THE MIRACULOUS perfectly balanced loss and hope, grief and humor through the eyes of eleven-year-old Wunder Ellis. I loved this character so much. He was someone so hopeful, so observant of the world around him and the people in it, but when his newborn sister died he closed himself off from those he loved and the miraculous events he believed in. Journeying with him as he connected with his friends (new and old) and as he worked to believe in the miraculous again, warmed my heart.

Faye was another one of my favorite characters, with her cloak and her confidence and her ability to get close to Wunder when no one else could. She blew into the story, and while she was so much fun, she ran so much deeper than that as well.

Such a beautiful and thoughtful story!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc!

This was a beautifully written book. I, myself, was a little lost with part of the story. It did a great job dealing with loss and death and community support.

This is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful book about grief, family, friendship and the power of love. The prose soars with lyricism and sharpness, and Wunder and his band of friends will make you laugh out loud, cry, and cheer. This book will stay in my heart for a long and long time, and I can't wait to share it with people in my life, young and old. We need more stories like this—honest stories about what it means to lose someone you love and find them again in those around you.

Books with a pronounced religious theme, especially if they are written for children, usually turn me off. However, I was attracted to this one because of the focus on miracles. I don’t know the author, and hadn’t heard about the book but the description pulled me in. I was not disappointed.

We meet protagonist Wunder as he and his family are immersed in tremendous grief after the death of his 8-day-old sister. His mother has retreated to her room and sent all the family away, leaving Wunder and his father to attend the funeral alone. Wunder is clearly in the midst of the most difficult time in his life which it seems he has to navigate on his own.

Wunder’s lifelong fascination with miracles is the core of the story, with him rejecting the concept because of his sister’s death. Making this even more heartbreaking is the name Wunder selected for her - Milagros (Miracle). Wunder meets Faye, a young girl dealing with loss herself, and they both meet a “witch” who helps Wunder recover his faith.

The writing here is lovely and the story both heartbreaking and uplifting. Recommended.

What a wonderful hopeful novel about miracles and grief. Fans of Skellig will love this novel. Recommended.