Under the Looks

   Hooray! I recently just finished an amazing book called Echo by Pam Munoz Ryam. This book is hand off one of the best books I've ever read, besides The Grimm Conclusion. However, this book has its differences. For one, this book has 587 pages, which makes this longest book I've ever read. Also, there are no grim things in the boo k. And the point of view in the book is different also (blog on that coming soon!) Anyways this book is about three different people and their story, Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy. All of three of them have a taste in music, and a harmonica. And this harmonica isn't just any harmonica, it's a special harmonica. How is it special, you ask? Well, one is when played it sounds as if there are other instruments playing with it. Also, the letter M is on the harmonica. And each time the character play it, it takes them to another world,
 But, their story takes place in different times and places. For example Friedrich's story/life takes place in Trossingen, Baden-Wurttemberg German, in the year 1933. While Ivy's story/life takes place in Southern California, USA, in the year 1942. This book definitely has its ups and downs, which makes me made, but still want to continue reading. Try giving this book a read, and hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did! However, this is not what I wanted to blog about. I want to blog about the similarities and differences this book, specifically Friedrich's life, has compared with the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio.
   The book Wonder is about a boy who has a disability, which makes him look different than other people. He also talks about the difficulties he has with being different than everyone else and having to deal with his newest obstacle, school. This is kind of similar to Friedrich's story in the book Echo. He doesn't have a disability, but he does have a birthmark on his cheek, that make people look at him. A quote form the book says "But there was no hiding his blotchy birthmark. It was as if an imaginary line had been drawn down the middle of his face and neck. And on one side, his skin was like everyone else's, but on the other, a painter had dabbed shades of purple, red, and brown, turning his cheek into a mottled plum. He knew he looked horrid. How could he blame people for staring or being frightened?" This quote shows that the book Echo and Wonder are similar because it was their appearance that caught people's eye. Disability or not people started at what was different from them.
   Even though there are similarities between Echo and Wonder, there can be differences too and one being the theme. The theme is the message or moral of a story. One of the themes in the book Wonder is just because someone looks different than you, doesn't mean that you both have similarities. Mostly because throughout the middle to the end of the book, all goes well for August and people ended up seeing him beyond his face. And one possible theme for the book Echo is what goes around, comes around. There are other possible themes in the book, I just think that one fits the book. To prove you guys that what goes around, comes is a possible theme for the book Echo, I will have to look at the last part of the book. Before a new part in the story starts it shows tells the reader the month, year, and place the next story takes place, with a song on the next page. The song in part four of the book is called Some Enchanted Evening. The lyrics in the book perfectly explains why I think the theme of the book is what goes around, comes around. The lyrics say "Some enchanted evening. You may see a stranger. You may see a stranger, across a crowed room. And somehow you know. You know even then. That somewhere you'll see him again and again." This song from the book is important because it's saying that someone or some people are reuniting in the book. And the people ended up meeting after using an object, that was given away for the next musical person to use in the next few years. As you can see the theme for the book Wonder is different from the book Echo. Wonder focuses more on August's story, like is struggles and good days. While Echo focuses more on three different people who are musical and only one of the people worry about how they look, in front of other people.
   There you go. Those were some similarities and differences I found in the book Echo compared to the book Wonder. If you do end up reading Echo or even Wonder, I hope you enjoy it. Echo does have happy parts and sad parts and ruin the happy parts, but makes you keep reading, I still kept reading and I ended up finishing the longest book I've ever read. I wonder if I'll read any books longer than that. Did you read any books longer than 587 pages? Also, if you already read Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan, did you enjoy it or hated it? I know I said this ten times, but I did really enjoy it, and really hope you do to.