How do you describe a book like Wonder?
Auggie Pullman was born with a severe facial deformity. This book is about his fifth grade year, his first time in public school. It's told from several different perspectives--his, his sister's, some of his classmates, etc.
I listened to this on audio, and it was really well done, so I don't know what a regular reading experience of this would be. I'm glad I listened, though, because when Auggie talks, you listen. He starts the story, and as he describes what it's like to live in his body, I couldn't help but think back to times when perhaps I wasn't as kind or as sensitive as I could have been. You almost feel guilty that he has to live with this, and you don't.
And then his sister Via begins to tell her side of the story, and while you still feel for Auggie, you feel for her, too. You suddenly feel, well, like she lets you off the hook a little. Via is my favorite. When she started talking about the Punnett square, and calculating the odds that her own children might one day have Auggie's health problems, then casually mentions that she won't be having any, I almost lost it.
With each different voice, the reader gets to experience the emotion of Auggie's condition from another perspective, and it's really magical. This story is a celebration of a parent's unconditional love for a child, the power of simple kindness, and a reminder that life's biggest blessings don't alway come packaged as expected. Everyone should read this book.
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