us, on occasion, to greatness” and that’s true because

the sense of love and kindness will always prevail and this will let you be filled with

inspiration and appreciation for all the good things the world can offer us.

One thing about this book that also touched my heart is that the fact that it is written

as a children’s book but the message it conveys is more than that of a children’s book,

thus it creates a great impact for adults, too. Everyone who read this could possibly say

that it is matured enough but the maturity of the content is precise for such young readers

to easily understand the meaning of the novel. I remember Mr. Browne’s September

Precept which is “When given the choice between being Right or being Kind, Choose

Kind” which I really think is the central lesson that boils down to simply always “Be Kind”.

Palacio herself called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” and it has been the

book’s greatest strength in which the story revolves around. Somehow the book highlights

the cruelty of people’s actions, bred from ignorance and fear and how it greatly affects

other people. Personally, I really believed that R.J. Palacio used writing as a tool for being

an eye-opener for the sad reality we are in today. She wanted us to realized that

something is missing in each and every one of us and through the inspiring story of a boy
who overcome his fears and showed how strong he is as he tried to make the world

accept him, she’d be able to deliver the lesson she wants the world to remember and that

is to always let Kindness reigns. We often forget to be kind especially in this world we are

living right now, where a lot of people is suffering from depression, where dreams are

shattered into pieces and where pain, anger, fear and chaos exists. That’s why Palacio

wrote “Wonder” with an overflowing valuable messages such as the strength of friendship,

the love of your family, the benefits of loyalty and courage, the consequences of your

actions and that true beauty cannot be found from the outside, hence, it can only be found

on the inside in order for her to have the chance to inspire everyone who will be able to

read this especially the youth, our future generation, to never forget the importance of

Kindness as the quote said “Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be

kind. One should be kinder than needed” because sometimes true kindness is the only

thing essential for everyone to be able to live happily as well as learning how to live with

empathy, compassion and thoughtfulness can make everything lighter and brighter.