Reading - Wonder, R.J Palacio

I thought that this was a good book. It follows a boy named August (or Auggie) with a facial deformity, through his experiences at school and home life. I would definitely say it is for a younger audience than myself, suiting someone still in school as they would be able to directly relate to the content through their current experiences. The lack of complex language and syntax, and choice of intertexual references (such as Star Wars, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, or Diary of a Wimpy Kid) hinted strongly that this text would appeal more to my brother than me; ultimately to a younger audience.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed an easy read. The time which it is set in the main characters life is a major transition to the world of education. Even growing up without the struggle of a physical impairment can be difficult enough all in our own ways. He also faces the challenge of having to show his face to so many people on a daily basis. As Auggie has had so much treatment and because of his condition, he has never been to school, so it is an entirely new experience. I would definitely say that it has been captured well: I found Auggie relatable as he has been home educated, just like myself. Going to school after being home educated is one hell of a shock, so I very much felt my own thoughts were reflected in the scene in Part One where August first encounters the school children Jack, Julian and Charlotte, and observes their alien mannerisms. For example in the roundabout way that they ask Auggie questions, like when they discuss whether he knows what an eraser is, asking each other first as if he weren't there. From the way that the three squabbled amongst themselves while showing August round the school, to how they ask him if teachers taught him at home if he was home educated – all of it personally rang a bell.

I liked the way that the book is structured: the short chapters with their own heading of the event described, made manageable, bite sized chunks to read. Each of them felt conclusive, so it was easy to pick up where you left off. Then there are eight parts of the book, where each one takes a point of view from a character involved in the story. This way, the narrative is told from alternative stances, slightly overlapping from the previous character to show how the next character saw the situation. This change creates a nice multi-perspective of the key events, making the narrative that little more diverse as the voices shift. I would say that this format is circular to some degree: the final chapter comes back to August's narrative voice, which, for me, created an effective conclusive tone, as it ends with the voice in which it began.