Willow wasn’t ordinary; her life was nothing close to ordinary, either. From one (very important) day on, she had slept without the comfort of her parents and stopped counting things by 7’s which had grown into a habit of relaxation. She had a family with her two beloved parents and was an only child. Now, she was really an only child. She had no parents because a car had been mangled with another, in which both her parents had been seated. Their bodies were no longer there and Willow was left alone with no foster parents, family friends, or anyone willing to take her under their wing. Willow could probably survive on her own due to her great intelligence, but by law, that was not allowed or even close to legal. While reading this novel, I felt a sense of empowerment that if Willow was able to live through the rough patches and windy roads at such a young age, that I could climb mountains and get to where I want to be in life. There were parts while reading Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan that were very touching and some lines served as inspirational quotes that some people could live by. However, there were other parts of the book that didn’t have enough detail. Sometimes you could not really put yourself in Willow’s shoes and really understand how they are feeling. The author could have expanded and given deep feelings to Willow and described what was going through her head to make the book a more interesting read, rather than making it just a story being told with no feeling. Most parts were a great read, but some parts lacked what should have been there to make the characters stand out.
Through the book, there were parts and chapters with too much detail, and others with not enough detail. This is a problem that makes it either difficult to read. Willow was never really described in a way that made you feel like you could be in her position. I did like, however, when they really explained how others saw Willow and how they have perceived her feelings towards everything that has happened to her. Holly Goldberg Sloan also made the book at an appropriate reading level. Though it was an easier read, it was really relatable to what she goes through in certain extremes. Through everything Willow Chance was put through, the book ended in the best possible way.
Reviewed by: Sage Klinginsmith
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