Willow by Julia Hoban

Summary from goodreads.com:

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy—one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.
Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.

Willow is that book that you can't put down, but you don't know why. It's not full of action and suspense, there's not great mystery to solve, but something compels you to keep reading. And reading. And reading. I think that something that kept me reading was the honesty of the story. The way Julia Hoban took such a hard subject, cutting, and told it so honestly and unflinchingly was amazing. Not to mention grief and sadness Willow faces after her parent's death. That someone could write these things so well amazes me.

I'll admit, I've never understood why people are compelled to physically harm themselves. It just seems so...illogical to me. But by reading this novel I have a bit more of an understanding and can empathize with those people a bit more. Willow is smart, she's grown up the daughter of two professors, but when they're killed in a car accident where she was driving, the only way she can handle her grief is to cut herself. Take her emotional pain and turn it in physical pain. 

Then she meets Guy, who finds out her secret. She convinces him to tell her brother, who she's living with now, but he doesn't go away. Now that he knows he feels that it's his responsibility to look after Willow. It's this way that they get to know and trust each other, slowly falling in love. I really liked Guy. I definitely have a new imaginary crush. Who wouldn't like a guy who reads? He's also just so sweet. He's always there for Willow, no matter what. I love them together.

This book was amazing. I think that everyone needs to read it. You won't be disappointed.

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Originality: 10/10

Writing: 10/10

Ending: 10/10

Overall: 50/50 A+++

Cover: 5/5 I love this cover, especially the back. I think that it is perfect.