Holly Goldberg Sloan "Counting by 7s"
Puffin | English | September 16, 2014 | ISBN: 014242286X | 400 pages | azw, epub, lrf, mobi | 3,3 mb
Counting by 7's is simply a beautiful story. It speaks from the heart with a raw level of emotion that was unexpected and seldom seen in middle grade fiction. Its life affirming message is masterfully delivered with prose that is well written and thought provoking. There are absolutely no mis-steps as the author paints a picture of a young girl destroyed by grief and rebuilt by love.
Willow Chance is a twelve year old genius. She is devoted to her garden, her parents, and quietly learning to manage the intricacies of middle school when both of her parents are killed in a car accident. Her life becomes chaos, and it's only through the efforts of an unlikely group of people that she discovers a future for herself. Willow is an astounding character that I won't soon forget. She touched my heart, and made this story a delight to read from start to finish.
Willow is surrounded by a group of unique people carefully crafted and nuanced. None of these characters are perfect or clichéd, and always manage to deliver surprises. They each come into Willow's life needing something, and their stories add to a narrative that becomes complex and increasingly inspirational as they are all effected by Willow's unique view of the world.
I could point to many instances in the plot that were contrived, when events relied just a bit too much on coincidence to be believable, and when things work out just a bit too easy. To do so would be to deny the slight touch of magic that seems to permeate these pages. This is a story that made me smile. It made me want to read it again the minute I finished it. I was sorry it was over. I wanted to be with Willow as she mulled over the life lessons to be learned from a plant. I wanted to know what happened to her new found family, all people who were struggling in different ways but who found a life thanks to one little girl who was very lost.
Counting by 7's is an important book that I feel is destined to take its place as a classic of children's literature. It's filled with powerful emotions and life affirming ideas and is an enthusiastic recommend for readers as young as 10 and as old as 99.
No Other Mirrors, Please!
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