# Wonder-children’s book by RJ Palacio-controversy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [December 14, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046 "2020-12-14T19:41:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046/1 "2020-12-14T19:41:18Z")
I just became aware of the children’s book Wonder while browsing books for children around that age range. A lot of the more recent Amazon reviews are just scathing and yet the book seems to be well regarded otherwise. Was there a ‘cancel’ campaign that I wasn’t aware of? Wonder [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375869026/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_cp\_api\_glc\_fabc\_6771Fb05R1CWJ?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375869026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_6771Fb05R1CWJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046/2 "2020-12-14T19:44:52Z")
What are you talking about? Only 1% of reviews are 1 star, and from a quick perusal, it looks like several of the 1-star reviews are by imbeciles who are mistakenly rating a different book entirely. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046/3 "2020-12-14T19:50:03Z")
That’s why I was wondering. Just seems weird to see a bunch of one star reviews like that. Most of the time, one stars are stupid things like shipping delays or package left outside their door in pouring rain. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046/4 "2020-12-14T19:51:29Z")
This looks like some sort of technical error on Amazon’s part, where a bunch of one-star reviews _of other books_ somehow ended up on this page. If I were the author, I’d be pretty miffed, but the content of the reviews doesn’t seem to match the content of the book as described at all. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046/5 "2020-12-14T21:04:29Z")
A lot of these seem to be for the book _Wonky Donkey_. I assume some web intern coded the wrong ‘Won…’ for the wrong page. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046/6 "2020-12-14T21:51:13Z")
If you look at _Wonky Donkey_, you see exactly the same number of ratings and the same star pattern with the same reviews. The two books have their reviews completely mixed together. There’s usually a “report problems” link on Amazon but I didn’t see any. If you can find one, then please send in a report. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wonder-children-s-book-by-rj-palacio-controversy/928046/7 "2020-12-14T23:45:48Z")
Even more bizarrely, the same set of reviews appears under Trevor Noah’s _Born a Crime,_ as well.