Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wish every day could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time. Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks.

August "Auggie" Pullman started the fifth grade. This story is about his experience going "mainstream" after being home-schooled. This can be the usual YA/coming-of-age fiction except for the part that Auggie was born with a congenital defect that distorted his face, thus, earning him several rude nicknames from other kids. "Wonder" tells how Auggie faced (no pun intended) the challenges of meeting new people and learning (the hard way) who among those are true friends. We have all gone through that challenge at least once in our lives.

This book is well-written. There are chapters that show other characters' points of view. It's fun to read through them while keeping in mind the personalities of these characters. This story inspiring. Those who have been bullied or judged because of physical appearance can relate to Auggie's experiences. Surprisingly, I was touched by the ending. I didn't expect this book to make me cry, but I guess a little bit of kindness and a lesson on kindness can go a long way.

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