Wonder

Feel good

Heartwarming story about how tough life can be if you're not considered 'normal'. This is the story of August, who has a facial disfigurement, and how he survives his first year at school. The story is told from his point of view, along with the point of view of the peers around him. It's easy to grow to love Augie and by the end of the book the world feels right again!

4 people found this helpful

Very good.

I liked it but there is a sad bit in the story.
Elsie, aged 7.

6 people found this helpful

Replacing one form of ‘othering’ for another

I loved so much about this book but in order to make Augy fully accepted and respected in the story, the author makes the tragic mistake of asserting that he doesn’t have Special Educational Needs (SEN) and in so doing portrays SEN as less than human or lacking in some way (othering).

Special Educational Needs are portrayed very negatively in order to make physical features and differences acceptable. This is such a shame because the messages of overcoming adversity, moral values and internal qualities would be wonderful for all children to access but children with Special Educational Needs may feel hurt and misunderstood by their misrepresentation in this book and perhaps worse, it reinforces negative assumptions about Special Educational Needs for all children reading this text.

What a pity, a book that I could have used in my clinical practice as a psychotherapist to support so many children with their various struggles undoes all the good that it weaves in that one area of utter ignorance.

It aggravates me that the author wasn’t aware that the text could have appealed to and resonated with all children suffering from being seen and treated as different. Instead, with its negative and very ignorant separation between physical difference and SEN, it reinforces negative stereotypes and could further the feelings of difference and inadequacy from which some children already suffer.

2 people found this helpful

good book, but audio sounds odd

good book but a woman speaking in a high gruff voice dont sound like a child

why cant they get children to do childrens voices like in the film, the child actors playing the roles do the monologues as well

have listened to other audio books which child characters voiced by ladies and the sound really good but sadly here it does not

2 people found this helpful

Wonderful (sorry, I had to).

Fantastic book. Amazing voice acting. Incredibly uplifting story, and great characters.
Would definitely recommend this.

2 people found this helpful

Good story- shame about the narrator!

What made the experience of listening to Wonder the most enjoyable?

I loved the fact that it was told by the point of view of different characters. Very interesting

Would you be willing to try another one of the narrators’s performances?

No way! The main character August's narrator had such an annoying voice!! I suggest you listen to the preview first!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No emotional attachment, but it was good. I wouldnt bother to read it again.

Any additional comments?

Not a bad book, just bad readers! The main characters narrator was just terrible - be warned! If you can see past that then give it a go. It has sad moments, happy moments and the story isnt complicated. It just plods along at a good pace.

5 people found this helpful

stunning

loved it from start to finish, everyone needs this book in their lives. absolutely beautiful

4 people found this helpful

cant get past the voice of the reader

personal thing but having listened to hundreds of audible, this is the only one that really bothers me, my husband and my whole family enough that we cant get past a few chapters of what sounds like a nice story. the narrator does a cutsey baby voice that really is unnecessary.

7 people found this helpful

poignant tale of looking beyond the visual.

this was a heart warming tale of overcoming barriers without everyone gushingly becoming the best of friends.

2 people found this helpful

Wonderful! Awesome!

I like this story so so much. It's broke my heart so many times.
Just the Auggie's voice made me feel hard to listen at the beginning, after that I get used to it.
Overall it really good book, deserves more known.