Wonder follows 10-year-old August Pullman, a boy born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a syndrome that causes severe facial deformities. Due to his 27 surgeries ever since his birth, August’s mother homeschools him to take some of the stress away from all the medical procedures. However, his parents enroll him in a private school to have more childhood experiences without his knowledge. Reluctant at first, August ends up deciding to attend 5th grade at the school despite all his worries and anxieties. The rest of the story follows August at his new school making friendships, experiencing ableism, and doing his best to have a normal school experience.
Palacio does a wonderful job with her writing style in this book as it is mostly written from the perspective of 10-14 year-olds. It is often considered that a child’s perspective is one of the hardest to make sound believable in writing, however, Palacio makes it realistic and child-like. I am someone who does not have visible disabilities so I had a hard time forming an opinion on whether Augusts Treacher Collins Syndrome was written with accuracy and with care. Palacio herself does not have any visible disabilities either, but it seemed to me that it was well researched and handled with respect. After doing some research on the matter, many critics with visible disabilities argued that while it was well researched, August's syndrome was often downplayed and one critic even argues that August was used as a prop to teach others around him how to be compassionate.
Of course, all these arguments are valid and it is a book that will genuinely spring compassion onto the reader for the main character. The first time I read this book, I was the same age as the protagonist and I really enjoyed it but as I read it when I’m older, I think about how vain the world can be at times. This book really teaches you that discrimination based on your features is real and frustrating because how is one supposed to change the fundamental features one was born with? It’s a beautiful book that will make the reader teary-eyed some moments and laughing in the next. I think everyone should read this book at least once, there is a reason why it’s a modern-day classic