Book Review: Willow by Julia Hoban

Title: Willow

Author: Julia Hoban

Pages: 329

Publisher: Speak

Year Published: 2009

“If she let herself, she’d drown in a world of pain.”

“Seven months ago on a rainy March night, Willow’s parents drank too much at dinner and asked her to drive them home. But they never made it—Willow lost control of the car, and both her parents were killed. Now the only way she knows how to survive and control the pain is by secretly cutting herself. But when Willow meets  Guy, a boy as sensitive and complicated as she is, she finds it hard to keep the secret that’s written all over her body.”

My Rating: 4 / 5

I haven’t read any books quite like this one and I hadn’t really thought much about reading one about self harm. I honestly didn’t understand why people did it, in a way I thought that while it was sad it didn’t make any logical sense. This book made me understand the truth about cutting and it’s effects on people who do it. I think that how people deal with grief is unique, and there is not always a right way to deal with it, but self harm is definitely the wrong way. I do understand now that many people may cut so they don’t have to feel emotional pain, but rather they can concentrate on the physical and whenever emotions overwhelm them they can sink them under, into their subconscious. I think that teens should read this book, to see that cutting isn’t cool, but rather it’s a serious problem (on the verge of saying psychological illness). I encourage anyone reading this who has ever had a problem with self harm to find help. Although it may not seem like it there are other ways that you can feel, grieve, etc.

THANK YOU JULIA HOBAN FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND SELF HARMS PURPOSE!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny ♥♪♫