Book Review: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

Some writers are perfect when it comes to writing skills, but the ways in which a story is built is not always satisfactory. At least, for my taste in books. In a way, a really hate it to be so much into the book until the very last few pages when everything ends up too abruptly or in a way that does not balance the fantastic previous developments. It is a realm of expectations that is broken and, as a passionate reader, you feel betrayed.

It happened to me at a great extent in the case of Room by Emma Donoghue, and at a smaller rate with The Wonder, by the same author. 

The Wonder is a fascinating read, as it explores the willing food deprivation of a teenage girl in the Irish Midlands at the end of the 19th century. Based on an occurrence of similar cases recorded at the time, it focuses on the conflicts between science and religion and the ways in which religion can distort and pervert a young child´s perception.

Anna O´Donnell is supposed to have been fasted for four months and a a team of ´experts´ is supposed to watch her day and night in order to oversee the reliability of the situation. A nurse, Lib, is watching her day and night switching shifts with a nun. During the interactions with the girl, Lib is going through an intellectual transformation as she is critically considering the limitations and distorsions brought by religion. Although not a believer herself, and not a Catholic as the Irish majority, Lib is able to go beyond the limitations of upbringing and belief in order to let prevail the humanity of us all. 

The story is developped step-by-step in a slightly suspenseful way. I´ve felt a couple of times that the dialogues and the language were out-of-time or at least not pertaining to the 19th century when the story is placed which is a disadvantage when you call your novel ´historical´. What was brilliantly realized though was the reconstruction of the deceiving religious vocabulary which can hid so well abuse and manipulation. The dangerous exposure of a little child abused sexually to all the religious brainwashing is out-of-time and applies unfortunatelly to more than one religion followers. 

As for the ending, it took place way too fast and too unexpectedly. The surprise was welcomed and interesting, but the way in which it was instrumented not so. I felt like I was invited in a home and kept warm for a while being told beautiful stories as to be rushed suddenly to the exit without no further warning.

But I really enjoyed the time spent reading and this was enough to go beyond my short disappointment.

Rating: 3 stars