Counting by 7s

Counting by 7s
Holly Goldberg Sloan
378 pages

Back cover reads:
7 Things about Willow Chance
1.  She's different (as in strange).  And a genius.
2.  Almost everything interests her.  But some things--like plants and medical conditions--interest her more than others.
3.  She has learned--the hard way-that life can be extremely unfair.
4.  She understands that family is what you make it, and that the people who understand you and choose to have you in their lives are the most important people.
5.  She doesn't have a lot of friends, but she would do anything for the ones she does have.
6.  She knows that the most wonderful thing in the world is feeling like you belong.
7.  Her story will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate your friends, family, and the things around you in a whole new way.





Initial Reaction:
First of all, the protagonist has to be a choleric of some sort.  She narrates the story just like I would.  Counting by 7s is very Tralfamadorian.  It bounces all over the place, from the present, to the past, to the present.  There and back again.  Some chapters are narrated by Willow in 1st person, others are written in 3rd person about the other characters.  I polished this book off in about 2.5 days.  I flew through it and didn't want to put it down.  This is a great book for middle school that deals with real problems in a realistic and captivating way without violence, anger, swearing, or immorality.  It's a miracle in a bowl!

Promote Virtue?  Yes.  The characters in the story have their own problems and shortcomings, but they are good people who strive to do what is right and true.  Those who are close to Willow in the end (Dell, the Nguyen family, and Jairo) really fight for her.  They all want what is best for her, and they make huge sacrifices because of it.

Transcendentals?  The writing is beautiful.  The characters are good.  Willow is obsessed with Truth.

Overcome human condition?  The character development in this book is outstanding.  Willow has several different quirks about her that some might recognize as mild OCD (she counts by 7s, is obsessed with diseases, germs, and plants, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of said subjects and other general areas as well.  After the tragic loss of her adopted parents, Willow seems to tone down these things a little bit (which I think is normal during mourning), but she doesn't completely cave in on herself.  She realizes the commitment of her new "family," and comes out of it all a really strong young woman (generally speaking, for a 12 year old).

Attitude toward Catholicism?  NA

Paganry?  NA

Swearing?  None

Violence?  None

Appropriate age?  Willow is in 6th grade, so I'd say 6th grade +, but they'll have to be readers.  5th grade MIGHT be able to handle it.

Writing Style:  Because of Willow's advanced intellect, Sloan gets away with using a pretty elevated lexicon.  However, Willow is the sort that explains things right away, so the information doesn't go over the reader's head.  Most of the information is about nerdy science/medical words, not word-nerdy stuff.  I appreciate it nonetheless.  She loves reading, she loves truth, she loves being outside.  I love and respect authors who can write their characters this way.  Willow seems real and palpable because Sloan gets us inside her head, and we never leave.  The reader is with her during the journey, and we end the book confident that she will press on.

Notable Quoteables:

"books = comfort" (151).

'I'd like to be around books" (342).

Summation:  Counting by 7s is an intriguing book that thoroughly explores the effects of tragedy in the life of a young person.  Sloan does an amazing job keeping the reader engaged, excited, and emotionally attached to the protagonist.  She does this all in a realistic way without conforming to the societal standards of immorality.  This one is definitely