Reviews with content warning for Car accident - Counting by 7s

2 stars. Neurodivergent main character, found family, good representation, and it made me cry. Willow had a very unique voice that was captured well, but the character seemed so unrealistic. She has many traits of an autistic person, but it's never actually stated that she's autistic. And, of course, she's a savant, not just in one area, but in so many different ones e.g. epidemiology, languages, gardening, and more. That's not how autistic people are, and tbh I'm tired of autistic people only being represented when they're geniuses.

And on to the issue of Pattie. Her kids are living in a garage at the beginning, but she has enough money to buy the apartment complex at the end? And she and Jairo end up with little to no context for their relationship? And he just wins $20000 in such an unrealistic way.

It was alright but some issues with it that made it seem unrealistic in a way that was hard to ignore.

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booksandboba's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

First read this book as a young kid when it first came out, and reading it all these years later it still was an enjoyable read. Characters you fall in love with and a story that makes you appreciate the people around you and life in general. Who would have guessed that a children’s book would be the right thing I needed to get me out of my current bout of depression? In regards to children’s literature I’d say it’s one of the best I’ve read. Highly recommend.

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hardkaapi's review

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funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This is one of the cutest things I have ever read. 12 year old Willow Chance is what people call a "highly gifted" child. Her concern is if people are "lowly gifted" or "medium gifted" or just "gifted". In her opinion, all labels are curses unless they are on cleaning products. She also hates "small talk" and prefers "large talk".The book follows Willow's journey as she meets people who are as different as can be. I will never get tired of a found family trope, so this book is absolutely perfect. This has the same energy as the movie Little Miss Sunshine (2006). Willow is an adorable protagonist and her story is and should be read and talked about.

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