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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
slow-paced
It seems as though more and more children/middle grade novels I've come across center on a tragic event of some sort. This book is no exception to this observation, but I feel as though the book handled its topic tastefully. Aside from Willow's occasional (and probably unnecessary) monologues I didn't feel like the author was trying to make me feel sad. Which is a good thing! The overall sadness displayed in this book was balanced out by interesting characters and their growth throughout the story. (My favorite character being Quang-Ha.)
Not a bad read if you have some free time. 3.5 Red fish out 5.
Spoiler
of how the her parents diedNot a bad read if you have some free time. 3.5 Red fish out 5.
Willow Chance is a middle school sauvant who likes gardening, skin diseases, and the number 7. Good for her, I guess.
She's also adopted and black, but those don't really have a lot of weight in the overall scheme of things; especially when her adoptive parents die suddenly and she has nowhere to go, except with her newest and only friend, the Vietnamese Mai.
Mai is the daughter of an immigrant Vietnamese single mother who owns a nail salon; both of them, as well as Mai's brother, live in a garage right off the nail salon, in a single room. They're quite poor, but more than willing to take Willow in.
Willow is magical. Her advice and presence are an inspiration, improving the lives of all those whom she meets. A taxi driver she befriends decides to go back to school and become a medical technician (and he wins a bunch of money). An incredibly incompetent councilor who was assigned to her case decides to work out and start living and become better at his job. She's just... amazing. Wonderful. People remember her. They want to do good by her - which is odd, because supposedly she isn't noticed much otherwise.
The problem of who will adopt her (a second time?) is solved when the Vietnamese mother, along with the taxi driver (whom she started dating) decide to sign papers taking charge of her. Oh, and the Vietnamese mother turns out to be rich. Like, filthy rich. "She buys a whole apartment building" rich. Ermm... why was her family living in poverty before, then? Were her kids ok with second-hand clothes? With not having privacy?
Thank god for random money falling out of the sky and making her life better, I guess.
Also... I'm kind of not a fan of absolute geniuses who learn Vietnamese in a couple of weeks and who can do anything and everything and who *thus* earn love. Give me someone imperfect that I can better sympathize with.
(Also, what happens to all the other kids in the system, who are mentioned? And to the kids who were sent to the incompetent councilor, who only later changed his ways, if then? Good for Willow for being so special, but oof. The rest just feel abandoned.)
She's also adopted and black, but those don't really have a lot of weight in the overall scheme of things; especially when her adoptive parents die suddenly and she has nowhere to go, except with her newest and only friend, the Vietnamese Mai.
Mai is the daughter of an immigrant Vietnamese single mother who owns a nail salon; both of them, as well as Mai's brother, live in a garage right off the nail salon, in a single room. They're quite poor, but more than willing to take Willow in.
Willow is magical. Her advice and presence are an inspiration, improving the lives of all those whom she meets. A taxi driver she befriends decides to go back to school and become a medical technician (and he wins a bunch of money). An incredibly incompetent councilor who was assigned to her case decides to work out and start living and become better at his job. She's just... amazing. Wonderful. People remember her. They want to do good by her - which is odd, because supposedly she isn't noticed much otherwise.
The problem of who will adopt her (a second time?) is solved when the Vietnamese mother, along with the taxi driver (whom she started dating) decide to sign papers taking charge of her. Oh, and the Vietnamese mother turns out to be rich. Like, filthy rich. "She buys a whole apartment building" rich. Ermm... why was her family living in poverty before, then? Were her kids ok with second-hand clothes? With not having privacy?
Thank god for random money falling out of the sky and making her life better, I guess.
Also... I'm kind of not a fan of absolute geniuses who learn Vietnamese in a couple of weeks and who can do anything and everything and who *thus* earn love. Give me someone imperfect that I can better sympathize with.
(Also, what happens to all the other kids in the system, who are mentioned? And to the kids who were sent to the incompetent councilor, who only later changed his ways, if then? Good for Willow for being so special, but oof. The rest just feel abandoned.)
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Táto kniha je absolútne perfektná. Keď som mala kvôli nej slzy v očiach, tak to už čosi znamená :3
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great characters and plot and it really grabs your heart. I highly recommend this book and it would be a beautiful story for an adult to share with an older child.
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes