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A review by sofiajearally
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I'm conflicted about this book.
It was sooooooo long. Especially the first part, until the family moves to Dell's apartment. I only got through it because I hate leaving books unfinished.
What mostly irritated me were the characters. Mai and Jairo's backs must hurt from carrying the story for so long.
I really did not like Willow's character for most of the book. Not only did I find her annoying with no redeeming qualities, she also wasn't realistic at all. She's a collection of precocious children stereotypes which can be particularly bothersome for real-life precocious people. (And you'd think such a medicine genius would know that her father wasn't allergic to cats' hair but to their saliva.)
Dell was just an awful human being. I also must add that Dell's and Jairo's sudden obsession for a 12-year-old girl was slightly creepy.
I get that the story was about growth thanks to a found family and I appreciate that, greatly. It was my favorite thing in the book to see the characters change. But I wish the author had made them more likable in the first place.
Once the characters became endearing, it wasn't hard to feel for them and to root for Pattie to stay in charge of Willow. So I was happy and relieved about the ending. However, it shows that the author used to write for Disney movies. The ending was a bit out of nowhere and frankly questioning: how come Pattie saved this much money, enough to buy a building complex, and made her children live in a garage for years????
It was sooooooo long. Especially the first part, until the family moves to Dell's apartment. I only got through it because I hate leaving books unfinished.
What mostly irritated me were the characters. Mai and Jairo's backs must hurt from carrying the story for so long.
I really did not like Willow's character for most of the book. Not only did I find her annoying with no redeeming qualities, she also wasn't realistic at all. She's a collection of precocious children stereotypes which can be particularly bothersome for real-life precocious people. (And you'd think such a medicine genius would know that her father wasn't allergic to cats' hair but to their saliva.)
Dell was just an awful human being. I also must add that Dell's and Jairo's sudden obsession for a 12-year-old girl was slightly creepy.
I get that the story was about growth thanks to a found family and I appreciate that, greatly. It was my favorite thing in the book to see the characters change. But I wish the author had made them more likable in the first place.
Once the characters became endearing, it wasn't hard to feel for them and to root for Pattie to stay in charge of Willow. So I was happy and relieved about the ending. However, it shows that the author used to write for Disney movies. The ending was a bit out of nowhere and frankly questioning: how come Pattie saved this much money, enough to buy a building complex, and made her children live in a garage for years????
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent