Tag: disability

Book Review: Wonder

During what are already some of the toughest years of human development, Auggie faces the additional challenge of being labelled “different” because of a craniofacial abnormality.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Another author recommended I read this charming middle grade book, and I was pleased the library had it available right away.

Description

After years of home schooling, August will attend fifth grade at a private school. All he wants is to be accepted for the Star Wars-loving Xbox champion he is, but he was born with a facial abnormality he describes as “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.” Can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them?

Characters

Smart, funny, and just the right amount of quirky, “Auggie” stole my heart from the first page. He takes everything in stride and is quick to forgive, as children often are. Adults could learn a few things from him.

The story follows Auggie’s journey through the fifth grade, but it rotates perspectives to include his family members, friends, and even his sister’s boyfriend. Auggie’s situation affects all of them in different ways, and each character presents an honest account of their experiences.

I love that the author didn’t overdramatize everything. Even the “villains” behave like normal human beings you’d expect to meet on the street. As I read, I kept thinking, “Yep, I’ve met parents like that.” This book isn’t a soap opera; nor is it a portal to another dimension. It’s a mirror, and I saw myself reflected in every character, even when they didn’t respond as they should.

Plot

Auggie faces all the typical middle-school trials: making new friends, misunderstanding said friends, dealing with bullies . . . even a trip away from home. These trials, however, are exacerbated by his situation, which brings out the best, and worst, in his classmates.

Writing Style

Palacio writes with a clean, simple style in short chapters appropriate for a middle grade audience. Each perspective character is unique, and she makes some additional stylistic choices (like not capitalizing) to add further distinction. The book was partially inspired by a song, so the author sprinkled song lyrics and quotations throughout the prose.

Conclusion

During what are already some of the toughest years of human development, Auggie faces the additional challenge of being labelled “different.” This heartwarming story relates the trials he overcomes as well as the effect he has on others. Auggie may be an ordinary kid on the inside, but the impact he has on his family, classmates, and the school staff make him a true wonder. A quick, charming read, I would recommend Wonder for all ages.

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Wonder

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Stuck in Neutral

Another story that portrays realistic attitudes and questions surrounding complicated circumstances. Review pending.

Say What You Will

Review pending.

Out of My Mind

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Book Review: The Running Dream

I was searching for a different book when I stumbled upon this one, and I’m glad I did.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

I was searching for a different book when I stumbled upon this one, and I’m glad I did.

Book Description

Jessica awakens from a morphine-induced haze to pain in her leg, or what used to be her leg. After surviving an accident that killed one of her teammates, doctors had to amputate her leg below the knee to save her life. She’s alive, but she may never again do what makes her feel most alive: run.

As Jessica adapts to life as an amputee, she clings to the dream that she may walk—and even run—again, but an insurance conflict hampers the family finances. While her track teammates try to make her impossible dream a reality, a new friend, Rosa, helps her with another impossibility—catching up in math.

Rosa’s life with Cerebral Palsy gives Jessica a new perspective on her disability, on feeling simultaneously in the spotlight and invisible. As Jessica continues her rehab, she decides crossing the finish line is no longer enough. This time, she wants to take Rosa with her.

Characters

The first-person narration allows readers to experience Jessica’s ups and downs as she recovers. Her initial dejection is understandable, and her insecurities are relatable. The strength and determination she eventually finds propel the story.

While Jessica is three-dimensional and relatable, the remaining cast members are underdeveloped. The story hinges on her relationship with Rosa, but other than learning she is good at math, we learn little about her.

Rosa wants to be seen as more than her disability, but we never learn about her hopes and dreams for the future. Unlike Jessica, we don’t experience her ups and downs. She is never discouraged. She never has a bad day or throws a tantrum or makes a mistake. Instead, she serves as a constant source of support and inspiration, more like a shining light seen from a distance than a real person.

In the author’s defense, all the characters are slimly developed, but Rosa is especially disappointing, because Rosa supposedly changes Jessica’s outlook on life. I would have liked their friendship to have been more developed.

Plot

The author sacrificed character development in favor of sticking to a concise, quick-paced plot. I read the entire book in an afternoon, and while I found the storyline moving, I didn’t connect with the characters enough for it to matter.

The plot follows Jessica’s initial adjustment to becoming an amputee, her recovery and adaptation to using a prosthetic, and her inspiration from Rosa. In the beginning, even mundane tasks are huge barriers, but after her initial recovery, things flow smoothly. Too smoothly for my tastes. Her track teammates and classmates are super supportive, and she doesn’t encounter much resistance from any of her teachers either. Everyone is eager to help, which I suppose makes sense, but it gives the cast a kumbaya feel.

Writing Style

In keeping with the tight plot and fast pacing, the author writes in short but effective sentences. Seems fitting for a novel about a track star.

Conclusion

I love that this book emphasizes the power of friendship rather than focusing on disability. Yes, Jessica completes an incredible journey, but the real power of the story is how her friends, teammates, and townsfolk inspire and support one another. I wish the characters had been more developed so that I could truly enjoy their victories, but overall, I loved the book.

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The Running Dream

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Wonder

Review pending, but a great, multiple-perspective story if you like middle grade fiction.

Say What You Will

Review pending, but I liked how this YA book extended into life after high school.

Out of My Mind

*The above links are Amazon Associate links, meaning that I earn a small

Book Review: A Funny Kind of Paradise

Though I’m a loyal library patron and rarely spend money on books, when I spotted the Bookbub feature deal for this, I had to scoop it up!

A Funny Kind of Paradise by Jo Owens

Though I’m a loyal library patron and rarely spend money on books, when I spotted the Bookbub feature deal for this, I had to scoop it up!

Description

After a lifetime of single motherhood and entrepreneurship, Francesca has earned a peaceful retirement, but when a massive stroke leaves her totally dependent on others, her freedom seems lost.

Though unable to speak and partially paralyzed, Francesca maintains her sharp wit and sharper opinions. Unable to communicate with the living, she speaks her mind to her long-lost friend, Anna. Amidst the indignities of sponge baths and diaper changes, Francesca is surprised to discover that she wants to live. The magnificent magnolia tree outside her window and the dramas of the rotating crew of personal care attendants keep her invested in life. Within the misery of the dying, she finds flashes of hilarity and joy.

As she reflects on her experiences to Anna, she can’t help drawing connections to her past choices, her past mistakes. For once, she can’t hide in work. She must reconcile with herself, her son, and with the daughter who never listened.

Character

Francesca is a fantastically deep character whose responses to life’s challenges shaped her life in ways she could only recognize once her stroke forced her to slow down. At once sharp and caring, bitter and remorseful, stubborn and compassionate, Francesca captures the entire range of the human experience, all while remaining consistent with her own personality.

The other characters—her children, her care aides, the other patients—make for a delightfully quirky and diverse cast. Since Francesca cannot speak, her care aides confide in her, and she learns to care for them as much as they do her.

Plot

This book is about as far from a plot-driven storyline as possible. Some may argue it has no plot, but the story melds Francesca’s reflections on her past with her investment in her care aides’ lives. If you’re looking for a goal-driven, action-packed story, look elsewhere, but I felt the drama and gradually revealed backstory was enough to pull me through the book.

Writing Style

Owens writes with the same pragmatism as her character—no lofty descriptions, but not blunt either. Overall, the prose flows well and the book is well edited.

Miscellaneous

The author worked in an extended care facility, and her experience shines through the story. She acknowledges the slight inaccuracies in her portrayal, and as someone who has worked in such a facility, I concur. For example, most modern facilities are trending toward private rooms, and the care aides wouldn’t discuss other patients around Francesca. What inaccuracies there are, however, serve the story well. I think they were necessary, and I will happily allow the author creative license in this case.

Conclusion

A Funny Kind of Paradise is a heart-warming and heart-breaking story of one woman’s coming terms with her past as she prepares for the end of life. Owens provides readers with an inside look into life in an extended care facility—the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it.

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A Funny Kind of Paradise

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Read My Review

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