Because the whole world loves to tell us what we can’t do, that we aren’t good enough. The people in your own house should be on your side. It’s the people who never learn the word impossible who make history, because they’re the ones who keep trying. (chapter 13)

Leigh Bardugo, a master of plots twists and creator of fascinating characters, published “Wonder Woman” after most had already seen the movie and made it a different plot with added characters. The book is incredibly unique from the movie with far more devastation and a better twist.

Bardugo has a way of making the reader feel everything her characters feel. Her characters are so well characterized and so humane that it feels you’re tagging along with them. Diana wanted to prove her worth to her sisters by adventuring on a glorious mission, and Alia, a girl Diana saved from a shipwreck, wanted to be a normal person.

Bardugo’s characters seem so real. They’ve got problems that can resonate with readers and personalities that skyrocket as a reader keeps reading. They’re developed in a way that feels so natural for this book. Diana, who had once dreamed of basking in glory, became humble after her trek across the globe to save one girl.

Alia is a human who winds up shipwrecked near Diana’s island. She was the most adventurous character I had read about in a long time. Alia was willing to make the proper sacrifices to do what was right, and I found myself falling in love with her as I continued reading.

The only flaw I can say that really bothered me was the fact that Diana, a girl who was born an Amazon and raised on an island isolated from the human world, knew nearly everything about humanities history, inventions and everything humans have ever done. Besides that, the action was well written, the characters were developed splendidly, and the writing style was perfect.

A majority of the book was serious, but there were plenty of moments that had me laughing. Bardugo just has a fantastic way of mixing serious with witty that made me impressed throughout the book.

The side characters, Jason, Theo and Nim, joined Diana and Alia on their journey. The relationships they have with each other were perfect, especially Diana and Alia’s relationship. But Bardugo went beyond my expectations by creating a deep, meaningful relationship between the main protagonist and the side characters.

“Wonder Woman” is a story unlike most books. There’s a twist near the end that I was completely unprepared for. The relationships are so deep and meaningful that a reader will be fully engaged with the characters. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars for a wonderful story, brilliant characters, and that devastating twist.