A review by n_degeorgia
Wonder by R.J. Palacio

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.75

okay I know this book is super popular and was made into a movie but I still went in wary. You never know with disability representation how it’s going to go. But I think it tackled the themes of recognizing disability without judging it, and what it’s like to grow up as a sibling of a disabled child in a more natural/well flowing narrative than Happiness Falls. But it also just felt very much Jodi Picoult-ish. Not a huge fan of white women writing about trauma and disability they haven’t actually gone through!!! Also my eye TWITCHED every time they /stressed/ the point that Auggie was not a special needs student he JUST has a “facial deformity.” Like if we’re writing about disability acceptance let’s not stomp down people with intellectual disabilities to pull ourselves up??? But still a sweet story overall. I hope that maybe people with no exposure to the disability community at all found this as a safe entry point to warming to the idea that disabled people are people. 
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