[Asis’ Review] Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck
by Brian Selznick
Pages: 640
Published by Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 13th 2011
Genres: YA
Source: Retailer
Format Read: Paperback
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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.

I can’t say enough about this book. And let me tell you now, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it.

The format was so completely unique and it hooked me in immediately.

The characters were so sweet and interesting, and seeing their relationships develop just like seeing them grow individually was simply delightful.
I also loved seeing such a phenomenal book including characters with disabilities portrayed in such an excellent way.

The story was so heartwarming, original and surprisingly, incredibly moving too, I couldn’t put it down. And I wasn’t expecting that from this type of book. But here we are.

I also thought the setting of the story (New York, for most of the time) was perfect, and it was super interesting and fantastic to learn about and to see this museum, this city… in such a unique and wonderful way, through the eyes of our main characters —their wonder and love for it is incredibly contagious. I need to go there now even more than I used to… I saw these places in a different light and got so much more information (and visuals) about them, I just need to go.

Also, reading the acknowledgments or getting more info about the author is not even necessary to know how much research he put into his work, and that’s something any reader will appreciate in a book like this one.

My final comment goes to the AMAZING drawings we can find in his book. The illustrations were absolutely fantastic, I simply don’t have enough words for the impact they had on me. It was for sure one of my favorite things and one of the biggest highlights of the book.

My wonder towards Brian Selznick as a writer and storyteller —and as an illustrator —has no limits right now.