The book Counting by 7s, written by Holly Goldberg Sloan is a realistic fiction story about a twelve-year-old girl named Willow Chance who struggles to deal with the rapid change of her life after her parent's unfortunate deaths. The theme of this book is not changing yourself too much to adapt to unforeseen challenges. This book was published in 2014 by Penguin Young Readers Group. The main character, Willow has always looked at the world a bit differently and asked more questions than the other kids at her school. Soon after she switches to a new school, her parents are hit and killed in a car crash. She leans closely on the family of her new best friend Mai Nguyen and struggles to reconnect the broken strands of her old life back together. I found the story memorable because it described a journey no young child should have to go through and showed the way it affected Willow’s mind. This book was interesting to me because it describes someone with a different perspective on life and how that affects them when they have struggles. For example, her friend Mai Nguyen’s mother is an immigrant from Vietnam. Mai’s mother runs a nail salon and prior to Willow joining the small family, Mai, her brother Quang-Ha, and her mother all slept in a garage together. Willow finds it interesting that although Mai’s mother is struggling to support her own two kids, she still voluntarily takes on another lost child to help. I would not rush to read another book similar to this one because I personally prefer more adventurous books with action and a quicker pace. Although it was not my favorite book, I would describe it as a good read for anyone who is struggling with grief. I learned that although some people think and act differently than others, they are all people deep down and will have similar reactions to certain events. The book was an enjoyable read because of its helpful ideas if someone is feeling like they don’t belong and are struggling with grief. This book was interesting, but I personally don’t think I would read a book similar to this one again.
By: Emily Watson
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