Without a doubt the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio has the most meaningful messages out of any book I’ve ever read. The novel follows the lives of several different characters, but is all centered around August Pullman. Auggie is your average ten year old boy, but with a major deformity. His appearances are the root of many problems for him and his family. In particular, his sister Via suffered greatly just by being closely related. Via undeniably stood out as one of the most impactful characters as she treated him like a normal person, always looked out for him, and overcame many hardships. 

The first thing you will notice about Via’s brother, Auggie is that he looks exceedingly different from everyone else. He even talks about himself by saying, "I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse"(Palacio 3). While others treated him cruelly for his appearance, Via treated him the best she could. Subtly, her small acts of kindness formed a deep sense of love and care. By playing games with him, talking through issues, and spending quality time together, Via gave Auggie something he never had, a true friend. Having such a meaningful relationship helped Auggie tremendously as she would instill confidence and allowed him to be himself. So much of Auggie’s life was spent avoiding interaction, but with Via in his life he was able to branch out and tbe free.

Via was someone who was always looking over Auggie’s shoulder. She helped him through whatever life threw his way and was always there for him in the darkest moments. Based on that I’d describe her as his personal guardian angel. The constant dialogue and advice was persistent throughout the novel. She would also stand up to anybody that bullied him. She did not care who it was or what their intentions were, she would put up a fight for Auggie every time. Via fully devoted herself to Auggie, but had nobody doing the same for her in return. Her grandma said, "I love Auggie very, very much. But he has many angels looking out for him already, Via. And I want you to know that you have me looking out for you." (Palacio 87). Here she recognised all Via does for him, but also assures that she’ll do the same for Via. Being Auggie’s guardian angel is not an easy task to say the least, and for Via she realized even angels need someone looking over their shoulders as well.

As stated earlier, the title of being Auggie’s sister carries a lot of weight. Via never got attention from her parents. Their focus was always on August and it really bothered Via. Via craved attention and never got it which is why her relationship with her parents was tarnished at times. She would also have to constantly put up with this continual judgment on something that is well out of her control. Living in someone else’s shadow is a tough role that hardly anyone has to go through. All the adversity thrown at her made her a stronger, more independent person that is valued and respected by all.

While Auggie may be the main character, I was personally in awe of the character of Via. She showed incredible bravery and maturity and was an amazing sister as she loved and cared for Auggie and persevered through the hard times. She embodies every virtue it takes to be a selfless person. Her impact on her family and Auggie went unnoticed but her kindness and compassion shined through.