2026 REREAD:
WELCOME TO OCTOBER MAGICA!
The end is nigh.
Of the main series, that is.
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 3' is an imperfectly adapted and retold manga version of episodes 9-12 of the original 'Madoka Magica' anime. There are more details, more character interactions, that are cut out or watered down. Characters who aren't magical girls are underdeveloped. And there are a few new things added, which I won't reveal due to spoilers (like how Homura's hairstyle changes three times...).
Whenever I think of the similarities and differences between the anime and the manga, I turn back to what is said in the Afterword of 'Vol. 3', placed before the twelfth and final chapter, 'My Very Best Friend': 'I'm sure this volume has a lot for you to complain about, but please look at it with a forgiving heart... As always, the story is being told at the same breakneck pace, but because of a decision to increase the page count (thank you, editorial department!), I was finally able to draw the way I wanted to and add things I had imagined from the start.' [...] 'The manga version of Madoka Magica is not really a comic adaptation of the anime, but rather became a derivation of the scripts instead. It would make me happy if the readers who watched the anime also read this and decided this wasn't a bad depiction of the story.' [...] 'Maybe you can think of it as two parallel but different universes.'
Though the Afterword also seems to suggest that, paradoxically, manga Kyubey does have emotions - 'His eye colors change with his sentiments, but when he does have feelings, they don't reflect in his face.'. This it is the exact opposite and antithesis of his character and his entire species, so... what's that about?
But regardless, however it is told, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' is a great, fantastically written story, with a sad, beautiful, triumphant and satisfactory ending. The fact that it is about magical girls should never, ever negate that. For such a story to exist with female leads at all is a triumph and a miracle all on its own.
It's no 'Sailor Moon', and it was never supposed to be. And even 'Sailor Moon' has its hopeful yet grim and despairing (though not nearly as cynical and depressing) merits, for humanity to take heed of, and take to heart.
Madoka teaming up with Kyouko close to the finale is brilliant, and whether alone or together - as friends forever - both Madoka and Homura are the most magnificent characters - glorious, outstanding - transcending the magical girl genre, and even fiction in general. Always. Forever.
The two girls are iconic. I love them. The same goes for the other magical girls, to a slightly lesser extent, but who are no less worthy of love and respect. Rejoice, and despair for them!
Madoka and Homura are opposites in so many ways, but are the best, yet most tragic, of friends. Beyond space, time, and reality as they know it...
Amazing. Perfection.
It's a shame that, like all popular franchises, 'Madoka Magica' cannot be left well enough alone as its own special, completed story that exists, to be enjoyed for generations; it has to keep continuing, no matter what, even when it doesn't make sense, even when nobody asks for it, in every medium - as a product, as content, in a neverending corporate chugging machine...
Capitalism is the truest curse of all.
So is the patriarchy, which exists in tandem with capitalism.
Love the OG 2011 anime, and really like and appreciate the manga. With its thought-provoking themes, and spectacular, complex, thee-dimensional female characters.
The next 'Madoka' manga I'll be taking another look at is... a different story.
"They're saying that it's a mistake to embrace hope. I want to show them that they're wrong. And I'll repeat it as many times as it takes. I'll keep saying it forever."
"So now I understand everything. Every little bit, even how you gave your all for me, Homura-chan!" [...] "All those times you were driven to tears and all the countless scars... But still you kept fighting, just for my sake... Here I had this extremely precious friend... And I never even realized it. I'm sorry!"
"[...] magical girls are those who have their hopes and dreams come true! So it's possible that a tiny miracle might happen."
"Don't forget. Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you.
As long as you remember her, you are not alone."
Happy October Magica, everyone.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
And now that the true nature of Magical Girls is revealed, Kyuubey has his nightmare face on every panel he's in.
Great ending to a great series. There were things in this manga that I didn't think about when I watched the anime - it highlighted certain ideas and expressed new themes!
The characters truly shine here and it's amazing to see how far they will go to achieve what they want. The sacrifices made are genuinely tragic; I adore these magical but human girls.
And I've come to accept that not every panel is going to imitate the anime, because the artwork and the emotion put into it is heart-wrenching all on its own.
I also have to talk about a certain trope that relates to 'Madoka Magica' in regards to feminism:
Too often in movies, TV series and books, whenever a woman or a girl-becoming-a-woman is made powerful and is supposedly highly intelligent, it is a mandatory rule that she must go insane. She can't keep so much mental and emotional responsibility under control without a man by her side. I think this stems from a misogynistic world viewpoint that females can't handle adulthood - they must stay innocent and pure and young, so that men can protect them always (after all, to call a grown woman a girl is considered a compliment mostly, whilst calling a man a boy is widely seen as an insult). Also, this implies that men are not allowed to be emotional - or heck, human - in mainstream culture.
Without giving away spoilers, 'Madoka Magica' does present this trope... kind of. But in the case of this franchise it actually makes sense - to the concept and the plot. Besides, as it contains an abundance of three-dimensional female characters who are strong in their own way, a slip-up like this is easily forgivable. To me anyway.
Full of twists and turns and inevitable outcomes, I got teary-eyed all over again. 'Madoka Magica' is brilliantly-written, thought-provoking and beautiful.
A dark and perfect Magical Girl story.
Final Score: 5/5
Monday, 30 September 2013
Manga Review - 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 2' by Magica Quartet, Hanokage
2026 REREAD:
WELCOME TO OCTOBER MAGICA!
'She will not know yet if this encounter is a mere coincidence or a necessity.
Which would be an encounter that will change her destiny.'
We are continuing October Magica, with the second volume of the manga adaptation of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
It is a solid and action-packed adaptation. A little less truncated than the first volume, and the artwork has improved, most notably in the characters' facial expressions. Everybody is deeply, tragically human...
They all play their parts to perfection, especially Kyouko, in her explosive, proper introduction.
It's kind of a shame that Madoka's family gets sidelined and shortchanged in this manga, in favour of all the magical girl stuff (and Kyousuke and Hitomi). Her awesome mother, Junko, isn't given nearly enough attention. And I swear her little brother Tatsuya (who doesn't appear in this volume) has been aged up a few years, when in the anime he is a toddler.
The darkness and ulterior motives - and the writing and art showing their true hand - are rising to the surface now. This cannot be denied once the true nature of magical girls' soul gems is revealed at the end of the sixth chapter. It all reaches its peak by the end of the eighth... and that nightmarish final page.
It's the highest of stakes, that are internal as well as external. Threats are everywhere; sometimes in plain site, sometimes behind a cute, skittish, kitty-ish face (kittish may be a word I'd make up here).
These poor girls. Far too young to be put into situations such as these, with so much burden, responsibility, and pain and numbness (linked).
Yet they are at the exact right age to be naïve about the world, and still potentially useful; therefore they can be taken advantage of, for anyone's means...
Who see them as just as disposable.
There are so many layers of the damn patriarchy that can be read in 'Madoka'.
Stay tuned for the third and final volume of the main series.
Happy October Magica.
"[Sayaka] has a sweet and brave side that's willing to do just about anything when it's for somebody she cares about!"
"That could be fatal for a magical girl. Too much of that sort of kindness leads to mistakes. Those who are reckless let their guard down. And there is no reward given for self-sacrifice."
"Why can't you realize that there would be people who'd cry if you were to vanish!? What do you think would happen to someone who's been trying to protect you!?"
"In the end, what was so important? What was I trying so hard to protect? I don't really know... anything about anything anymore.
You know what you said about hope and despair coming out to a zero-sum game? It's only now that I've figured that out. It's true that I've managed to save a number of people's lives... but the same amount of hatred and spite has filled my heart. I've even hurt the friend I love the most... If you're praying for somebody else's happiness, you have to curse somebody else the same degree. That's the whole setup for us magical girls, huh?
What an... idiot I am!"
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
"With kindness comes naïveté. Courage becomes foolhardiness. And dedication has no reward. If you can't accept any of that, you are not fit to be a Magical Girl."
The second volume of the 'Madoka Magica' manga covers episodes 5 - 8 of the anime. Here we get to know Kyouko Sakura, and explore Sayaka Miki's reflections and devastation. And just who is Homura Akemi? The stakes get higher, and the truth about Magical Girls is revealed.
It misses a star because I felt that it did not manage to cover the little but important details - both in the narrative and the art. But I still enjoyed this, and I can't wait to read the third and final volume.
Also, that last page will give me nightmares.
Final Score: 4/5
WELCOME TO OCTOBER MAGICA!
'She will not know yet if this encounter is a mere coincidence or a necessity.
Which would be an encounter that will change her destiny.'
We are continuing October Magica, with the second volume of the manga adaptation of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
It is a solid and action-packed adaptation. A little less truncated than the first volume, and the artwork has improved, most notably in the characters' facial expressions. Everybody is deeply, tragically human...
They all play their parts to perfection, especially Kyouko, in her explosive, proper introduction.
It's kind of a shame that Madoka's family gets sidelined and shortchanged in this manga, in favour of all the magical girl stuff (and Kyousuke and Hitomi). Her awesome mother, Junko, isn't given nearly enough attention. And I swear her little brother Tatsuya (who doesn't appear in this volume) has been aged up a few years, when in the anime he is a toddler.
The darkness and ulterior motives - and the writing and art showing their true hand - are rising to the surface now. This cannot be denied once the true nature of magical girls' soul gems is revealed at the end of the sixth chapter. It all reaches its peak by the end of the eighth... and that nightmarish final page.
It's the highest of stakes, that are internal as well as external. Threats are everywhere; sometimes in plain site, sometimes behind a cute, skittish, kitty-ish face (kittish may be a word I'd make up here).
These poor girls. Far too young to be put into situations such as these, with so much burden, responsibility, and pain and numbness (linked).
Yet they are at the exact right age to be naïve about the world, and still potentially useful; therefore they can be taken advantage of, for anyone's means...
Who see them as just as disposable.
There are so many layers of the damn patriarchy that can be read in 'Madoka'.
Stay tuned for the third and final volume of the main series.
Happy October Magica.
"[Sayaka] has a sweet and brave side that's willing to do just about anything when it's for somebody she cares about!"
"That could be fatal for a magical girl. Too much of that sort of kindness leads to mistakes. Those who are reckless let their guard down. And there is no reward given for self-sacrifice."
"Why can't you realize that there would be people who'd cry if you were to vanish!? What do you think would happen to someone who's been trying to protect you!?"
"In the end, what was so important? What was I trying so hard to protect? I don't really know... anything about anything anymore.
You know what you said about hope and despair coming out to a zero-sum game? It's only now that I've figured that out. It's true that I've managed to save a number of people's lives... but the same amount of hatred and spite has filled my heart. I've even hurt the friend I love the most... If you're praying for somebody else's happiness, you have to curse somebody else the same degree. That's the whole setup for us magical girls, huh?
What an... idiot I am!"
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
"With kindness comes naïveté. Courage becomes foolhardiness. And dedication has no reward. If you can't accept any of that, you are not fit to be a Magical Girl."
The second volume of the 'Madoka Magica' manga covers episodes 5 - 8 of the anime. Here we get to know Kyouko Sakura, and explore Sayaka Miki's reflections and devastation. And just who is Homura Akemi? The stakes get higher, and the truth about Magical Girls is revealed.
It misses a star because I felt that it did not manage to cover the little but important details - both in the narrative and the art. But I still enjoyed this, and I can't wait to read the third and final volume.
Also, that last page will give me nightmares.
Final Score: 4/5
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Wicked: The Grimmerie' by David Cote, Stephen Schwartz, Joan Marcus, Winnie Holzman
Informative, colourful, pretty, brilliant. A bit dated for 2005, but that shouldn't matter in the least, not for any fan of 'Wicked'.
And I am a HUGE fan of 'Wicked'. I love the songs, the characters, the story, the set pieces. I love it as much as 'The Wizard of Oz', the movie. I went to see it with my family in London on my 21st birthday. Best day ever.
Even children and adults who don't like Broadway shows love Wicked (including my dad), and it's not hard to see why. Its appeal is universal, because it contains universal themes - such as loneliness, friendship, dictatorship, corruption, love, and wanting to be accepted by everyone. And it looks awesome. It has true magical power.
I don't like to use the word "perfect" often, but I am sure Wicked is the perfect musical.
It's funny, because I am definitely NOT a fan of the original book by Gregory Maguire, even though I read it before I saw the stage show. It is my opinion that the musical FAR exceeds the book in almost every way - particularly with character motivations, explanations (something a prequel to an existing work should have), heart and passion, and just being a better structured story. The book was too soulless for me; that the musical fixes this further proves that it is a magical miracle. However I know that I can't really hate the original source material since the Broadway show wouldn't exist without it.
So back to 'The Grimmerie': it is a precious possession for any 'Wicked' fan. The section 'Fan Letters' especially touched me, as it shows what a huge effect 'Wicked' has had on different people.
It will continue to have an impact throughout many generations.
'Wicked: The Grimmerie' - I prefer this book to Maguire's, I'm afraid. It is wonderful. It made me sentimental. It reminds me of why I love musicals.
A great companion to a show that has changed people's lives for the good.
Final Score: 5/5
And I am a HUGE fan of 'Wicked'. I love the songs, the characters, the story, the set pieces. I love it as much as 'The Wizard of Oz', the movie. I went to see it with my family in London on my 21st birthday. Best day ever.
Even children and adults who don't like Broadway shows love Wicked (including my dad), and it's not hard to see why. Its appeal is universal, because it contains universal themes - such as loneliness, friendship, dictatorship, corruption, love, and wanting to be accepted by everyone. And it looks awesome. It has true magical power.
I don't like to use the word "perfect" often, but I am sure Wicked is the perfect musical.
It's funny, because I am definitely NOT a fan of the original book by Gregory Maguire, even though I read it before I saw the stage show. It is my opinion that the musical FAR exceeds the book in almost every way - particularly with character motivations, explanations (something a prequel to an existing work should have), heart and passion, and just being a better structured story. The book was too soulless for me; that the musical fixes this further proves that it is a magical miracle. However I know that I can't really hate the original source material since the Broadway show wouldn't exist without it.
So back to 'The Grimmerie': it is a precious possession for any 'Wicked' fan. The section 'Fan Letters' especially touched me, as it shows what a huge effect 'Wicked' has had on different people.
It will continue to have an impact throughout many generations.
'Wicked: The Grimmerie' - I prefer this book to Maguire's, I'm afraid. It is wonderful. It made me sentimental. It reminds me of why I love musicals.
A great companion to a show that has changed people's lives for the good.
Final Score: 5/5
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Avenue Q: The Book' by Zachary Pincus-Roth, Carol Rosegg (Photographer)
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
I adore 'Avenue Q', so naturally I enjoyed reading about what went on behind the scenes (I always want to know the behind-the-scenes of everything, but that's beside the point).
I saw the Broadway show for my performing arts course a few years ago. It's an ingenious adult take on Sesame Street, about the perils of growing up compared to how simple life was for everyone when they're a kid.
Political incorrectness has never looked less meanspirited. That's what I love about 'Avenue Q' - it's genuinely clever and hilarious, with a lot of heart thrown in with the "it's so true" sense of humour. The songs are really catchy as well, as performed by puppets!
The book is as colourful and funny as the characters in the show. My one gripe is the cover material. While it's a cute idea, it's so messy! I can't take it out of the plastic wrapping that came with it without the fur getting everywhere.
But the inside is informative and humorous. I could tell that everyone involved in the production of 'Avenue Q' had fun whilst putting it on Broadway for the first time.
It was a risk that paid off.
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
I adore 'Avenue Q', so naturally I enjoyed reading about what went on behind the scenes (I always want to know the behind-the-scenes of everything, but that's beside the point).
I saw the Broadway show for my performing arts course a few years ago. It's an ingenious adult take on Sesame Street, about the perils of growing up compared to how simple life was for everyone when they're a kid.
Political incorrectness has never looked less meanspirited. That's what I love about 'Avenue Q' - it's genuinely clever and hilarious, with a lot of heart thrown in with the "it's so true" sense of humour. The songs are really catchy as well, as performed by puppets!
The book is as colourful and funny as the characters in the show. My one gripe is the cover material. While it's a cute idea, it's so messy! I can't take it out of the plastic wrapping that came with it without the fur getting everywhere.
But the inside is informative and humorous. I could tell that everyone involved in the production of 'Avenue Q' had fun whilst putting it on Broadway for the first time.
It was a risk that paid off.
Final Score: 4/5
Book Review - 'Croak' by Gina Damico
2021 EDIT: 'Croak' is a very funny, yet tragic and gory, and imaginative YA fantasy book. The very premise of a teenage Grim Reaper is still great.
Unfortunately, like many of my rereads this year, I've spotted more than a few problems with it, that I somehow missed on my first read (was I doused in that black widow spider silk, Amnesia, too?).
The ableist R-word is said twice - this is a 2012 book, there is no excuse. Most of the characters are fun, hilarious and endearing, although they are petty, catty, jealous, childish, territorial and conservative people (the main, important characters who get the most page time are also white). Plus it feels like the author was trying too hard to make them like 'Buffy' archetypes, and the snarky humour isn't always placed in the most suitable and appropriate situations. I don't understand why Lex, the hardened and cynical loner protagonist, would fall in love with Croak and feel like she belongs there and gets along with everyone, when most of the time she is treated like a suspicious outsider, a freak, and eventually a criminal suspect.
There's the implication that murder is the absolute worst thing that a human can do - that makes them "real monsters" - and that rape and even child molestation belong in the same category of crimes as theft and fraud. A child abuse victim is vilified. 'Croak' is no stranger to un-self-aware girl-on-girl hate over a boy, feminine shaming, and slut shaming, either. Nor is it above perpetuating, unconsciously or not, stereotypical nuclear family dynamics (Lex's father is cool, calm, collected and reasonable, and her mother is fretful, overbearing, and bakes cookies. SERIOUSLY?)
Then there's the romance: I was not into it this time. It has nothing to do with how Lex and Driggs literally, physically hurt each other at the beginning - in fact, between these two OTT hotheads in a story and setting like this, with a tone like this, it actually comes across as legitimately funny - and their banter is witty and creative most of the time. It's just that their constant bickering and hostility towards one another can get too much after a while. Even boring and predictable. The biggest damage of all is when Driggs calls Lex an abomination and a freak (page 201), and had clearly thought that of her (and thought her to be dangerous and untrustworthy) throughout the rest of the book; this explosive deliverance comes right before the two think about making out for the first time, and Driggs never apologises to Lex, as far as I remember. Also, it is revealed at the very end that he is a creepy stalker, and always had been. Effing wonderful. I seriously don't buy that they are true, loving soulmates.
I hate Ferbus. He's a pillock. A gigantic prick. A useless, hypocritical wannabe Ron Weasley, with nary the same charm, humour, and courage. And I'm quite disappointed that he will never in this series come out of that closet he is so obviously in, where he suffocates in Narnia.
Some padding and meandering from the murder mystery plot is present throughout the middle and near the end, as well.
I just don't think I want to revisit this world and series - not when I would have to deal with the childish, pathetic rakes and Creatures of the Black Lagoon that are Norwood and Heloise (who really despise kids, specifically Junior Grims, for no explained reason). And knowing how this mess will end.
Sorry, I guess I'm giving up. But I'm glad to have experienced 'Croak' all the same. It's a novelty: a YA series starring a female protagonist with a dark side, who's a real antiheroine, and where there's no love triangle (unless you count the Lex-Driggs-Sofi triangle, which is so minor, extraneous and forgettable you wonder why it was included in the story in the first place); it definitely has that going for it.
Final Score: 3.5/5
P.S: How did I ever miss that the girl on the cover looks nothing like how Lex is described in the book? Personally, I prefer the unique and cool semblance of cover girl.
Original Review:
Premise: Teenage girl Grim Reaper.
Stop right there. You've already won me over.
'Croak' is a story about sixteen-year-old Lexington Bartleby, who after beating up more of her fellow school students (not shown, but the book cuts to the chase) is forced to move away for the summer to her uncle's farm, to learn to appreciate life and hard work.
Uncle Mort actually lives in a strange town called Croak, which Lex learns is home to higher-up and trainee soul reapers, or "Killers". Uncle Mort wants Lex to continue the family business, for he trusts in her capabilities.
As it turns out, she is a natural born Killer, and quite powerful. Is this a reason for her anger issues in the past two years? (She used to be very well-behaved.) Just how powerful is she? And Lex is not an ideal role model - she's practically a delinquent - so how far will she go with her powers, by her own choice?
I will list all the things that 'Croak' by Gina Damico is. It is:
1. One of the funniest and most fun books I've ever read, YA or otherwise. Seriously, the dialogue is a hoot!
2. Clever and creative. One road in the spooky town is called 'Dead End' among other humourous names for its streets and local hangouts. The afterlife depicted is both awe-inspiring and funny as... heaven.
3. Simply written and fast paced. The style is slick and punchy, if such words can be used to describe prose.
4. Great for 'Harry Potter' fans or for anyone who wants to move on from it.
5. Home to funny and complex characters. Lex is cartoonishly aggressive. But she is snarky and very witty, and gets called out on her behaviour, unlike another heroine in a YA book I won't name (*cough*EyesLikeStars*cough*). She is aware of her own flaws, and despite her violent tendencies she really is like a normal teenage girl, and she can kick butt all the way to Kingdom come. Driggs, her roommate living with Uncle Mort as his "pool guy", is probably the only boy I know, in both fiction and real life, who likes the film 'Titanic'. He's overconfident, but he's as full of snark, flaws and of a short temper as Lex, and they get along splendidly together. Their relationship is given time to develop before it becomes something more than teasing and petty squabbling and them being one another's emotional and physical punching bags. Other characters like Uncle Mort, Zara and Elysia are also interesting and likeable. They all serve a purpose to the story - which is both a mystery and a coming-of-age journey for Lex.
6. A mixture of black comedy and just plain dark storytelling. Really, the descriptions of the dead bodies that Lex encounters in her "Killing" errands are gruesome. There is horror here, as well as moral issues presented: such as letting a murderer go free to kill others, as the reapers' only job is to collect souls to send to the afterlife in a bank vault (just roll with it) in the Croak town. This YA novel has a backbone, as well as fully-realised and inventive world building.
7. Something that can be imagined as an anime while reading, especially during the over-the-top violent and/or hilarious moments (in the first chapter, Lex's mother ties her to a chair with rope just so she would have no choice but to sit down and listen to her parents - classic).
8. A first in a series, so there are as many unanswered questions as there are answered ones, and there are - big shock - secretive adults. While some mysteries are obvious, 'Croak' is still a gripping read, as it keeps you wondering HOW Lex and her friends are going to get to the bottom of a plot involving mysterious deaths occurring unnaturally around the world.
9. Above all it's, surprisingly, very touching and sad. The climax is bold, and leaves me wanting more. Things get more intense and dramatic - Lex will have to make genuinely hard decisions that affect not only herself, but the people she has learned to appreciate and love.
10. And it's everything I didn't get from Rachel Vincent's 'My Soul To Take' - for reasons listed above.
What 'Croak' is NOT:
1. A YA novel that uses a love triangle to try to create conflict and drama (no love triangle exists here - yey!).
2. A YA novel with a weak and dumb damsel-in-distress heroine. Lex can take care of herself and does have common sense. And slight spoiler: when she is held captive at the end of the book, she saves herself; with no external help from others. No male love interest or father figure to come and rescue this girl!
3. Something to miss.
So there are my reasons for loving 'Croak'. If they sound good to you, give it a read. I'm sure it'll entertain you as much as it did me.
Final Score: 5/5
Unfortunately, like many of my rereads this year, I've spotted more than a few problems with it, that I somehow missed on my first read (was I doused in that black widow spider silk, Amnesia, too?).
The ableist R-word is said twice - this is a 2012 book, there is no excuse. Most of the characters are fun, hilarious and endearing, although they are petty, catty, jealous, childish, territorial and conservative people (the main, important characters who get the most page time are also white). Plus it feels like the author was trying too hard to make them like 'Buffy' archetypes, and the snarky humour isn't always placed in the most suitable and appropriate situations. I don't understand why Lex, the hardened and cynical loner protagonist, would fall in love with Croak and feel like she belongs there and gets along with everyone, when most of the time she is treated like a suspicious outsider, a freak, and eventually a criminal suspect.
There's the implication that murder is the absolute worst thing that a human can do - that makes them "real monsters" - and that rape and even child molestation belong in the same category of crimes as theft and fraud. A child abuse victim is vilified. 'Croak' is no stranger to un-self-aware girl-on-girl hate over a boy, feminine shaming, and slut shaming, either. Nor is it above perpetuating, unconsciously or not, stereotypical nuclear family dynamics (Lex's father is cool, calm, collected and reasonable, and her mother is fretful, overbearing, and bakes cookies. SERIOUSLY?)
Then there's the romance: I was not into it this time. It has nothing to do with how Lex and Driggs literally, physically hurt each other at the beginning - in fact, between these two OTT hotheads in a story and setting like this, with a tone like this, it actually comes across as legitimately funny - and their banter is witty and creative most of the time. It's just that their constant bickering and hostility towards one another can get too much after a while. Even boring and predictable. The biggest damage of all is when Driggs calls Lex an abomination and a freak (page 201), and had clearly thought that of her (and thought her to be dangerous and untrustworthy) throughout the rest of the book; this explosive deliverance comes right before the two think about making out for the first time, and Driggs never apologises to Lex, as far as I remember. Also, it is revealed at the very end that he is a creepy stalker, and always had been. Effing wonderful. I seriously don't buy that they are true, loving soulmates.
I hate Ferbus. He's a pillock. A gigantic prick. A useless, hypocritical wannabe Ron Weasley, with nary the same charm, humour, and courage. And I'm quite disappointed that he will never in this series come out of that closet he is so obviously in, where he suffocates in Narnia.
Some padding and meandering from the murder mystery plot is present throughout the middle and near the end, as well.
I just don't think I want to revisit this world and series - not when I would have to deal with the childish, pathetic rakes and Creatures of the Black Lagoon that are Norwood and Heloise (who really despise kids, specifically Junior Grims, for no explained reason). And knowing how this mess will end.
Sorry, I guess I'm giving up. But I'm glad to have experienced 'Croak' all the same. It's a novelty: a YA series starring a female protagonist with a dark side, who's a real antiheroine, and where there's no love triangle (unless you count the Lex-Driggs-Sofi triangle, which is so minor, extraneous and forgettable you wonder why it was included in the story in the first place); it definitely has that going for it.
Final Score: 3.5/5
P.S: How did I ever miss that the girl on the cover looks nothing like how Lex is described in the book? Personally, I prefer the unique and cool semblance of cover girl.
P.P.S: On page 199, Driggs says that Lex is an adult and so her parents should let her do whatever she wants, and let her live wherever she wants. Um, she's sixteen. Not an adult. Even by the standards of Croak and the Grims, she and all the other Juniors are kids. I know Driggs has lived in Croak for years and is fairly ignorant of how the outside world works, but this is never pointed out. So I'm left stunned and confused by that statement he makes.
P.P.P.S: AAAAAAAAAAAAAND the book contains the classic 'released/let out a breath I/she didn't know I/she was holding' line. That takes a large amount of marks off it instantly.
Original Review:
Premise: Teenage girl Grim Reaper.
Stop right there. You've already won me over.
'Croak' is a story about sixteen-year-old Lexington Bartleby, who after beating up more of her fellow school students (not shown, but the book cuts to the chase) is forced to move away for the summer to her uncle's farm, to learn to appreciate life and hard work.
Uncle Mort actually lives in a strange town called Croak, which Lex learns is home to higher-up and trainee soul reapers, or "Killers". Uncle Mort wants Lex to continue the family business, for he trusts in her capabilities.
As it turns out, she is a natural born Killer, and quite powerful. Is this a reason for her anger issues in the past two years? (She used to be very well-behaved.) Just how powerful is she? And Lex is not an ideal role model - she's practically a delinquent - so how far will she go with her powers, by her own choice?
I will list all the things that 'Croak' by Gina Damico is. It is:
1. One of the funniest and most fun books I've ever read, YA or otherwise. Seriously, the dialogue is a hoot!
2. Clever and creative. One road in the spooky town is called 'Dead End' among other humourous names for its streets and local hangouts. The afterlife depicted is both awe-inspiring and funny as... heaven.
3. Simply written and fast paced. The style is slick and punchy, if such words can be used to describe prose.
4. Great for 'Harry Potter' fans or for anyone who wants to move on from it.
5. Home to funny and complex characters. Lex is cartoonishly aggressive. But she is snarky and very witty, and gets called out on her behaviour, unlike another heroine in a YA book I won't name (*cough*EyesLikeStars*cough*). She is aware of her own flaws, and despite her violent tendencies she really is like a normal teenage girl, and she can kick butt all the way to Kingdom come. Driggs, her roommate living with Uncle Mort as his "pool guy", is probably the only boy I know, in both fiction and real life, who likes the film 'Titanic'. He's overconfident, but he's as full of snark, flaws and of a short temper as Lex, and they get along splendidly together. Their relationship is given time to develop before it becomes something more than teasing and petty squabbling and them being one another's emotional and physical punching bags. Other characters like Uncle Mort, Zara and Elysia are also interesting and likeable. They all serve a purpose to the story - which is both a mystery and a coming-of-age journey for Lex.
6. A mixture of black comedy and just plain dark storytelling. Really, the descriptions of the dead bodies that Lex encounters in her "Killing" errands are gruesome. There is horror here, as well as moral issues presented: such as letting a murderer go free to kill others, as the reapers' only job is to collect souls to send to the afterlife in a bank vault (just roll with it) in the Croak town. This YA novel has a backbone, as well as fully-realised and inventive world building.
7. Something that can be imagined as an anime while reading, especially during the over-the-top violent and/or hilarious moments (in the first chapter, Lex's mother ties her to a chair with rope just so she would have no choice but to sit down and listen to her parents - classic).
8. A first in a series, so there are as many unanswered questions as there are answered ones, and there are - big shock - secretive adults. While some mysteries are obvious, 'Croak' is still a gripping read, as it keeps you wondering HOW Lex and her friends are going to get to the bottom of a plot involving mysterious deaths occurring unnaturally around the world.
9. Above all it's, surprisingly, very touching and sad. The climax is bold, and leaves me wanting more. Things get more intense and dramatic - Lex will have to make genuinely hard decisions that affect not only herself, but the people she has learned to appreciate and love.
10. And it's everything I didn't get from Rachel Vincent's 'My Soul To Take' - for reasons listed above.
What 'Croak' is NOT:
1. A YA novel that uses a love triangle to try to create conflict and drama (no love triangle exists here - yey!).
2. A YA novel with a weak and dumb damsel-in-distress heroine. Lex can take care of herself and does have common sense. And slight spoiler: when she is held captive at the end of the book, she saves herself; with no external help from others. No male love interest or father figure to come and rescue this girl!
3. Something to miss.
So there are my reasons for loving 'Croak'. If they sound good to you, give it a read. I'm sure it'll entertain you as much as it did me.
Final Score: 5/5
Book Review - 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker
2021 EDIT: Alas, on my reread of this classic, I find the over-descriptions of everything to be wearisome (though it is not as bad as in 'Frankenstein,' in my opinion, which I never could finish); as is the expected sexism and racism of its era. Mina could be considered a progressive female character for her time, especially for a book of this genre, but just barely ("a man's brain", my arse; how insulting).
'Dracula' remains a horror classic for a reason, however. Therein contains chilling moments, and it is the biggest influencer of vampire lore known to humankind. Wolves, dogs, bats, rats, moths, dust, shapeshifters, flies, spiders, other dead animals, and vampires repellent to sunlight, garlic, crucifixes, non-invites, and crossing running water - it is all here. Jonathan Harker, Mina, Dr Van Helsing, Lucy Westenra, Renfield, the three vampire brides, and of course, the Count himself, are really the only characters worth remembering in the whole 400-page novel.
There are strong gay vibes throughout, as well, no matter how much Bram Stoker may dismiss the claim.
Oh how I love vampires.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
After hundreds of adaptations and various cultural influences - from movies, television, books, parodies, songs to breakfast cereals - let us see the original 1897 novel that properly started the vampire lore and craze. While I am aware that 'Dracula' is not the first book or first anything to feature vampires (or similar demonic personifications of human fears), Bram Stoker's popular work has the biggest impact on the cultural phenomenon, and it helped shape vampire myths (the old movies, such as 'Nosferatu', mostly achieved that, though).
I have become increasingly interested in vampires over the years, despite never really finding them scary (and I am a huge scaredy-cat when it comes to horror stories). Maybe that's due to growing up in the 90's when they were all becoming more sympathetic and less monstrous (i.e. 'Buffy', 'Interview with the Vampire' etc). But since I'm planning to write a vampire novel series of my own someday, it's only required reading that I check out 'Dracula'.
Let us give rise to the "first" and world's most popular creature of the night, 'Dracula'.
I had the book on my shelf for a while last year, and it was only coincidence that I decided to read it just before Halloween. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I mean, I didn't find it to be VERY scary (though the creepy atmosphere is there), and it hardly features Dracula himself - he's absent through most of the middle of the novel. But with the narrative technique of people writing in diaries, letters, and newspaper articles, he remains a creepy enigma - the titular Count is a creature of mystery throughout the story: the less we know, the more we fear, much like in reality.
'Dracula' was written in the time of scientific discoveries - the supernatural being logically explained, but others things still not yet explained. It also explores basic human fears - of violent urges, madness and sexuality not repressed. 'Dracula' is about the fear of the demons in humanity as well as the fear of the demons in hell.
Each character, known through letters and diaries, is distinct and memorable. Although one in particular I feel I have to make note of is Mina Murray, or Mina Harker as she will later be called once married. It uplifted me to know that she isn't the weak and pathetic damsel-in-distress like she is portrayed in so many film adaptations. She's smart, brave when need be, and she felt real - even when she is a victim, she still refuses to give up. She's not an object of men's sexual fantasies nor a product of wispy feminine innocence - after all, that's Lucy Westenra's role - but a competent and likeable person. However I was wary when Van Helsing calls Mina, "a woman with a man's brain", or something along the lines of that. It sounds like he's saying that an intelligent woman is not a woman at all. It's a bit like saying that a woman who isn't also a mother isn't a proper woman. But I'll overlook that, since 'Dracula' was still written in 1897.
Speaking of Van Helsing, I want to add that after reading this book I find it a bit false that in adaptions he is portrayed as the ultimate vampire hunter. Because in the book, although he is a well-educated and strong leader, he is still an older, worn human physically, and - slight spoiler warning here - he doesn't end up killing Dracula. Though he kills other, lesser vamps...
'Dracula' also teaches us an important lesson - never leave a woman in the dark, both literally and figuratively. It'll lead to more trouble if she is left ignorant of goings-on. She can surprise you in her bravery and usefulness.
'Dracula' - while it didn't frighten me, it still entertained me. I'll definitely be reading more vampire books now to see how the myths and legends started by this book are taken and twisted into something new and inspiring.
How have violent and sexual attitudes changed over time? And how is popular culture reflecting them, and why? Read a vampire story and find out.
Final Score: 4/5
'Dracula' remains a horror classic for a reason, however. Therein contains chilling moments, and it is the biggest influencer of vampire lore known to humankind. Wolves, dogs, bats, rats, moths, dust, shapeshifters, flies, spiders, other dead animals, and vampires repellent to sunlight, garlic, crucifixes, non-invites, and crossing running water - it is all here. Jonathan Harker, Mina, Dr Van Helsing, Lucy Westenra, Renfield, the three vampire brides, and of course, the Count himself, are really the only characters worth remembering in the whole 400-page novel.
There are strong gay vibes throughout, as well, no matter how much Bram Stoker may dismiss the claim.
Oh how I love vampires.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
After hundreds of adaptations and various cultural influences - from movies, television, books, parodies, songs to breakfast cereals - let us see the original 1897 novel that properly started the vampire lore and craze. While I am aware that 'Dracula' is not the first book or first anything to feature vampires (or similar demonic personifications of human fears), Bram Stoker's popular work has the biggest impact on the cultural phenomenon, and it helped shape vampire myths (the old movies, such as 'Nosferatu', mostly achieved that, though).
I have become increasingly interested in vampires over the years, despite never really finding them scary (and I am a huge scaredy-cat when it comes to horror stories). Maybe that's due to growing up in the 90's when they were all becoming more sympathetic and less monstrous (i.e. 'Buffy', 'Interview with the Vampire' etc). But since I'm planning to write a vampire novel series of my own someday, it's only required reading that I check out 'Dracula'.
Let us give rise to the "first" and world's most popular creature of the night, 'Dracula'.
I had the book on my shelf for a while last year, and it was only coincidence that I decided to read it just before Halloween. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I mean, I didn't find it to be VERY scary (though the creepy atmosphere is there), and it hardly features Dracula himself - he's absent through most of the middle of the novel. But with the narrative technique of people writing in diaries, letters, and newspaper articles, he remains a creepy enigma - the titular Count is a creature of mystery throughout the story: the less we know, the more we fear, much like in reality.
'Dracula' was written in the time of scientific discoveries - the supernatural being logically explained, but others things still not yet explained. It also explores basic human fears - of violent urges, madness and sexuality not repressed. 'Dracula' is about the fear of the demons in humanity as well as the fear of the demons in hell.
Each character, known through letters and diaries, is distinct and memorable. Although one in particular I feel I have to make note of is Mina Murray, or Mina Harker as she will later be called once married. It uplifted me to know that she isn't the weak and pathetic damsel-in-distress like she is portrayed in so many film adaptations. She's smart, brave when need be, and she felt real - even when she is a victim, she still refuses to give up. She's not an object of men's sexual fantasies nor a product of wispy feminine innocence - after all, that's Lucy Westenra's role - but a competent and likeable person. However I was wary when Van Helsing calls Mina, "a woman with a man's brain", or something along the lines of that. It sounds like he's saying that an intelligent woman is not a woman at all. It's a bit like saying that a woman who isn't also a mother isn't a proper woman. But I'll overlook that, since 'Dracula' was still written in 1897.
Speaking of Van Helsing, I want to add that after reading this book I find it a bit false that in adaptions he is portrayed as the ultimate vampire hunter. Because in the book, although he is a well-educated and strong leader, he is still an older, worn human physically, and - slight spoiler warning here - he doesn't end up killing Dracula. Though he kills other, lesser vamps...
'Dracula' also teaches us an important lesson - never leave a woman in the dark, both literally and figuratively. It'll lead to more trouble if she is left ignorant of goings-on. She can surprise you in her bravery and usefulness.
'Dracula' - while it didn't frighten me, it still entertained me. I'll definitely be reading more vampire books now to see how the myths and legends started by this book are taken and twisted into something new and inspiring.
How have violent and sexual attitudes changed over time? And how is popular culture reflecting them, and why? Read a vampire story and find out.
Final Score: 4/5
Book Review - 'Wonder' by R.J. Palacio
2021 EDIT: I wasn't feeling as much from 'Wonder' as last time. Not positive feelings, anyway.
Great, important lessons are taught, for everyone to learn, but a lot of the book comes across as a little tone-deaf and meanspirited, in my opinion. Like, Auggie and the word "normal" are never associated with each other, ever. Everyone else is described as being normal-looking in comparison to him. But what is normal? I got mixed messages whenever Auggie is described; nearly all the multiple POV sections will go out of their way to mention how shocking, abnormal, weird, scary, and freakish he looks. He's not just different - everybody, even the nice characters and his own family, will bang on and on about his facial deformity like it's the scariest and most inhuman thing in the world to look at. That it's because of his face that he will never be normal, so why bother treating him like everyone else (this sentiment comes directly from his own sister, btw)? Auggie's "scary" face, his "abnormality", his "unlucky" genetics; it all has to be acknowledged as "bad", as "wrong", at any opportunity. It's terrible, and it's almost never called out on. Doesn't this go against the acceptance and kindness message of the book? But then on the same paragraph a contradiction like the following pops up suddenly: 'Here's what I think: the only reason I'm not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.', and, 'I think the only person in the world who realizes how ordinary I am is me.' (both quotes are from the first page.)
Auggie's family obviously loves him very much, but they seem to treat him more like a burden and a nuisance than a person, especially his sister Via. His life is made harder than others, and it is not his fault. It's society's. But his very existence is repeatedly treated like an unpleasantness, at best. He's a blot; he's what's preventing most characters' lives from being happy, because of the way he looks. School bullies like Julian are bad - most kids can be very mean, and they know it - but grown-arse adults like Julian's mother are even worse. No long-term comeuppance for those two evil people.
Auggie is just a kid, and I don't think any of the other characters fully grasp that fact at the end.
The ending is rather patronising and unrealistic, too. I hated being reminded of how much of a hellhole school was while I was reading 'Wonder' as a quarantined adult, but then for it to contrive that ending, which I know would never happen, least of all to targets/ victims like Auggie and severe outcasts/invisibles/targets like myself...I felt it wasn't a particularly good or honest representation of life at all. Schools - freaking teachers - are never that kind, thoughtful and understanding! Children's story or no, happy, perfect endings don't exist like that anywhere.
Plus, that philosophy quote about always choosing to be kind over being right, as if those two criterion are mutually exclusive. Like, to be kind to people is often the right thing to do. It's basic human decency. The quote is like that whole "Facts don't care about your feelings" bullshit all over again. Kind people do care about facts and the truth - it's what makes them sympathetic, empathetic, openminded and understanding. I don't agree with the quote's core concept - the supposed theme of 'Wonder' - is what I'm trying to explain.
Although 'Wonder' isn't perfect, it does contain enough human truths and lessons in altruism that I won't discourage anyone from reading it. I know it is an important book to many, many people, and it's easy to see why. It might be depressing for some, a mixed mess for others, but it is uplifting and affirming for others more.
Read it and make up your own mind.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
"Your deeds are your monuments" - one of Mr Browne's precepts.
I wanted to get my hands on 'Wonder' because of all the praise. I thought it would be like 'My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece', a book I love very much.
'Wonder' is a quick read guaranteed to give you so many mixed emotions that catharsis would be a necessity. Though it's not as satisfactory as 'My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece'.
When reading 'Wonder', at first I thought it would be told entirely from the POV of the protag, August Pullman, and how he lives a life of someone born with a face no stranger would accept as being normal. I already grasped the hopeful and sweet yet realistic feel from the characters and their relationships with Auggie, but I was worried the middle school story would get boring and predictable quickly.
Then it changed POVs. We get to hear the story of August from the perspective of his older sister Via, his school friends Summer and Jack, Via's boyfriend Justin and estranged friend Miranda, and lastly back to August himself, and how going to school has changed his life for the better and not for the worst. We get to know how other people feel about his face, and they react to it in different ways - ways in which any person would; but more specifically young people just getting to know the world.
Kids are mean, we all know that. And school is a breeding ground for bullies. They hate and ridicule anything that is outside the realm of "normal". They are afraid of change and difference. So it is hard not to feel sorry for August when, at the age of ten, he starts school; like any other kid. He is like any other kid - he loves 'Star Wars' and his pet dog Daisy, and he thinks and talks like a normal, happy boy. However other kids - and adults, for that matter - won't likely see him as such: they will only see his deformed face. They will avoid him, whisper about him when he is near, call him a freak (among other horrible names), and have panic attacks or flee at the prospect of having skin contact with him.
But while there are nasty people in 'Wonder', there is hope in the form of lovely and understanding kids and adults as well. August's parents are perhaps the best I've ever read in fiction - they love Auggie for who he is on the inside, and do everything they can to make him happy. However their weakness is overprotecting him: they went back and forth on sending him to school in the first place, though it was mainly for medical reasons that they kept him from attending. Auggie has had many operations on his face, though it still scares people. Though they treat him like a little kid out of fear for his self-esteem, I think August is lucky to have parents like Isabel and Nate - they care for their son, as he is a good sport.
Via, as she grows older, starts to see how others see her brother. She feels terrible about it, because she too had always been protective of him when others stare or whisper about him in public. She finds she can't understand him anymore like she used to, due to school popularity pressures. As a teenager, she feels lonely that her parents pay more attention to Auggie than her, and she may begin to resent him for it. Via's childhood friends are changing and distancing themselves from her, and she can confide in no one but the memory of her deceased grandmother. Her character is very real and three-dimensional.
Other kids at August's school also have different reactions to the new kid with the deformed face. Many are, again, realistic yet hopeful - hopeful that, thanks to August and his general sense of fun, they will grow up to be tolerant and openminded people. Unlike some of the adults in this book who didn't learn from childhood that you should not judge others by their appearances alone.
'Wonder''s chapters are very short, episodic like a children's soap opera, and punchy. Each beats with emotional and relatable events, especially ones set in the middle and secondary schools. Indeed, anyone who has been to school will feel what August or the other POV characters are feeling in their lives amongst the horrible people of any age.
'Wonder' is not perfect, however. Some events happen too conveniently; most of all near the end. Maybe I'm a little cynical, but the book is somewhat too hopeful and uplifting, especially with its subject matter. The characters may be realistic (mostly) but the events feel a little planned out, so it can reach a happy conclusion. Really, why couldn't my middle school have been as nice and encouraging as August's!
And I'm still not quite sure if 'Wonder' is a children's book or YA or both.
Another convenience that irks me a bit is the school bully's mother just happens to be a member of the school committee board, so of course the bully can get away with murder, as long as mummy says that everything wrong is the bullied kid's fault.
But aside from little imperfections, 'Wonder' is a profound treat, with likeable and relatable characters, an important message, and other cute touches. It is a sweet book that can be both sad and uplifting, and even funny in a lot of places. It teaches us about different sides to human nature.
Remember, it is what you do for yourself and for others that defines you as a person. What you look like does not matter.
'Wonder' knows about childhood and unfairness, and it looks on hopefully at the future.
Final Score: 4/5
Great, important lessons are taught, for everyone to learn, but a lot of the book comes across as a little tone-deaf and meanspirited, in my opinion. Like, Auggie and the word "normal" are never associated with each other, ever. Everyone else is described as being normal-looking in comparison to him. But what is normal? I got mixed messages whenever Auggie is described; nearly all the multiple POV sections will go out of their way to mention how shocking, abnormal, weird, scary, and freakish he looks. He's not just different - everybody, even the nice characters and his own family, will bang on and on about his facial deformity like it's the scariest and most inhuman thing in the world to look at. That it's because of his face that he will never be normal, so why bother treating him like everyone else (this sentiment comes directly from his own sister, btw)? Auggie's "scary" face, his "abnormality", his "unlucky" genetics; it all has to be acknowledged as "bad", as "wrong", at any opportunity. It's terrible, and it's almost never called out on. Doesn't this go against the acceptance and kindness message of the book? But then on the same paragraph a contradiction like the following pops up suddenly: 'Here's what I think: the only reason I'm not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.', and, 'I think the only person in the world who realizes how ordinary I am is me.' (both quotes are from the first page.)
Auggie's family obviously loves him very much, but they seem to treat him more like a burden and a nuisance than a person, especially his sister Via. His life is made harder than others, and it is not his fault. It's society's. But his very existence is repeatedly treated like an unpleasantness, at best. He's a blot; he's what's preventing most characters' lives from being happy, because of the way he looks. School bullies like Julian are bad - most kids can be very mean, and they know it - but grown-arse adults like Julian's mother are even worse. No long-term comeuppance for those two evil people.
Auggie is just a kid, and I don't think any of the other characters fully grasp that fact at the end.
The ending is rather patronising and unrealistic, too. I hated being reminded of how much of a hellhole school was while I was reading 'Wonder' as a quarantined adult, but then for it to contrive that ending, which I know would never happen, least of all to targets/ victims like Auggie and severe outcasts/invisibles/targets like myself...I felt it wasn't a particularly good or honest representation of life at all. Schools - freaking teachers - are never that kind, thoughtful and understanding! Children's story or no, happy, perfect endings don't exist like that anywhere.
Plus, that philosophy quote about always choosing to be kind over being right, as if those two criterion are mutually exclusive. Like, to be kind to people is often the right thing to do. It's basic human decency. The quote is like that whole "Facts don't care about your feelings" bullshit all over again. Kind people do care about facts and the truth - it's what makes them sympathetic, empathetic, openminded and understanding. I don't agree with the quote's core concept - the supposed theme of 'Wonder' - is what I'm trying to explain.
Although 'Wonder' isn't perfect, it does contain enough human truths and lessons in altruism that I won't discourage anyone from reading it. I know it is an important book to many, many people, and it's easy to see why. It might be depressing for some, a mixed mess for others, but it is uplifting and affirming for others more.
Read it and make up your own mind.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
"Your deeds are your monuments" - one of Mr Browne's precepts.
I wanted to get my hands on 'Wonder' because of all the praise. I thought it would be like 'My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece', a book I love very much.
'Wonder' is a quick read guaranteed to give you so many mixed emotions that catharsis would be a necessity. Though it's not as satisfactory as 'My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece'.
When reading 'Wonder', at first I thought it would be told entirely from the POV of the protag, August Pullman, and how he lives a life of someone born with a face no stranger would accept as being normal. I already grasped the hopeful and sweet yet realistic feel from the characters and their relationships with Auggie, but I was worried the middle school story would get boring and predictable quickly.
Then it changed POVs. We get to hear the story of August from the perspective of his older sister Via, his school friends Summer and Jack, Via's boyfriend Justin and estranged friend Miranda, and lastly back to August himself, and how going to school has changed his life for the better and not for the worst. We get to know how other people feel about his face, and they react to it in different ways - ways in which any person would; but more specifically young people just getting to know the world.
Kids are mean, we all know that. And school is a breeding ground for bullies. They hate and ridicule anything that is outside the realm of "normal". They are afraid of change and difference. So it is hard not to feel sorry for August when, at the age of ten, he starts school; like any other kid. He is like any other kid - he loves 'Star Wars' and his pet dog Daisy, and he thinks and talks like a normal, happy boy. However other kids - and adults, for that matter - won't likely see him as such: they will only see his deformed face. They will avoid him, whisper about him when he is near, call him a freak (among other horrible names), and have panic attacks or flee at the prospect of having skin contact with him.
But while there are nasty people in 'Wonder', there is hope in the form of lovely and understanding kids and adults as well. August's parents are perhaps the best I've ever read in fiction - they love Auggie for who he is on the inside, and do everything they can to make him happy. However their weakness is overprotecting him: they went back and forth on sending him to school in the first place, though it was mainly for medical reasons that they kept him from attending. Auggie has had many operations on his face, though it still scares people. Though they treat him like a little kid out of fear for his self-esteem, I think August is lucky to have parents like Isabel and Nate - they care for their son, as he is a good sport.
Via, as she grows older, starts to see how others see her brother. She feels terrible about it, because she too had always been protective of him when others stare or whisper about him in public. She finds she can't understand him anymore like she used to, due to school popularity pressures. As a teenager, she feels lonely that her parents pay more attention to Auggie than her, and she may begin to resent him for it. Via's childhood friends are changing and distancing themselves from her, and she can confide in no one but the memory of her deceased grandmother. Her character is very real and three-dimensional.
Other kids at August's school also have different reactions to the new kid with the deformed face. Many are, again, realistic yet hopeful - hopeful that, thanks to August and his general sense of fun, they will grow up to be tolerant and openminded people. Unlike some of the adults in this book who didn't learn from childhood that you should not judge others by their appearances alone.
'Wonder''s chapters are very short, episodic like a children's soap opera, and punchy. Each beats with emotional and relatable events, especially ones set in the middle and secondary schools. Indeed, anyone who has been to school will feel what August or the other POV characters are feeling in their lives amongst the horrible people of any age.
'Wonder' is not perfect, however. Some events happen too conveniently; most of all near the end. Maybe I'm a little cynical, but the book is somewhat too hopeful and uplifting, especially with its subject matter. The characters may be realistic (mostly) but the events feel a little planned out, so it can reach a happy conclusion. Really, why couldn't my middle school have been as nice and encouraging as August's!
And I'm still not quite sure if 'Wonder' is a children's book or YA or both.
Another convenience that irks me a bit is the school bully's mother just happens to be a member of the school committee board, so of course the bully can get away with murder, as long as mummy says that everything wrong is the bullied kid's fault.
But aside from little imperfections, 'Wonder' is a profound treat, with likeable and relatable characters, an important message, and other cute touches. It is a sweet book that can be both sad and uplifting, and even funny in a lot of places. It teaches us about different sides to human nature.
Remember, it is what you do for yourself and for others that defines you as a person. What you look like does not matter.
'Wonder' knows about childhood and unfairness, and it looks on hopefully at the future.
Final Score: 4/5
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