Wonderstruck

Volume Six in the Books That Matter Series

For years, people have told me to read Wonderstruck. "If you read The Invention of Hugo Cabret--" which I have--"you'll love Wonderstruck," they said. So when I picked up the book this week, I had high expectations and it ended up exceeding them. I was used to Brian Selznik's set-up since I had also read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but I wasn't prepared for how skillfully structured this book would be. Just like Hugo, the pencil drawings were beautiful and added so much to the story but Wonderstruck took it to a whole new level.

Wonderstruck is two stories in one. It opens in the 1970's with Ben, who has hearing in one ear -- his story is told in text. Then, it gives a glimpse into Rose's life from fifty years earlier. Rose is deaf -- her story is told in pictures. As the story progresses, readers learn how isolated Rose feels because she is deaf. I loved how the drawings started with a vast scene where Rose is pictured as a small entity among a much larger world and then the drawings that follow continue to zoom in to show just how alone and isolated she is, even among a bustling city of people. Ben, on the other hand, has hearing in one ear when the story opens. His journey in words balances well with the silence that comes across in Rose's pictures.

As readers learn the connection between Ben and Rose, despite the fifty year difference in their stories, the pictures start with a zoomed in scene of a connection and then each drawing moves out again to show the characters' places in the world. The contrast between the opening drawings and the ending drawings show just how much things have changed.

Wonderstruck left me in awe of the story arc that took place in the drawings. If I were just to read Ben's section, the story would make sense. If I were to follow just Rose's pictures, the story arc would still be clear to me. The two distinct but connected stories blended well and carried a beautiful message to readers. I urge you to check it out.