Book Review #37: Wonderstruck

Title: Wonderstruck.
Author: Brian Selznick.
Format: ARC
Pages: 629.
Series: Nope.
Publisher: Scholastic.
Published Date: September 13, 2011.

Summary:

"Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother’s room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.
Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben’s told in words, Rose’s in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary."

Cover:4/5

The cover is really pretty and I love the font used to spell "Wonderstruck". But the reason I gave it a four out of five, instead a full five is because the lightening in the background? The city and buildings came into play quite a few times throughout Wonderstruck, but I don't think there was ever anything to do with lightening or a storm.

Characters-

In Wonderstruck, there are two stories, one that uses writing and the other uses pictures. Which makes choosing a favorite and least favorite character a little bit harder.

But in the end I really liked all of the characters, maybe not Rose's parents as much as the others though. Her mother is a celebrity who doesn't miss or even care about her daughter, and both her and Rose's father, believed she shouldn't leave the house because it's too "dangerous" for someone who's deaf.

What crazy person keeps their daughter locked up inside?

Story Line:

Wonderstruck, is a story about two individuals, Ben and Rose, who both runaway, searching something that's missing in their life. By the end of the book you get to know how both of this kids are related, even though Ben's story takes place fifty years later.

While Ben uses writing to express his story, Rose uses pictures.

Fully deaf, Rose wants to leave her house, see the world and see her mom again. Her mom is a celebrity and isn't home very often, so Rose sneaks outside to find her one day! When she does, things don't go as she expects them to; her mother tells her to go back home, and that the outside world is too dangerous for a girl who's deaf.

On the other hand, Ben is only deaf in one ear, but just as Rose, Ben misses something in his life. He lives with his auntie and uncle, because his mother passed away not too long ago. Ben never knew who his father was, and he found himself searching his mother's room for clues; anything that will help him find his father.

Wonderstruck was fantastic! I loved it, I loved the story, I loved the beautiful pictures, the characters, and the ending!

I wouldn't recommend this as a summer read, but if your looking for something to read late at night, something that doesn't take too much time and concentration, I would recommend Wonderstruck!