Thursday, September 1, 2011

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Scholastic Press
2011
608p.

Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures.

3 comments:

  1. This story is saturated with a mysterious, sometimes ethereal atmosphere which makes you want to keep reading to figure out what's behind it. The unique combination words and pictures conveys the stories of two people 50 years apart, whose lives eventually intertwine. Powerfully portrays the loneliness and loss children can feel, as well as their resilience in coping. Poignant.

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  2. I was a little disappointed with this book. I didn't think the written parts were as good as in Hugo Cabret. The artwork was fantastic and Selznick's use of art to tell a story is wonderful, as it was before. I like the characters and was drawn in to their struggles, but the way everything fell in to place toward the end seems forced. But, after reading other people posts and some reviews, I think I'm going to reread it. Maybe I read it too fast. I'll let you know if I change my mind.

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  3. Very easy read – illustrations are fascinating despite a roughness of style. The two stories are equally interesting and finally converge nicely. I feel I do not know enough about the deaf and the Deaf Culture to know how realistic the whole thing is. But Selznick has detailed his research and seems to have touched all areas thoroughly. Now I have to go through From the Mixed-up Files… again!

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