Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Pages: 378
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Real life drama
Notes for Parents: Includes some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

7 reasons to read this novel:

1. Friendship. It doesn’t always happen easily, especially for Willow. But now she has met Mai, a girl with enough energy to tackle the impossible, and one who sees Willow for who she really is.
2. Oddballs. We all feel like outsiders sometimes. Willow the genius—who has mastered several foreign languages and medical-school textbooks all by the age of twelve—certainly doesn’t easily fit in with the crowd. Neither do the other people in this story filled with terrific, memorable oddballs.
3. Hobbies. It helps to have something interesting to focus on, such as Willow’s passion for nature. When tragedy strikes, it is the simple act of growing sunflowers that first brings her some pleasure again.
4. Laughing and crying. But despite the tragedy, this is a beautiful, satisfying book—the kind that makes you see your own life in a new way. And through the heartache, you will find yourself laughing…at the wonderfully absurd moments that happen even on the hardest days.
5. Miracles. Those unexpectedly sill moments are miraculous. This is a story filled with everyday miracles.
6. Family. And the most miraculous thing of all is a loving family.
7. Willow Chance herself, whose heart leads her on a path to belonging—a path that is surprising, exhilarating, and without a doubt, one you will never forget.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:
Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now. Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world.

What’s good?

Great characters highlight this quirky tale of a middle school genius who loses her parents. Willow Chance is a know-it-all, but somehow remains very likeable. It’s apparent that underneath her intelligence, she is still a little girl who grieves for her family. The supporting characters of Pattie and her kids, Dell the counselor, and Jario the taxi driver all contribute lovingly to this endearing story. Sophisticated vocabulary, loads of trivia, short chapters (and lots of short sentences) and an exciting plot, make this an uplifting, enjoyable read.
Best Part:  “My edges are gone. I’m sea glass.” (page 189)

What isn’t good?

It’s hard to believe that a 12-year-old can be such a genius and nobody knows it. She’s not identified and she’s never skipped a grade. It seems to me that if she was showing signs of genius at age 4, everyone would be well aware of it by now.
Her level of genius is a little hard to believe too. She knows computers, 3 languages, medicine, botany, electronics, and so much more, but she doesn’t understand a fist bump or the use of the word “hot” to describe a woman. Odd.
My only other complaint is the ending. Without giving anything away, everything was conveniently wrapped up in a pretty little bow. The solution didn’t seem realistic.
Worst part: The back cover description. It was presumptuous and not at all helpful.

Recommendation þþþoo

This is a beautiful story. Despite the convenient ending and a few questions left unanswered (for me, at least), the overall message seems to be that families come in all shapes and sizes and happiness can be attained if you just give it a chance. I loved the quirkiness of the characters and the plot was entertaining. Definitely recommended.

Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Counting by 7s. New York: Scholastic, 2013 (Hardcover)