kecb12's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was good. There were some interesting questions about celebrity, fame, identity, friendship, and what is "normal." I think the book had some great commentary about people's desire to know and be known. We embrace celebrity culture and tell ourselves that we know about the "real" lives of these people we watch, but I think it reveals a deeper desire to believe that if *they* are worth noticing, then maybe we are, too. There were some issues with the end -- too many plots going on -- and I would also say that there were scenes/characters who weren't developed as clearly as they could have been. This meant that parts of the book had a "surface" quality to them. I can't say that I ended the book feeling like the questions asked had been explored as much as they could have been. But overall, it was a good book.
kieralesley's review against another edition
2.0
This was ok. There was nothing particularly wrong with it and it had some interesting concepts around fame/being looked at vs. being seen/disability but it never really seemed to pull them together into something that I found powerful or interesting. The plot didn't really seem to drive the narrative and the characters lacked depth so I struggled to engage with them. However, it was beautifully written and some of the imagery was stunning.
jem_of_the_brew's review against another edition
4.0
You can also read this review on my blog at: http://oddfeather.co/2015/12/07/review-the-wonders-by-paddy-oreilly/
*this review contains spoilers!*
This is a wonderful book, and I’m not even saying that as a pun: it really is wonderful. O’Reilly’s work explores the notion of being a ‘freak’, a celebrity and a human being. Her characters are vivid, flawed and relatable, their hopes, relationships and lives fragile and fascinating.
After being implanted with an illegal and experimental mechanical heart, Leon is approached by Rhona, a marketing and performance expert, to become part of a trio that will travel the world performing shows. The other two performers are Kathryn, a woman cured of Huntington’s disease and left with the curious side-effect of being covered in black sheep’s wool, and Christos, a performance artist with metal wings implanted in his back. The three become The Wonders, achieving international super-stardom for their ‘uberhuman’ qualities. But fame of this magnitude comes with a price, and a tragic event overshadows their celebrity and fortune; the line between fame and privacy, humanity and inhumanity are soon crossed by both celebrity and fanatic.
This work is overshadowed from the beginning by a sense of foreboding; small clues in Leon’s narration and reflection pre-empt a tragedy brought on by their fame and their difference from others. It is also pre-empted by the presence of circus animals rescued by Rhona who need constant protection from the outside world. Parallels are drawn between the circus animals, who have often suffered cruelly at the hands of trainers and audience members alike, and The Wonders, who are often described as ‘inhuman’ or ‘animals’ by those opposed to them. However, the pre-empted tragic event comes very late in the narrative and is not exactly as expected. In fact there are several events that do not transpire as expected, lending the work a sense of being unfinished, as though it needs another layer to achieve wholeness. The plot binds together, the characters are suitably flawed and whole, so there is no specific complaint to be made, just a sense that something hasn’t quite happened; perhaps an opportunity was missed.
O’Reilly’s writing style is plain and unembellished, her characters and plot pleasingly offbeat and human, and the whole work appropriately satirical. The Wonders is a very enjoyable read, particularly for those interested in the concepts of fame, celebrity, humanity and inhumanity.
*this review contains spoilers!*
This is a wonderful book, and I’m not even saying that as a pun: it really is wonderful. O’Reilly’s work explores the notion of being a ‘freak’, a celebrity and a human being. Her characters are vivid, flawed and relatable, their hopes, relationships and lives fragile and fascinating.
After being implanted with an illegal and experimental mechanical heart, Leon is approached by Rhona, a marketing and performance expert, to become part of a trio that will travel the world performing shows. The other two performers are Kathryn, a woman cured of Huntington’s disease and left with the curious side-effect of being covered in black sheep’s wool, and Christos, a performance artist with metal wings implanted in his back. The three become The Wonders, achieving international super-stardom for their ‘uberhuman’ qualities. But fame of this magnitude comes with a price, and a tragic event overshadows their celebrity and fortune; the line between fame and privacy, humanity and inhumanity are soon crossed by both celebrity and fanatic.
This work is overshadowed from the beginning by a sense of foreboding; small clues in Leon’s narration and reflection pre-empt a tragedy brought on by their fame and their difference from others. It is also pre-empted by the presence of circus animals rescued by Rhona who need constant protection from the outside world. Parallels are drawn between the circus animals, who have often suffered cruelly at the hands of trainers and audience members alike, and The Wonders, who are often described as ‘inhuman’ or ‘animals’ by those opposed to them. However, the pre-empted tragic event comes very late in the narrative and is not exactly as expected. In fact there are several events that do not transpire as expected, lending the work a sense of being unfinished, as though it needs another layer to achieve wholeness. The plot binds together, the characters are suitably flawed and whole, so there is no specific complaint to be made, just a sense that something hasn’t quite happened; perhaps an opportunity was missed.
O’Reilly’s writing style is plain and unembellished, her characters and plot pleasingly offbeat and human, and the whole work appropriately satirical. The Wonders is a very enjoyable read, particularly for those interested in the concepts of fame, celebrity, humanity and inhumanity.
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
One thing humans have failed to evolve past is the desire to gawp at people who are radically different from the norm. Dwarves used to belong to royal courts. Circus freaks travelled around the world. Leon Hyland spent a year in hiding to keep his difference a secret from the people around him. When he gets a call from Rhona Burke and hears her offer to join what is essentially a new-style freak show, Leon's instincts tell him to run. Only her promises that he can back out at any time keep Leon on the hook. The Wonders, by Paddy O'Reilly, is the strange tale of the three members of Rhona's show...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
zara1122's review
3.0
"We're not animals," Leon said.
"We're all animals."
I really liked this book. It's one of those ones were I don't have an overwhelming surge of love for it, but I didn't dislike it. This one just leaves me with an overall positive view, and that's fine. The synopsis sounded cool to me, and I really like reading work by Australian authors.
I appreciated how much it went into the medical side of their oddities, and how real it felt when portraying how people build fame. I did think that the plot thing that happened at the end was really sudden, but I do see how it was there to provide some climax to the story, so I'm not too mad.
"We're all animals."
I really liked this book. It's one of those ones were I don't have an overwhelming surge of love for it, but I didn't dislike it. This one just leaves me with an overall positive view, and that's fine. The synopsis sounded cool to me, and I really like reading work by Australian authors.
I appreciated how much it went into the medical side of their oddities, and how real it felt when portraying how people build fame. I did think that the plot thing that happened at the end was really sudden, but I do see how it was there to provide some climax to the story, so I'm not too mad.
annarocks's review
3.0
I liked it, well enough. Not sure how I felt about the protagonist; I didn't dislike him, but I never warmed up to him, never really sympathized with him at all. I thought it was an interesting premise, and certainly enlighting: the rise to fame, what it does to a normal person, craving adulation, the dangers, and the fall from fame, all the while trying to get along with people. Worth reading.
wtb_michael's review against another edition
3.0
I was left a bit disappointed by this, having gone in with high hopes. The idea is clever and there are thought provoking bits on identity, family, fame and values, but the whole thing never really took flight for me. The characters were flat and their interactions not particularly convincing (particularly the relationship between Leon and Minh), and the plot was unevenly paced. The writing is readable and clear, with some neat descriptive flashes. I like the O'Reilly is trying to tackle some big ideas, but I really wanted to care more about the story that she was hanging the ideas off.
pyrrhicspondee's review
2.0
This book could have been very good. Sadly, it was superficial and I never really understood any of the characters and just . . . nothing happened. Like, the book isn't there.
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