Book Review: Wonderstruck

One book narrates, in pictures and words, two stories set fifty years apart. Rose’s story is wonderfully told by Selznick’s black and white pencil illustrations. What amazed me the most was how Rose’s eyes did most of the storytelling; you could tell that she felt abandoned, and unloved. As the stories unfold it is evident that Ben and Rose’s characters have much in common. Both deaf children long for a sense of belonging, for love, and share a similar adventure, running away to New York in search for a parent. As the children arrive in New York, they are both faced with disappointment. Rose’s mother, an actress, rejects her and Ben is unable to find who he thinks might be his father. As they arrive at the American Museum of Natural History their lives and circumstances no longer seem to be coincidences but fate. As the stories merged into one bittersweet ending I couldn't help but feel glad that Ben and Rose had found each other. Ben found someone who could understand him; someone he finally felt connected to. Rose finally found someone to comfort her. To fill the void left by her son’s death, her grandson Ben.