Wonderstruck

by Brian Selznick

Ben and Rose secretly wish for better lives. 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 in symmetry.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Childrens, Mystery

640 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2011

About the author

Hello there. My name is Brian Selznick and I’m the author and illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I was born in 1966 in New Jersey. I have a sister who is a teacher, a brother who is a brain surgeon, and five nephews and one niece. I studied at The Rhode Island School of Design and after I graduated from college I worked at Eeyore’s Books for Children in New York City. I learned all about children’s books from my boss Steve Geck who is now an editor of children’s books at Greenwillow. While I was at Eeyore’s I also painted the windows for holidays and book events.

My first book, The Houdini Box, which I both wrote and illustrated, was published in 1991 while I was still working at the bookstore. Since then, I have illustrated many books for children, including Frindle by Andrew Clements, The Doll People by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin, Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, which received a 2001 Caldecott Honor.

I have also written a few other books myself, including The Boy of a Thousand Faces, but The Invention of Hugo Cabret is by far the longest and most involved book I’ve ever worked on.

I live in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader)]

i think this might be my favorite book by brian selznick. which is hard for me to say, because i've loved the other books i've read by him. we follow two story lines that eventually collide and the way in which they connect made my heart explode with both happiness and sorrow. even though there is no magic present in this story and it's realistic fiction, you can't help but still feel a presence of magic throughout it. overall i was struck with wonder throughout the reading of this book. (sorry i had to)

i'm gonna stop now, because i'm pretty sure i'm overhyping this.

*reread:

kaleidoscope has taken over my slot for my favorite brian selznick book, but this book is still all sorts of fantastic. brilliant. brilliant. brilliant.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Maybe, thought Ben, we are all cabinets of wonders."

Told through alternating perspectives - we follow the words of Ben as he grapples with the loss of his mother and a sudden accident that renders him deaf.

And we follow the pictures of Rose's story as she grapples with isolation due to her deafness and seeks a world where she could feel at home.

These two stories are set in different places, and different decades, and yet the two characters' stories perfectly align.

"What would it be like to pick and choose the objects and stories that would go into your own cabinet?"

Ahhh...I don't want to give too much away but this was solidly a 5 star read for me. Seriously, I read it in a single night and you can't really ask for more from a book.

I've only just started reading books by Selznick but right off the bat, I'm impressed by the way he merges the written world with his illustrations.

The way the two forms of communication wove around each other - each one unveiling a different part of the story - was fantastic.

I thought the author did such an amazing job with Ben's story - the grief, the hope, the bravery - I was right there rooting for him the entire time!

And Rose's story - wow! That's really all I can say. There was so much communicated through her illustrations and when I found out why they were shown that way, I was blown away.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to Ivonne for recommending this one to me!

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg!



This book was beautiful!



And the artwork was so freaking amazing!!

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[♛ may · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reasons why you should read this book RIGHT NOW

- beautifully woven adventure of a young boy
- dual perspectives (one written in word and the other in pictures)
- DEAF MAIN CHARACTERS
- brilliant artwork im thoroughly impressed
- a sad, soft, smol boy
- a sad, soft smol girl
- they need protecting and love
- i wanna wrap everyone up in blankets and give them hot chocolate and marshmallows
- so much family love my heart
- ITS SO SHORT I FINISHED IN 20 MINUTES
- dont be intimidated by the size
- brb forcing everyone to read this book


"'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.'"

4.5 stars

[♡ Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

1977: Bens Mutter ist gestorben, und er lebt nun bei seiner Tante und seinem Onkel. Durch Zufall fällt ihm ein Buch seines Vaters in die Hände, das einen Hinweis auf dessen Aufenthaltsort enthält: New York! Ben kennt seinen Vater nicht und möchte ihn unbedigt finden! So macht er sich alleine auf den Weg nach New York, obwohl er erst kurz zuvor durch einen Blitzschlag sein Gehör verloren hat...
1927: Die von Geburt an taube Rose fühlt sich einsam und isoliert. Ihre Eltern sind geschieden, und Rose lebt bei ihrem Vater. Sie vermisst ihre Mutter schrecklich, die in New York lebt und ein berühmter Filmstar ist. Rose möchte ihre Mutter unbedingt sehen und macht sich alleine auf den Weg...

** Meine Meinung **
Ein ganz wundervolles Buch! Dieses Buch ist ein wahrer Schatz in meinem Bücherregal! Es erzählt die Geschichten von Ben und Rose, die sich so sehr ähneln und doch ganz anders sind. Die Geschichte von Rose wird zunächst nur in Bildern erzählt, die eigentilch sehr einfach und doch unglaublich ausdrucksstark sind! Immer wieder tauchen Parellen auf zwischen Ben und Rose, und doch ist es nicht sofort ersichtlich, ob und wie die beiden Geschichten zueinander finden...
Das Buch bietet Überraschungen, und man wird einfach total mitgerissen von der wunderschönen Erzählung!
Dieses Buch zu lesen war für mich ein reiner Lesegenuß und eine große Freude! Die Geschichte geht ans Herz und bleibt noch lange nach dem Umblättern der letzten Seite im Bewusstsein.
Ich kann diesen Roman allen empfehlen: jungen Lesern ebenso wie erwachsenen Lesern!
Es ist einfach ein ganz tolles Buch!!!

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive and moving. Ok end of review. Just kidding, though I'm not sure if I have the words because there is so much that the reader experiences that isn't understood but felt.

The story is told from two perspectives. One from a girl named Rose who lives in the 20s and boy named Ben who lives in the 70s. Rose's story is told through pictures and Ben's through words. The two stories intertwine in the most fitting way.

I thought the combination of words and pictures was perfect for the story of Rose and Ben. This story explains the love of art, of museums, of books and most of all people. I loved both the characters but I think I gravitated toward Ben more, and that's because his story was told in words and I'm a reader, of course I love words. But the pictures were no slouch in the storytelling. I could feel myself being tugged into the story and the illustrations gave an atmosphere of the book that the words probably couldn't do alone. The author is a gifted illustrator. How unfair is it that he can write and draw?!?! I know some people get all the luck.

The most impressionable part for me was how happy I felt for the characters after I finished the story. Not in a cliché way but in a way that can be understood by being a human being. I purposely didn't talk too much about the plot because I think it's best to go in like I did, not knowing too much about the premise. That way the story can creep and crawl into you just the way it should. I wish I could write more but I’m going to quit my rambling so you guys can read it and be wonderstruck.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Maybe, thought Ben, we are all cabinets of wonders.”

I’ve been wanting to read this beauty of a book for ages now, so when I saw it on the shelves of my library, I was beyond ecstatic.

Wonderstruck jumps back and forth between the lives of Ben and Rose, who live fifty years apart from each other. It follows how both of them miss someone important and quite mysterious in their lives. Ben longs of finding and meeting the father he never met, while Rose is more focused on following a certain famous silent actress that she has an important connection with.

Ben's story is told solely through writing, while Rose's is told through Selznick's gorgeous illustrations. Ben's story in words, Rose's in pictures, come together in deafness. And I loved how the author made their intertwining histories flow so smoothly.

I also really appreciated how Selznick tackled the subject and history of deafness in the United States. It made me want to research it for myself and get more educated than I was before, which I always welcome in books.

And as I said earlier about those brilliant illustrations, here are some of my personal favorites:























Also, I loved the shout-out to the song “Space Oddity” in this book. It perfectly fit the mood Wonderstruck was giving out.

3.5/5 stars

*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Wonderstruck, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*


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[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't on my radar until my Goodreads friend Jackie kindly offered to gift me with her copy, which she'd read and didn't want to keep; and I owe her a big "thank you!" Although I picked it up to read a few days ago primarily because I wanted a quick read (and I'd determined earlier, in thumbing through it a bit, that much of its daunting thickness was taken up by pictures), it proved to be a reading experience of unexpected depth and emotional power. (And, yes, wonder!)

We have an earlier work by Selznick in the same style/format, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, in the collection at the library where I work; but I'd never read it nor heard much about it, and so didn't know what to expect here. Selznick is an accomplished artist as well as a gifted writer; but what he's created here is not simply a novel with illustrations, nor a conventional "graphic novel." He's invented a format that's genuinely new and ground-breaking, in which the illustrations carry a significant part of the storyline, and serve as much as a part of the narrative as the conventional text portions; it's truly "a novel in words and pictures." Near the outset, we meet our two co-protagonists: 12-year-old Ben of Gunflint Lake, MN (which is an actual place in real life) in 1977, and 12-year-old Rose in Hoboken, NJ in 1927. Their storylines switch back and forth, Ben's told almost entirely through text, Rose's through pictures, except where writing is a seamless part of the picture itself. Surprisingly, the events of Rose's story aren't as ambiguous as one might think; there are some surprises, and some things that are mysterious, but they're intended to be. We sense that the two narratives, though separated by fifty years in time, are somehow interrelated; but Selznick will answer our question of how in his own perfect time.

The author was born in 1966, for Rose's story, he reaches back in time, while Ben (born in 1965) is almost his exact contemporary. Hence my classification of the novel as both general fiction and historical fiction (though I see it primarily as general fiction). It's a story about family, about friendship, about belonging, about love, about the worth of every person, about being who you are, about the wonders of life and the world around us. While it's not a sappy story, it's a moving and uplifting one. The Hugo Cabret book is classified as a children's book (and won the Caldecott Medal, given for art in a children's book). This one, obviously, has child protagonists; and it's refreshingly free of bad language. There's also no violence, and no sexual content as such, though one situation might presuppose a degree of adult understanding. (We know early on that Ben's mother was a single mom, and that since this isn't Xanth, the stork wasn't involved.) But given modern social conditions, even if they aren't initiated into what's known in Xanth as the Adult Conspiracy, today's kids are probably accustomed to not thinking it unusual that some sets of parents aren't married to each other. There's nothing here that makes the book unsuitable for teens or tweens, and the reading level should be within their grasp, though it isn't dumbed-down. That said, there's also nothing here that makes it unsuitable for adults (indeed, as C. S. Lewis pointed out, a children's book that's ONLY capable of appealing to children probably isn't very worthwhile reading even for the latter). Selznick tells an emotionally, socially and morally authentic story in a realistic way, dealing with serious themes and truths that are as meaningful for adults as for the younger set. And he tells it with artistry that an adult reader can appreciate.

No review of this book would be complete without a word about the artwork. Of course, I'm no art critic (I took two years of art in high school, and that's about it), so my critique won't be highly technical. I can say that Selznick works strictly in black and white, using (I'd guess) a pencil, and varies his compositions from close-ups of faces and figures to more panoramic scenes, some of which have wonderful levels of detail. (He made serious use of real-life models of, and familiarity with, actual localities and buildings.) His draftsmanship is excellent, perfectly adapted to storytelling with pictures. The facial expressions of the characters make them as real as actual persons, and more than once he makes outstanding use of the technique of showing the same scene with increasingly close focus on one point of the picture --kind of a slow-motion close-up with pencil. Personally, I found the use of visual images here very effective.

The author's Acknowledgements in the back are quite detailed, and give an idea of the extent of his research into his settings, as well as the rare slight liberties he took. He also shares a three-page Selected Bibliography (mostly of print books) about several topics and settings relevant to the story.

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" --Oscar Wilde. If you read the book (and I recommend you do!), you'll understand the role that quote plays in the narrative.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has read “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... readers are in for another interesting reading journey.

This is the story of Rose and Ben told in two different ways, 50 years apart. Rose’s story is told in pictures. Ben’s story is told in words.

And…As readers we are wondering…

Will these two stories find a way to converge into one?

Their stories weave back and forth, showcasing the emotions of loneliness, sadness, and highlighting desperate times and a need to find belongingness.

Especially in their deafness.

Ben’s mother has passed, and he is on a mission to find his Dad.

Someone he has never met.

He finds a clue in a book called ‘Wonderstruck’ that he locates amongst his mother’s things.

How will this clue lead him closer to unraveling the mysteries of his dreams, and his mother’s past?

And…What can it tell us readers about Rose?

Beautifully and uniquely told with adventure scenes through museums and stunning pictures of faces, cityscapes, and wolves and much, much, more...

This is a story that will captivate any child or adult.

Kleenex might be necessary.

As with “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” this book can be a beautiful read-along experience, or a YA novel filled with hope and dreams and purpose and wonder.

And…The importance of family.

[AMEERA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow 👏🏼

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only just come across this author/ illustrator, and this book was really impressive, the illustrations and story were equally good and I think this is something that rarely happens. The story is very unique, one part told by text and one by drawings. When the book started switching between the two, it made me feel as though the story told by the drawings was a silent movie, as I read on this became more relevant.

I liked the way the story deals with a parent who has died, but still feels like they are there, a parent who didn't know he was one, but again plays their part, and a parent who was around but not really being a parent- several examples of being a parent from a distance.

The illustrations are beautiful, I loved the way they went on for several pages and you could become quite involved with them, I liked the way you could spot family resemblances
At first I thought the girl in the illustrations was his mum as a child I enjoyed watching the storylines come together and they weren't completely predictable. I love museums, so this book was really enjoyable for me. My daughter has just started reading this.

One thing I found odd was a part where the sign language alphabet was illustrated, showed different gestures for each letters than the one I was taught. Surely US sign language is the same as UK sign language?!

This is a lovely book and I think it would be ideal for children who struggle to read a longer fiction book, as the pictures help whizz you through what would otherwise be a long read. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite Wonderstruck's 630 pages, I read it within the span of three hours. Granted, over 460 of those pages are illustrations, but I still believe this fact attests to Wonderstruck's ability to keep its reader engaged and entertained.

Wonderstruck is two stories in one: it is Ben's story, and it is Rose's story. With the former's being told in words, and the latter's being told in illustrations, this textile tale takes two youngsters, a book, a turtle, a bookstore, a museum, and several supporting characters and blends them perfectly to ultimately make one beautiful, symmetrical story.
As the story carefully unfolds, we learn that Ben is deaf in one ear, and Rose is deaf completely. Ben has recently lost his mother, and is now anxious to find out all he can about his father, whom his mother never told him about. After finding a few clues in his mother's bedroom, Ben goes off to New York in search of his father.
Meanwhile, Rose, always feeling like she doesn't belong anywhere, is obsessed with a movie starlet. Thanks to a newspaper article, Rose ends up going to see this actress during one of her stage shows in New York.
Although their stories are fifty years apart, both characters go on almost the exact same journey and end up in many of the same places, and the reader is left feeling nothing short of amazement when all is revealed and each character finds what they've been so desperate to have: love, and a sense of belonging.

As it is children's literature, Wonderstruck isn't the sort of story I'd normally go for. But the more I read the more I realize that stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to truly see what you're missing. And in the case of Wonderstruck, it is certainly something to behold. Selznick's illustrations are absolute food for the eyes and I believe they speak for themselves:







Along with a few other illustrated works I've recently read, Wonderstruck has given me an appreciation for art and helped me to see how it can truly make a story come alive. 3.5 stars

P.S. I'm very much looking forward to exploring Selznick's debut, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which I'm sure you know has recently been made into a movie.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Fabulous! So special! Very clever!

I liked this book even better than The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and that’s saying a lot. it’s even more emotionally touching than that first book.

Ben. Rose. Jamie. Etc. All of them touched me.

For not the first time I am tempted to create a new-york or nyc shelf.

I read this book in one day. Rose’s story told via pictures and Ben’s told via text were both mesmerizing.

I have memories of the 1964 New York World’s Fair, which is mentioned/”shown” in this story (which takes place in 1977 & 1927) had me spellbound all over again.

The title name is brilliantly incorporated more than one way into this story.

I recommend this book to just about everybody, particularly anybody who fits/likes any of the following: museums, books, the Museum of Natural History in NYC, bookstores, is interested in the deaf and/or Deaf culture, likes historical fiction stories, remembers the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, liked From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, is a fan of wolves, appreciates a good orphan story, enjoys beautiful and fascinating book illustrations, can feel in awe of unusual and brilliant books. I really don’t know what to say that wouldn’t come across as hyperbole. This book is great. Truly great. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. It might end up on my favorites shelf; I’ll have to mull over that decision.

Entertaining and informative and absolutely not to be missed: end of the book Acknowledgments, and also a great Selected Bibliography, with many categories.

[Mario the lone bookwolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most unusual graphic novels

Because it separates graphic and novel
So is it still a graphic novel or not more of a comic with short stories in between? Well, other more qualified genre nerds, geeks, and fanatics should judge in their councils, subjectively it kind of reduces the flow one usually gets in the genre. So I´m more with the critics who deem it not that big of a hit, especially

Because it also doesn´t really care about genre conventions
There isn´t that much action, the story is nice and all, but honestly, there could have been much more unleashed potential just as in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznicks´biggest hit. Or let´s say I read this because I wanted more Hugo but got Ben, Rose, and dealing with deafness, all 3 quite big downers

Without the right amount of fantastic realism
With more of that special ingredient, it would have been as big and fascinating as Hugo Cabret. But so, it´s still a good, but by far not that compelling story, because it´s both depressing and has its lengths, especially because of the graphic novel on off switch game that got me completely out of the stream of consciousness Zen reading level.

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book.
I read it as slowly as I could, but I have finally finished it. The use of illustrations and text were so wonderful and made for a unique reading experience.

I'm sad to have finished it and will be reading more by Brian Selznick, as this was absolutely amazing.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderstruck is over 600 pages long and I read it in one sitting. Yeah, this book is 75% illustrations, but still it's no small fit for a children's book to keep my attention like that.

Brian Selznick intertwines two stories together in his Novel in Words and Pictures. 12-year old Ben lives in 1977 Minnesota and mourns the death of his mother. 50 years earlier a girl flees her New Jersey home and goes to New York. Ben's story is told entirely in words, and Rose's - in pictures.

Of course we know that these two stories of lonely children are bound to merge together, and they do. But the way they crisscross and link into each other along the way is a wonder. Both narratives are paced in the best possible way, making you want to read more, to learn more, to uncover the mystery faster.

I rarely enjoy such words/pictures combos, one medium almost dominates the other, but this time it is an organic union. Selznick's prose is simple but soulful, his pencil (I assume) drawings are vibrant.

A very sweet novel about friendships, families and desire to belong, and an unexpected ode to New York City and museums.

[Gypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

راستش با تمام تعریف و تمجیدهایی که شنیدم، فک کردم وختی تمومش کنم، پنج می‌دم. ولی داستانش- برای من- در حد دو بود. گرچه بار عاطفی ِ اثر خیلی درگیرکننده ساخته شده بود. اما به‌لحاظ داستانی.. البته خب توقع منم زیاده، مخاطبش من نیستم که. :دی ولی بار عظیم داستان و روایت‌پردازی رو، تصاویرش به‌دوش می‌کشیدن که جداً محشر بودن! من چن‌تاشونو هی برمی‌گشتم نیگا می‌کردم حین خوندن و پر از داستان و احساسات قشنگ می‌شدم. ولی یکی از ایرادات ِ وارده رو، اغراق می‌دونم. گفتم که بار عاطفی‌ش قشنگ بود و شیرین. ولی گاهی دل آدمو می‌زد. داشت می‌رفت که مصنوعی بشه. نظر منه البته. وگرنه برا رده‌سنی خودش واقعاً چیز متفاوت و خوندنی‌ایه.

[Roya · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those moments when I finish a book, look at the blank screen of my goodreads review section, and feel lost for words! So I shall write about my loss for words!

Ever since I was little, I preferred to look at pictures over reading words. My artistic imagination was ablaze whenever I saw any kind of book illustration!
Let's go back in time to when I was maybe 9 years old. I was in the library trying to pick out a book in the children's section. I was always being encouraged by my parents and teachers to form mental images in my mind while I read prose. I was always feeling conflicted between loving visual/illustrated books and wanting to also love books without pictures.
It was then, in the library, when I saw the thick gray spine of The Invention of Hugo Cabaret by Brian Selznick. I remember feelings my eyes widen as I took in the face of Hugo Cabaret drawn beautifully on the spine and back cover.
It was one of the thickest books on the shelf, and I had an overwhelming thought of, "I can't read this! It's HUGE!" It wasn't until I opened it and flicked through its pages that I realized it was half prose writing half illustration! Meaning that it told the story through words AND pictures! I can perfectly remember the excitement I felt to this day!
It was then that I knew I would become a book illustrator (and writer) myself one day! And here I am, in my last year of Uni getting my degree in Illustration and writing! Look how far we've come little Carolyn!

Now you may be wondering (pun intended) why I'm talking about Hugo when this is a review for Wonderstruck! Well, that story of my discovering the brilliant writer and illustrator Brian Selznick directly relates to my enjoyment of this book!
I've only read Hugo by Selznick because I was oddly nervous to read another story him. Would it live up to the life-changing effects Hugo had on me? Well of course not, because I'm not 9 years old anymore...I'm 22! I now primarily read prose writing, although my heart will always belong to illustrated books! I'm also not doodling in my math and science classes anymore, because I'm not taking math and science classes! My schoolwork IS doodling! A more advanced form a doodling, but doodling none the less.
So no, it didn't have the same effect Hugo had. It had an even more special effect, one that proved I'm on the right path! Reading this incredible book, and seeing these stunning drawings just confirmed that my 9 year old self was right! I'm meant to be an illustrator!
I owe a lot to a vast number of illustrators, Brian Selznick especially, for showing me my "destiny" in a sense. Their stories will live in my heart forever, and hopefully one day I can do the same for another child seeking words and pictures.

Please read this book (and Hugo Cabaret)!!! It will comfort your mind and amaze your eyes!

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hype. What’s the point? A publisher believes that a book is going to be big so they crank up the old hype machine and do everything in their power to draw attention to it long before its publication date. That’s what they did for Brian Selznick’s Wonderstruck and I was sad to see it. As far as I was concerned, Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret was too tough an act to follow. Here you had a book that managed to get hundreds of librarians across the nation of America to redefine in their own minds the very definition of “picture book”. Cabret was remarkable because it combined words and pictures in a manner most closely resembling a film. Indeed the whole plot of the book revolved around filmmaking so what would be the point of writing another book in the same vein? If Cabret credits its success in part to its originality, doesn’t that give his Wonderstruck a handicap right from the start? You’d think so, but you might also forget something about Cabret. While the art was spectacular and the plotting just fine, the writing was merely a-okay. By no means a detriment to the book, mind you. Just okay. And maybe that's partly why Wonderstruck works as well as it does. The art is just as beautiful as Cabret's, the plotting superior, and the writing not just good, but fantastic. Where Cabret wowed readers with spectacle, Wonderstruck hits ‘em where it hurts. Right in the heart. For once, we’re dealing with a book that is actually worth its own hype.

Ben: Gunflint Lake, Minnesota, June 1977. Rose: Hoboken, New Jersey, October 1927. Ben’s Story - written: Newly orphaned when his mother dies, Ben comes to believe that he has a father, hitherto unknown, living in New York City. When an accident involving a telephone and a bolt of lightning renders him deaf, he sets out for the big city in search of clues to who his father really is. Rose’s Story - seen almost solely in pictures: A seeming prisoner in her own home, Rose too sets out for New York City to see the actress Lillian Mayhew for reasons of her own. The two children both end up in The American Museum of Natural History and both discover something there that will help to give them what they need to solve their own problems. And in that discovery, they will find one another.

I’ll just state right here and now that you could probably tell from the opening paragraph of this review that it’s extraordinarily difficult to talk about Wonderstruck without invoking Hugo Cabret in the same breath. This is mostly because of the unique written/image-driven style Selznick utilizes in both of these books. It’s not an unheard of technique, alternating written passages with visual ones, but it’s rarely done this well. What strikes me as significant, though, is that the style is chosen for a reason. In Hugo Cabret the focus was on the old original silent films. As a result, the images are shown as if you’re watching a silent movie, with text appearing between the illustrated sequences. Wonderstruck has a different motivation, if a seemingly similar set-up. Here the illustrated sequences are for a story separate from the text though they eventually blend with that story. There is a brief glimpse of a silent film here, but the real reason for the silent illustrated sections is because much of the story deals with people who are deaf or are becoming deaf. Visual storytelling (much preferred by Rose in the form of silent films) puts you in the protagonists’ shoes.

It’ll also break your heart. The text, as I say, is incredibly strong here but Selznick knows how to use art to get to your core. There’s a moment when a character writes “I miss you momma” followed by a look of simple longing that will ensnare both adult and child reader alike. There’s shock in that moment but also true storytelling. In fact, there are always clues in Selznick's images that tell you a great deal about what's really going on. Look at Rose’s mother’s dressing room and tell me if you can find a single photograph, in the midst of so many, of her only daughter. Later the character of Walter is seen in his apartment, a childhood picture of him and Rose sitting prominently on his shelf. Careful readings are rewarded with significant details (the sneaky Where's Waldo-esque capers of similarly striped shirted Jamie is worth the price of admission alone).

Selznick takes a risk telling two tales in two different styles, of course. The fear is that when one is tense and fast-paced and the other leisurely that the momentum of one will slow down thanks to the other. Yet the man clearly knows what he is doing. Exciting sequences are paired with exciting sequences. Chase with chase, escape with escape. Selznick knows how to engage you simultaneously in two tales at once so that flipping between them two is never a chore. Nor (almost more impressively) do you ever forget what was happening in one story while another was going on. I’m sure that there will be some kids who “read” the book entirely through the pictures, but even if they do they’re going to have to double back and read the text to find out what happens to Rose.

Selznick’s storytelling style cannot tell a tale without also working in a mad variety of variegated elements. Here he pulls together a wolf exhibit, the history of The American Museum of Natural History, deaf culture, lightning, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and more. So while his greatest strength is probably his art, a close second would have to be his ability to link seemingly disparate facts into a seamless whole. It’s like writing poetry more than anything else. Connections are drawn so that you come to think of them naturally coming together.

Thinking about it, Wonderstruck's closest kin isn’t Hugo Cabret after all. It’s Shaun Tan’s The Arrival. In both cases a book uses visual clues to put the reader in the hero’s shoes. Where in The Arrival everything is as strange to the reader as it is to the immigrant hero, here we must learn to rely on our eyes to suss out a story told through visual elements. I mentioned at the beginning of this review that I think that Wonderstruck is better than Cabret and it’s for the same reason that I’d pair this with The Arrival: It draws an emotional response from the reader. You care about both Rose and Ben. You want them to find what they are looking for; in Rose’s own words, to belong somewhere. Books that can elicit real emotions from the readers are the ones that remain in their memories long after the books are gone. Selznick could easily have duplicated the success of Cabret and trotted out something similar and paltry and it would still have been hyped within an inch of its life by his publisher. Instead, he took a chance and tried something new and different. The gamble, if that’s even what it was, paid off and we’re the ones who win. Wonderstruck lives up to its name. For everyone. Everywhere.

For ages 9 and up.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why it took me so long to pick this up since I enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret so much. I think I still liked that one better, but I love how these two stories set 50 years apart develop together and weave together. Brian Selznick is truly an awesome author and storyteller.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

My stepson's contemporary ballet company is touring a show with a full act called “Stardust” set to David Bowie music. In the days leading up to the New Orleans performance my husband’s youngest granddaughter (a 5th-grader) mentioned to me a book she was reading that quoted a Bowie song. The song was “Space Oddity” and I could tell she was trying to figure out if it was pertinent to the ballet we would soon see. (It most certainly was.) Because of this coincidence, I checked out the book for myself.

The book holds two compelling, though at first seemingly unrelated, stories of two different time periods: one told in illustrations, the other in words. The illustrations are marvelous, with a real sense of place and time (the late 20s). Perhaps because of the necessarily limited viewpoint of the narrator, I didn’t feel a real sense of time with the story set in the late 70s, Bowie song references notwithstanding. The two stories are told intermittently, each stopped at synchronistic moments, until they come together seamlessly—and surprisingly, thanks to a clever deflection by the author.

The book contains a whole lot of information, some of which might cause a reader’s mind to wander and to wish they were back with the illustrations. But maybe I feel that way only because any story of a runaway child living in a museum will inevitably pale in comparison to one of my absolute favorite childhood books, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. At one point, I sensed a tribute to the latter—the author’s acknowledgments at the back of the book confirmed it. And now that I’ve refreshed my memory of the E.L. Konigsburg, I see that there were at least two more clues to the homage.

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm such a huge fan of Brian Selznick because he's a master at constructing stories. And not only that, but stories that intersect art and prose BEAUTIFULLY. This was no exception. I love that this book focuses on two separate stories and timelines, but they find relevancy to the other in the end. It was absolutely fascinating and I read 300 pages of this in one sitting because it just flies by. I found the focus on deaf characters especially heightened the importance of telling one of these stories without words. It just made everything that much more meaningful.

The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I didn't feel as close with this one as I've felt about his books in the past. It did cause me to tear up in a few places, and for the most part I liked Ben and Rose as main characters, but nothing about them blew me away (as opposed to The Marvels, which is a masterpiece).

I highly recommend Selznick's books! Grab them from the library if they're too expensive for you, but it's definitely worth it.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely missed the boat somehow on this book. Rather than feeling smarter than all my friends who rated this four or five stars (they all did)--which is what bad or mediocre reviews of well-loved books sometimes sound like--I feel dumber, because I sense that there must be something I'm missing.

I read the first third of the book in one gulp and remember being fascinated. Several weeks went by before I was able to get back to it. That might have had something to do with it, or maybe I was just in the right mood to read it originally, and the wrong mood later. I did go back and after finishing and read the first third again, to recapture my enjoyment of it--maybe the first third was that much better?--but wasn't taken with anything.

The art, while excellently done, is not in a style that I find particularly engaging, and I thought having them go all the way across two pages made them difficult to look at--I couldn't see the gutters well. (I hope these books are well-bound or they're going to be destroyed in a few years from having the spine strained to show the pictures.)

The writing... I honestly didn't think it was anything to get excited about. It isn't really bad, but I didn't have much sense of the story moving forward, and with the exception of Ben, the characters didn't feel well-fleshed-out or natural to me, especially Ben's friend Jamie.

[SPOILER ALERT] On a personal-squick level, it bothered me that Ben's mom, who is supposed to be so wonderful, didn't (the book implies) tell Ben's dad about him--and then she even met his parents, who'd just lost their only son, and didn't tell them "this little boy right here, this is your grandson"? It isn't remotely suggested that anyone would have tried to take him away from his mother or anything; how could she be so selfish? It didn't jibe for me with the way her character is described. And, it occurs to me: if she HAD told them (as I felt her character-as-described would have), the essential drama of the book would be totally gone, since Ben's grandparents would have found a way to be in his life and he never would have had to go looking for anyone. So this feels like one of the things I dislike most in books: manufactured drama. I guess it isn't just a personal squick thing.

It's an enjoyable book, and certain kids (many kids) will love poring over the illustrations for the little hidden details and clues. I might have myself, as a child. But I don't think the text belongs on the Newbery table.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I opened this book with an almost giddy feeling of anticipation, knowing I'd love it but not knowing quite what to expect. It's more fun if you don't know too much, so I'll try to share my excitement without revealing plot details.

Wonderstruck weaves together two stories. One is told with words, the other with masterful drawings. Ben Wilson and Rose Kincaid are separated by 50 years, but they have some things in common. Both are longing for a missing parent. Both have lost their hearing. They're about the same age. And both leave home on a private quest. Rose lives in 1927, and Ben lives in 1977. Discovering how they come to occupy the same space fifty years apart, and find the comfort they seek, is your journey through Wonderstruck.

In his exquisite pencil drawings, Brian Selznick creates Rose's world with a perfect combination of detail and shadowy suggestion. The facial expressions, especially the eyes, are most impressive. I also loved the detail in the architecture and other features of Rose's time period. The way Selznick sets the scene with clothing, cars, advertisements, museums and other landmarks made me want to be there with Rose in 1927 New York City. (What? No Hard Rock Cafe?)

Ben's story is told in words, and it touches on some important themes. Ben's enthusiasm for the wonders of nature opens up that world of discovery in exciting ways. Through Ben we also see how a child aches for a lost parent, and the wishful thinking that follows such a loss.

Deafness plays a large part in how the story unfolds, and Selznick has done his homework. How might the world be different for a deaf child? For Ben, there's the difficulty with communication, and also the disorientation of being in new surroundings while living in a silent world. He's in a big, unfamiliar city, and his confusion is magnified by his inability to hear the noises that should warn him of danger. What a relief it is for him when he finds a friend who is not only patient enough to communicate in writing, but even teaches him a little sign language.

Wonderstruck is recommended for Grades 4 and up. For the intended youthful audience, it deserves the full five stars. Just examining the details in the 460+ pages of drawings would have captivated me for hours as a child. For adult readers this is closer to a four-star book. My adult mind picked out some holes in the plot that I never would have noticed when I was a youngster.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Maybe, thought Ben, we are all cabinets of wonders."

A life-giving, hope-giving masterpiece. In the vein of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck is a novel articulated both pictorially and linguistically. This book traverses a vast multitude of themes, ranging from loss, to temporality, memory, disability, and of course friendship (as all the best middle grade novels do!).

I love stories with multiple points of view and was so enamored by the inventiveness of this particular novel, which ambitiously details the stories of two characters: one whose life is depicted
through text, and the other’s solely through illustrations. Even the acknowledgements section of this book was stunning.

Hugo Cabret has been one of my favorite books since I was a child and Wonderstruck has been on my To-be-read list for probably 7 years now. After reading this, I can definitely say that Brian Selznick is one of my favorite authors and I’m so excited to read more of his works!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que livro lindo! Uma história de amizade muito poderosa, onde o passado e o presente se cruzam de forma admirável. Com uma parte da história escrita (a de Ben), e outra parte desenhada (a de Rose), vamos descobrindo a história de duas crianças muito parecidas e com muito em comum, excepto o facto de viverem em épocas distintas. Contudo as suas vidas vão-se intercalar magistralmente, dando origem a um final, verdadeiramente inesperado. Não deixem de ler e reler!

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely stunning. I adored it right from page one and I've had it on my wishlist for years before I finally got it given to me at Christmas time. I am so, so happy I made time to finally read and enjoy it this week becuase it is truly something magical (although it's technically got no 'real' magic). This book is unique for the way it is told and the story it tells which really resonated with me and touched me in many ways.

First off, let's talk about the format of this book. This is no ordinary novel becuase part of the storyline is told entirely through images and that takes not only skill and determination but also talent. Brian Selznick clearly has that talent though as he's managed to capture and recreate these characters in a variety of angles, places, emotions and scenes. The imagery is all pencil drawn with some truly beautiful cropped shots of certain moments which are pivotal to the story.
I have a real soft spot for any pencil-drawn imagery anyway, but this book felt so incredibly cinematic and beautiful to me whilst I read it that it just flowed into my mind even without the words there for guidance.

This is the story of Ben. A young boy who is dealing with the loss of his mother. Not only this, but he's half-deaf and an adventurous child. Ben doesn't know quite what's going to happen to him after his mother passing away, but he does know that there's some things she never was able to tell him and he starts to find some clues along the way which lead him to find out some wonderful things about his personality, himself and his future.
I instantly connected with Ben as I too am half-deaf. I don't know sign language myself, and some of the moments Ben encountered in this book really did move me and affect me as I knew if I were in his situation, that would be me. He's a loveable character right from the start with a single desire, to find out more about his past. He probably does a few things that he shouldn't do too, but he's sensible and clever for his age, which makes him a great character to follow.

I honestly think that the raw emotions within this affected me most when it was a relationship forming. I loved seeing Ben meeting people and trying to communicate with them becuase it was so fascinating and eye-opening to learn more about the Deaf culture. I have always had problems with my own hearing, and this was a very personal, moving story for me to read becuase of that, but I don't think it would be less so had I not becuase the visuals alone have a sense of wonder to them.
This truly captivated me from page. 1 which really isn't something a lot of books do, and I haven't read a children's book for a long time, so this was perfect to read. I enjoyed the pacing and the momentum of the story, interspersed with the charming imagery, and I will certainly be buying all of Selznick's other works in this format in future!

Overall a moving, fun and eye-opening read for all ages. A definite 5*s book since it made me cry a little with happiness, and I loved it.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ben remembered reading about curators in 'Wonderstruck', and thought about what it meant to curate your own life... What would it be like to pick and choose the objects and stories that would go into your own cabinet [of wonders]? How would been curate *his* own life? And then, thinking about his museum box, and his house, and his books, and the secret room, he realized he'd already begun doing it. Maybe, thought Ben, we are all cabinets of wonders."

And this book is a wonder! It's "the whole package", full of love and sorrow and joy and excitement and mystery. I am glad I didn't really know what the book was about before I read it; it added to the suspense and surprises (even though I guessed a fair amount of them) so I won't add a synopsis to my review (if you want one, there are plenty of good ones to be found). I loved how the two stories came together, that of a young boy named Ben from Gunflint Lake, Michigan in 1977 and one of a young girl in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1927. As with The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick seamlessly weaves written word with sections of purely illustrations to tell the story.

This is a wonderful book and one that I wish had been around when I was learning American Sign Language. I also think it would be wonderful for deaf children, or hearing children of deaf parents. While I've never been friends with a deaf person, I feel I gained some insight into the Deaf culture in the three semesters I took ASL and it seems that Selznick has done a good job capturing it. I felt grateful for my background in ASL because I was able to easily understand a few of the parts in the book that may have been a bit more mysterious for those who were unfamiliar with sign language, but I think Selznick was clear enough that even someone new to ASL could appreciate and understand what he was writing about and depicting through the art.

Selznick blends historical fact with fiction to create a story that, while largely fabricated, rings very true and manages to bring many aspects of history and museums to life.

Highly recommended! Spoiler below for those who have read the book and want to know more about a certain museum exhibit:

Here's a picture of the NYC Panorama at the Queens Museum of Art:
http://www.queensmuseum.org/exhibitio...

Also, I was thrilled to learn that they now have "Signed Sundays" with guided ASL tours of the Panorama!!! I wonder if Selznick's book prompted this, or if it's just a coincidence?
http://www.queensmuseum.org/signed-su...

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this dual-timeline novel, Ben and Rose both escape to New York City to find what is missing in their lives 50 years apart. Ben's story is told in text and is interspersed with Rose's story, told in pictures. Both characters are deaf children all alone in the big city with all its dangers. Will they find what they are looking for?



“Ben wished the world was organized by the Dewey decimal system. That way you'd be able to find whatever you were looking for.”

I fell in love with the characters and the beautiful drawings in this book. Rose was born deaf, so the fact that her story was told in images rather than words was a surprising, yet wonderful, reinforcement of her world. The pictures were haunting at times in their silence.



Be aware of potentially offensive content in the form of child endangerment. It has been said that to write a good children's book, you need to get rid of the parents in the first chapter. That is exactly what happens here. The children never actually face danger, but the threat of it is present throughout the book.



Both stories are heartwrenching yet hopeful. Rose, a young, deaf girl who has been trapped in her country home unable to leave because of her disability, dreams of meeting a famous actress in the big city. Ben, whose mother recently died, follows clues he found in his mother's effects in search of the father he has never known. Both are compelling stories and it is difficult to tell how the two stories will converge. I'm not going to give it away, but I will say that it is surprising and beautiful.