Well seventeen year old Willow deals with pain by cutting herself, she started doing this after her parents died in a car accident and she thinks it's all her fault.

This book was really good and I'm happy I read it, it gets you thinking, I will say it's hard to imagine that people really do this to deal with their problems but that is the ugly truth and this book realy makes you think about it and how seriouse it is. Overall a great read and I would recommend it, the only thing that bothered me about this book was that at times it was all over the place, it felt like they skiped some things in the story but it was easy to ignore cause this is a great book. :0)

Willow is definitely an emotional real book. It grasps the perspective of many teens that may face the same events in their life. The novel portrays guilt, grief, love and teaches you the overall moral message of not giving up. The writing of this novel is absolutely fantastic and is extremely hard for one to get disconnected from the readings. You will surely find yourself in tears and little smiles at times. Willow is a powerful, yet moving story that will have you stepping outside of bounds – while reading what the character goes through. I highly recommend this no matter what age you are, I am positive this novel will make impressions for you.

I'm not a huge fan of reading stories in the 3rd person, I feel like they keep repeating how character feel. when I first started reading this book, that' how I felt. But then after a few pages i fell in love with the story, it had the things i love in a book, just in a different topic then I'd normally read.

I read this book a loonnng time ago, sometime in December, I think. I wrote the review right after I read it, to keep Willow fresh in my mind and so I could share my completely unbiased opinion. But since the book is just coming out, I had to wait to post the review until now. Thank goodness for scheduled posting...

I want to start this off with the tag line on the ARC.

"It's hard to keep a secret when it's written all over your body..."

The novel starts seven months after a horrible accident. Seven months ago, Willow's parents drank too much and asked their daughter to drive them home through a violent rainstorm. Seven months ago, Willow lost control of the car and both of her parents were killed in the accident.

Seven months ago, Willow's life was normal.

Now, it's anything but.

Seventeen year old Willow has moved in with her older brother, his wife and child, leaving behind her old friends, her home, school and herself. The accident has left a terrible mark on Willow and her brother. Unable to handle the pain, Willow numbs herself by cutting herself.

Willow's life begins to take a turn for the better when Willow's secret is discovered by one of her new classmates, Guy. Guy is kind and sensitive and when he learns of Willow's problems, he refuses to let her continue on her self-destructive path.

Firstly, I have to note how much I love the cover of Willow. I think it's great for the story and I would have probably bought the book solely because of it's cover. Props to the cover designer.

Anyways...

Nowadays there are so many books written about "teen issues." Somewhat generic teen books about drinking, suicide, depression, drug abuse and so on, clutter the shelves of bookstores.

Luckily, Willow will not be one of them. At least, I hope not. (I haven't read any reviews yet [Dec/08] so I have no idea what anyone else thinks of it.)

I love the twist in the novel. It makes Willow's situation all the more horrible. Not only are your parents dead-they're dead because you killed them, however inadvertently. No wonder Willow will do anything to escape the pain and guilt. Especially considering how her relationship with her brother has been marred. Willow feels as if David hates her and blames her for her parents' death. Everything seems to go wrong for Willow, at least until she meets Guy.

I can't really understand her cutting, though. And nor do I ever want to be able to understand such a horrible thing. But, while reading the novel, I could see Willow's pain, feel sorry for her and want Willow's situation to improve and for her relationship with her brother to be healed.


Guy's character is an integral one to the novel and a likable one as well. What he does for Willow, in the novel, is indescribable. It makes me wonder if there are actually people that kind out there. Anyways, his character is well-rounded and so is his relationship with Willow. The parts with him were among my favorite parts to read in the book.


Really, the only thing that I disliked about the novel was how abrupt the ending is. In my opinion, it's the perfect ending...I only wish that there had been a bit more leading up to it. Then again, the ARC was already 340 pages or so and I suppose that it couldn't be much longer. I just wish that there had been more of lead up to the ending. Luckily, it didn't detract much from the novel.

Overall, Willow is terrific. The subject matter is hard-hitting and the book is powerfully written. It's not a novel you'll forget anytime soon and I suggest that you preorder this book right now, as it comes out on April 2, 2009.


Oh, and don't forget to check out this awesome contest hosted by Lauren. It's one you DON'T want to miss. I mean, really, you get to buy a terrific book AND get an entry to an amazing contest? Sooo, buy it now. You won't regret it.