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| On Goodreads |
Over 1 million people have read Wonder and have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. Now readers will have a chance to hear from the book's most controversial character—Julian.
From the very first day Auggie and Julian met in the pages of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder, it was clear they were never going to be friends, with Julian treating Auggie like he had the plague. And while Wonder told Auggie's story through six different viewpoints, Julian's perspective was never shared. Readers could only guess what he was thinking.
Until now. The Julian Chapter will finally reveal the bully's side of the story. Why is Julian so unkind to Auggie? And does he have a chance for redemption?
Le Afterglow:
You've probably heard all the rave reviews for WONDER by R.J. Palacio. So had I. I'd seen YouTube videos by parents of children with Auggie's condition talking about how important the book and movie are. And I'd seen friends on Facebook sharing what it meant to them.
When the movie came out, we watched it in the theatres and then I knew I had to read WONDER the book. We chose to listen to it as a family on Audible, and I'm so glad we did. It was engaging for both of my oldest kids (11 and 8), and I know it made an impact on the kind of people they will choose to be.
So when I saw "The Julian Chapter" on Audible at a steal, I decided I had to check that out, too. I began listening to it while sorting the laundry, expecting a chapter or two from the perspective of Julian, the main bully in the WONDER story. Much to my surprise, I had finished all the laundry and the story kept going.
It turned out to be a complete book, not a chapter!
This was a very happy surprise because, frankly, I couldn't get enough of the compelling characters and well-crafted narrative. I listened to THE JULIAN CHAPTER all day long and, while I had been skeptical that anything would make me like Julian the bully, I was in tears by the end of it. Without spoilers, it's pretty much impossible to tell you how R.J. Palacio managed to make this mean little boy into someone you would root for. Suffice it to say that she did, and she did it beautifully! I will definitely read this one with my kids over and over again, for the empathy it builds and the true stories to which it pays homage.
We own WONDER in hardback and I love that story, too. But there is something special about THE JULIAN CHAPTER. There's something special about the way it sheds light in the darkness, about the hope for redemption, and about the forgiveness that is so central to its theme. Of course, without first knowing Auggie's story, we wouldn't care much about Julian, so I do recommend you read that wonderful book WONDER first. Then read THE JULIAN CHAPTER. And get out your tissues!
