nerdyrev's review against another edition
4.0
I will admit that I only know Emma Donoghue from Room. Even though she has written a ton of books, I picked up Room on a whim, read it in December after it was published, and was blown away by it. When I saw The Wonder pop up to request for review*, I knew I wanted to read it.
The Wonder is the story of Lib Wright, who is a nurse under Florence Nightingale's Crimean campaign. She is called to the side of eleven year old Anna who has stopped eating since her birthday, except for a tablespoon of water a day.
Anna quotes scripture, prays regularly, and has become a miracle child in her hometown. People come from as far as the US to come see her. She states that she lives on the manna from heaven.
Lib is there to disprove Anna. She is skeptical, thinks food is being slipped to her secretly, and continues to test Anna in all sorts of ways. What happens though when Lib starts to believe that Anna is the real thing?
I have to write up front that I wasn't blown away by this book, but I also have to write that it may be because I was too hyped up for it. I was perhaps too eager for this book and wanted to devour it, while it is a book that takes its time, and moves slowly. It moves slowly because it needs to build trust and build a relationship between this girl and this nurse.
Even though I wasn't blown away by the book, I still thought it was an incredible read. Once I got used to the pace, I saw a book that explores the tension between science and faith, reason and theology, and the rational and myth with the question- can the two co-exist on the same realm? There seemed to be throw away items about fairies and other mythical creatures, but those topics were there to balance the fantasy and this seemingly real deal fantasy. It was a brilliant move on Donoghue's part.
At this point Donoghue knows her writing voice and is quite comfortable with it. Even though I didn't have much experience with her, one can tell she is an accomplished author. Her writing style was on point and she controlled the pacing of the book, where to slow it down and when to build it up. It was incredibly well written.
My worry is exactly what happened to me. She is now knows for a world renowned book, as well as movie script. She is now a famous author and people will pick up her book because they loved Room. I worry that they will be turned off because it isn't Room 2. Only time will tell on this one.
I gave The Wonder a solid 4 stars.
*I wish to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for allowing me to read this book early. I received it for free in exchange for an honest review.
The Wonder is the story of Lib Wright, who is a nurse under Florence Nightingale's Crimean campaign. She is called to the side of eleven year old Anna who has stopped eating since her birthday, except for a tablespoon of water a day.
Anna quotes scripture, prays regularly, and has become a miracle child in her hometown. People come from as far as the US to come see her. She states that she lives on the manna from heaven.
Lib is there to disprove Anna. She is skeptical, thinks food is being slipped to her secretly, and continues to test Anna in all sorts of ways. What happens though when Lib starts to believe that Anna is the real thing?
I have to write up front that I wasn't blown away by this book, but I also have to write that it may be because I was too hyped up for it. I was perhaps too eager for this book and wanted to devour it, while it is a book that takes its time, and moves slowly. It moves slowly because it needs to build trust and build a relationship between this girl and this nurse.
Even though I wasn't blown away by the book, I still thought it was an incredible read. Once I got used to the pace, I saw a book that explores the tension between science and faith, reason and theology, and the rational and myth with the question- can the two co-exist on the same realm? There seemed to be throw away items about fairies and other mythical creatures, but those topics were there to balance the fantasy and this seemingly real deal fantasy. It was a brilliant move on Donoghue's part.
At this point Donoghue knows her writing voice and is quite comfortable with it. Even though I didn't have much experience with her, one can tell she is an accomplished author. Her writing style was on point and she controlled the pacing of the book, where to slow it down and when to build it up. It was incredibly well written.
My worry is exactly what happened to me. She is now knows for a world renowned book, as well as movie script. She is now a famous author and people will pick up her book because they loved Room. I worry that they will be turned off because it isn't Room 2. Only time will tell on this one.
I gave The Wonder a solid 4 stars.
*I wish to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for allowing me to read this book early. I received it for free in exchange for an honest review.
the_lirerate_owl's review against another edition
2.0
I found this book to be slow-paced and redundant with an anticlimactic ending.
maybekp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Starts to feel redundant halfway through, and becomes predictable. Wasn’t my favorite
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Terminal illness, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape and Incest
lavinderosy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
laurenjpegler's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting historical fiction set in 19th century Ireland. It’s based on Fasting Girls. The plot was quite complex, but it was too far fetched. The plot twists were unexpected like, but it felt a bit comical at times (when Lib was talking to the committee, etc.). Wish there was a bit more Irish history in there!
ktxx22's review against another edition
1.0
I’m gonna have fun at book club tonight with this terrible book. Boring doesn’t even begin to cover it. It’s pages and pages of bedside vigil and nothing significant EVER happens!! The reviews that said the ending was absolutely shocking are a pack of lies. I could have guessed the twist easily and was hoping that in the last little bit space lizards would show up and actually shock me. Alas this is the 2nd book that I have read for this particular book club that was terrible enough to DNF and to deem worthy of a rant review. We had a good run 2018 but 2019 is coming at me hard with this steaming pile of Poop!! 1/5 Hard pass on this unless you have endless hours of time to devote to boring yourself to death. And another strike is Donoghue ties the ending up with a pretty little bow. They all live happily ever after. Literally gag me with a spoon.
sunbleachedflies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
em_1996's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
wanderaven's review against another edition
4.0
There are any number of books out this autumn that I am excited about, but there are actually three in particular that I've been holding my breath for receiving an advanced reading copy from the publisher. The Wonder was one of those three and THANK YOU, Little, Brown and Company!
Donoghue saw a meteoric rise in visibility with the publication (and subsequent movie) of Room, so even if you're not familiar with her, or read any of her books, or even seen the movie you've probably at least heard of that novel. I haven't actually read Room yet, but Donoghue has always been known to me because I read and very much liked one of her early novels, Slammerkin. I've always wanted to read more by her and when I saw the synopsis for this new novel, I was so damn excited.
Although the synopsis may (and does) sound intriguing, you might be inclined to think that it may well not result in a very propelled plot. A young, widowed English nurse is employed to attend to an eleven year old Irish girl who has been fasting, reportedly without ill effect, for more than four months. Lib, however, is not hired to nurse the girl but rather to keep a watch over her for two weeks for any sign of food being surreptitiously slipped to her. So her presence isn't for caring for child but rather for proving or disproving her holiness, to help determine whether this circus is a miracle or a fraud.
But, dear God, it is in fact entirely engrossing and worrisome. At its heart, this novel is a mystery - who or what is killing the child and why? Or is she truly a miracle? And can Lib even do anything about it all, once she realizes the truth of the situation? If you're slightly sharper than I was while reading, you may pick up on some of the clues earlier than I did but I was quite satisfied with the pace at which things were revealed or I came to understand/connect the dots. I enjoyed the outcome quite a lot.
Donoghue has reaffirmed my faith in her writing. Eloquent, insightful, and unnerving, particularly when involving human behavior and motivations. I count The Wonder among my favourite books this year. An aside: the cover is rather gorgeous and, more importantly, absolutely pertinent to the plot.
The Wonder will be released in the United States by Little, Brown and Company this next Tuesday, September 20th.
Donoghue saw a meteoric rise in visibility with the publication (and subsequent movie) of Room, so even if you're not familiar with her, or read any of her books, or even seen the movie you've probably at least heard of that novel. I haven't actually read Room yet, but Donoghue has always been known to me because I read and very much liked one of her early novels, Slammerkin. I've always wanted to read more by her and when I saw the synopsis for this new novel, I was so damn excited.
Although the synopsis may (and does) sound intriguing, you might be inclined to think that it may well not result in a very propelled plot. A young, widowed English nurse is employed to attend to an eleven year old Irish girl who has been fasting, reportedly without ill effect, for more than four months. Lib, however, is not hired to nurse the girl but rather to keep a watch over her for two weeks for any sign of food being surreptitiously slipped to her. So her presence isn't for caring for child but rather for proving or disproving her holiness, to help determine whether this circus is a miracle or a fraud.
But, dear God, it is in fact entirely engrossing and worrisome. At its heart, this novel is a mystery - who or what is killing the child and why? Or is she truly a miracle? And can Lib even do anything about it all, once she realizes the truth of the situation? If you're slightly sharper than I was while reading, you may pick up on some of the clues earlier than I did but I was quite satisfied with the pace at which things were revealed or I came to understand/connect the dots. I enjoyed the outcome quite a lot.
Donoghue has reaffirmed my faith in her writing. Eloquent, insightful, and unnerving, particularly when involving human behavior and motivations. I count The Wonder among my favourite books this year. An aside: the cover is rather gorgeous and, more importantly, absolutely pertinent to the plot.
The Wonder will be released in the United States by Little, Brown and Company this next Tuesday, September 20th.