The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz is a book about a fat, Dominican teenage boy called Oscar who is obsessed with science fiction, fantasy, and falling in love as well as having the dream of being the first Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien. Since Oscar was little in New Jersey, he wanted to have a successful relationship with women but failed mainly because he was obsessed with science fiction and comic books. After high school, he went to a university where his sister’s boyfriend moves in with him to help him to get in shape. But after a sad event, he has suicide attempts. He then accomplishes his university and starts his career and moves to the Dominican Republic. Then a spark; he finds and feels love at first sight. But after meeting the woman, he undergoes a storm of horrific events. Will he survive? I didn’t like this book because it is young adult fiction and it is really hard to understand. It is also quite slow-paced but it would depend on people because the person who recommended this book liked it. I recommend this book to people who are interested in the genres of adventure and young adult fiction. (Ahyun. Grade 8)

Rating: 3/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5