Willow by Julia Hoban

I know that Willow isn't exactly the most recent release, but I read it this summer and I absolutely love it. Willow's feelings are so real and tangible that you experience every one of them along with her. You really feel exactly what she feels, pain, grief, guilt, rejection. This novel is heartbreakingly beautiful. It made me want to laugh, cry, and sometimes scream. The prose is so lyrical that the book seems to flow like a song.


Willow cuts herself. She has ever since discovering that the pain of slicing her own skin muffles the pain and grief she feels about her parents deaths. She was driving the night her parents died in a car crash. They died and she didn't, and Willow has to live with that for the rest of her life. Willow keeps to herself until the day she meets Guy. Guy is sensitive, charming, and as well-read as Willow. They immediately connect, even though Willow is hesitant to care for people again. As Willow and Guy grow closer, Willow has trouble hiding her secret fix. If Guy finds out, and more importantly if Willow's brother finds out, Willow's world would crumble.

I have to admit that I have a little crush on Guy. He is sweet, charming, and I'm sure we could have some great book discussions. Confession: I named a turtle after him. Yes, you heard me right. I found this big turtle on the side of the road, so I picked him up, brought him over to a nearby pond, and named him Guy.

I recommend this book to fans of Speak or Laurie Halse Anderson's other works. Actually, I would recommend this book to just about anybody. Teenagers, adults, aliens, intelligent plant life...You get the point.

On a personal note, I will sadly be away this week. Because of this, I don't know if I will be able to post any reviews until Friday. Upcoming reviews will include Dark Goddess (the ARC I won at PAYA) as well as the highly anticipated conclusion to the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay. I will also be posting reviews for most, if not all, of the books I purchased at PAYA.