The Wonder of Wonder

Hello again! This post is going to be about one of my favorite books. It is so heart wrenching but has lots of meaning in the plot.

I am going to write about the wonder of ...
Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Wonder's message to all it's readers

August (also known as Auggie), is not an ordinary boy. Deep inside he is, but outside, he is not. His face isn't ordinary. He has Treacher-Collins syndrome which deforms the face. August's parents think that he should go to school instead of home-schooling, beginning in fifth grade. He wonders if he will be able to fit in at school at all. 
He finds out it's much like he expected. All the kids try to ignore August and pass around rumors that you can catch a disease from him. Auggie does make two close friends: Summer, a girl who actually enjoys Auggie for who he is, and Jack. Jack started out as Auggie’s “assigned” friend, and when Auggie finds this out, he and Jack have a falling out. Will Auggie be able to fight his way to the end, or will he be crushed by the prejudice of his enemies?

I strongly recommend this book. The narrator changes every few chapters from August to his sister to a few of his friends. All of the points of view help the reader picture the story more completely. This book is fit for everybody young to old. One thing I didn't like was there were some points of view that I didn't think were necessary, and they slowed the book down. But overall, it was a very enjoyable book. August's story of courage and friendship really melted my heart. The author writes about middle school pretty realistically and how cruel (and how compassionate) kids can be.

What if?

I actually borrowed this book from the library, misreading the title. As you can see in the picture on the left, the font is hard to read. However, my mistake introduced me into a new series. The first book is...

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

One of the many versions of Unwind's covers

The story takes place in a society where unwanted teens ages 13-18 are salvaged for their body parts. Three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them. Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs-- and she isn't talented enough to keep. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religious custom to donate 10% of everything to the church. 

Brought together, they stick together through desperation, and they make a cross-country journey, knowing their lives are in danger. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed, but when they and their bodies are wanted by their society, eighteen seems far away. Will they find a safe sanctuary to stay in?

This book is a must read for those who enjoy science fiction/ fantasy. Unwind is a very touching story. The book has some very important themes that you learn as you read this book.  I would not recommend this to anybody under the age of 10.  This book will make you think and influence your opinions about society in the past, present, and future. I feel the author is relating many details from his story with our world today. 

I think that this book is a satire of the future based on the abortion conflict in our present day society.  The author talks to you in a casual, but well- written style. It is very easy to get lost in the book, look up, and realize, it has been like 5 hours and OMG you were supposed to finish your homework ages ago...
But that didn't happen to me(luckily), so I spend quality time with it over the weekend. There is lots of suspense throughout the book, and kept my eyes glued to the page! 

P.S. The book Unwind is part of the Unwind series. A list of the books can be found here. I have not read them yet, but comments about the whole series are welcome. As always, feel free to include constructive feedback, comments, and/or questions about the books or the blog.

Why do people enjoy fiction?

Recently, I asked myself, "Why do people enjoy reading so much?" Based on my observances, people enjoy books that have the following features:

1. It takes you away and focuses the reader on the characters problems, and away from your own problems
2. A book that has lots of good suspense
3. A resonance that leaves a lasting impression
4. A reader will find something in the book that reminds them of themselves.
5. The readers get to know characters that you feel you can identify with and talk to if they existed in real life.

Thus, I have tried to choose books that will interest readers and fit the standard model for books that young adults/teens will like. So I have included my first post ever(!) also.

My first review is...
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl is a girl that is very different from the average high school student. Students are slow to warm up to her. She is nothing like what they had experienced before. They cannot place her in a certain group, stereotype, or clique, so they shun her are "weird." After she joins the cheer-leading team, she suddenly becomes popular. Leo, the protagonist, begins to think more and more about her. 

Stargirl's message to all her readers

But there is one problem: Stargirl cheers for EVERYONE as a cheerleader. Her school mates completely turn on her after she extends her kindness to the opposing team. Leo must decide who he cares about more: Stargirl, or everyone else/ his reputation. Later on, he begs Stargirl to be the only thing that would destroy her: Normal.

This book was appealing for me because it demonstrates the conflicts in popularity and the importance of being oneself.
Stargirl is the first book in the Stargirl trilogy. Have fun reading!

"She was illusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin went through and away she flew."

~ Leo