Counting by 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan

AUTHOR: Holly Goldberg Sloan

GENRE: Middle Grade Fiction

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: Well, I liked this more than I expected. Having zero expectations helped, I guess.

Story:

Twelve year old Willow Chance is a genius in many fields but finds it difficult to connect with people. When her adopted parents die in a car crash, she is left alone in a world where there’s no one to understand her. How Willow gets back on her feet again with the help of a motley assortment of people forms the crux of the story.

The book is written in the first person perspective of Willow and third person povs of many other key characters.

What I liked about the book:

✔ This was a very fast-paced read, despite its choppy writing style. I didn’t feel the 380 pages at all. It was easy to complete this within a day.

✔ The start is a bit challenging as the narrative goes on jumping from topic to topic, and also from person to person. (Reminded me of every single conversation with my kids where we begin with one topic and end up with a totally different topic after a few minutes.) But once I got used to this writing pattern, I began enjoying the quick jumps across perspectives. It was challenging, but it added to my fun.

✔ Most of the secondary characters are outstanding. Willow’s Vietnamese friend Mai and her brother Quang-ha, and Willow’s counsellor Dell Duke have impactful characters that make a mark. Dell’s journey was the most interesting for me.

✔ There’s a lot of subtle humour in the book which adds a touch of levity to the dark themes of grief and adjustment.

✔ Willow’s character seems to be on the autism spectrum, though the book doesn’t make any mention of this. Her struggles to converse normally, to adapt to the upending of her routine life after her parents’ sudden deaths, to fit into the new pattern and to let go of her grief were all very touching to me. I loved her character’s name: Willow Chance. Willow is as multi-talented, strong, and adjustable as the tree she's named after. Moreover, as per Chinese symbolism, the willow tree symbolizes the sorrow of parting and also the celebration of new life. This idea also suits Willow’s character perfectly.

✔ There are so many beautiful lines in the book that connected very strongly with my heart and mind. Here are some favourites:

🌟 “When you care about other people, it takes the spotlight off your own drama.”

🌟 “For someone grieving, moving forward is the challenge. Because after extreme loss, you want to go back.”

🌟 “Every person has lots of ingredients to make them into what is always a one-of-a-kind creation.”

🌟 “Maybe that happens when you've been through a lot. All of your edges are worn off, like sea glass. Either that, or you shatter.”

🌟 “I'm not brave; it's just that all other choices have been thrown out the window.”

What I found okay about the book:

⚠ I am not sure how I feel about the representation. While there are characters of various backgrounds, their portrayals are mildly stereotypical at times. Willow herself is of a mixed race, though her exact background isn’t revealed.

⚠ There are many happy coincidences and far-fetched occurrences in the story, especially in the second half. Then again, this is the usual case in most children’s fiction. Suspension of logic is the key to enjoyment.

⚠ As a MG-YA fiction, the book works on some levels and misses out on others. Its main protagonists are all within the teen age range, and they deal with problems bravely and intelligently. However, there are many plot points that are left unexplained. Very young children might not question things too much but teenagers will surely realise the missing gaps in logic. Also, as an adult reader, I enjoyed the abrupt changes in perspective. They kept me alert while keeping me in connect with all the key characters. But I'm not sure how younger teens reading this book might adapt to this.

What I disliked about the book:

❌ Willow’s character is said to be passionate about two things: medical issues and gardening. (Three, if you include her passion for the number 7.) But in addition to being ultra-talented in these areas, she is also a master linguist, a math whiz, a stock market expert, a master computer technician, an expert at drafting business proposals, and God knows what else. Went a bit over the top, maybe? Even geniuses have their limits, don’t they? The only area where Willow seemed to struggle was in communicating effectively with other people. A related negative feedback point about Willow is that she rarely sounds her age in the book.

❌ Mai and Quang-ha’s mom Pattie had a memorable portrayal until just before the final scene. That scene was so against character and so unbelievable that it almost spoiled the entire experience for me. The ending is highly disappointing mainly because of this ‘deus ex machina’.

❌ There are some things that stay unanswered even after the end.

All in all, this is the story of some flawed humans who try to make the best of what they can with what they have. It isn’t a perfect book, but it does have its moments. I enjoyed the first half better than the second half, but except for the exaggerated ending, I have no major complaints. The biggest plus for me was that it kept me invested throughout the story and didn't slow down any time.