Based on the New York Times Bestseller by R.J. Palacio, “Wonder” follows a year in the life of August Pullman. In the movie, August, Auggie for short, was born with a genetic abnormality that has required him to undergo many surgeries and medical treatments.

After reading the novel and seeing the movie, I can not chose which is my favorite. The director, Stephen Chbosky, managed to take a fictional story and make it genuinely moving in every way. The opinion on whether the movie or book was better is pretty much split. Sophomore Matthew Mathison enjoyed the book more while sophomore Elizabeth Lewis preferred the movie.

“I thought [Wonder] was a good story,” Mathison said. “I thought the actors were very talented and my favorite part was the message‒to be kind.”

In school, Auggie receives weird looks and is made fun of for his disabilities. Although “Wonder,” is not based on a true story, many kids can relate to what Auggie went through. In the story, multiple people’s perspectives are shown, to show that Auggie is not the only one going through a tough time.

“I thought it was very interesting and cool to see the different perspectives,” Lewis said. “It also seemed realistic, and something that usually happens to kids at different schools.”

Via, Auggie’s older sister, has been allowing her brother to be the center of attention at the expense of her own emotional needs. Via’s best friend has stopped talking to her and Via has started pursuing theater, but her parents do not know that.

“Via, the older sister, naturally looks like a shy person,” Lewis said. “I feel like she takes on the role of Via and just amplifies the fact that Auggie got a lot of attention for his disorder.”

Although it seems like it, “Wonder” is not based on a true story. The author, R.J. Palacio, was inspired to write the novel when she took her son to the ice cream store and he started crying at the sight of a girl with a facial deformity. Palacio abruptly left with her son but later felt terrible about how she had reacted. To show her kid that there was nothing to be afraid of, she wrote “Wonder.”

Since “Wonder” came into theaters rather recently, it shouldn’t be going away anytime soon. I definitely recommend “Wonder” for anyone who likes moving and inspiring stories.