Willow

By: Julia Hoban

Narrated by: Kim J. Ulrich

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, 16-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.

©2009 Kim J. Ulrich (P)2009 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"Willow's acknowledgment of the cause of her grief--that she'll never be anyone's daughter again--is a sharp insight, and Hoban's appropriately complex portrayal of cutting makes this a good choice on a crucial subject." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Emotional

I read this book when it first came out, listing to it again it was about to invoke the same emotions. This is a heartbreaking and heart-wrenching book. But I love it and think it brings out some really great points.

Willow

Such a remarkable story ... Very well read ... I listened to it twice to make sure I didn't miss anything

Great story .. Bad narration

Well as a story I really liked the world of Willow and I found myself drawn into it , except for the fact that the narrator was soo annoying I couldn't listen to her for more than an hour until I decided to read the book instead .. but it is a story worth reading anyhow

Great voice and adolescent story.

I liked the story a lot, you can take some good things about it. The precision is quite good is my opinion, for when you are an adolescent, especially, it seems you're the center of the world and thinks nobody gets you. When you're reading or listening it looks like you're inside an adolescent mind. And the narrator voice's is good and manifest a quite amount of emotion and feelings. Satisfied.

I enjoyed it -- However...

First, let me say that this author sees nothing wrong with teen sex as long as the participants "love" each other and are careful. I for one, find that a very disturbing attitude for one who is writing books that may popular in that age group. She also swears -- not a lot, but a little of that type of language is too much for many of us.

I will admit that I enjoyed the book but I probably would have avoided it had I known about the sex and language even though the sex was far from explicit and was portrayed somewhat conservatively, and the foul language was not used a lot.

Guy entered Willow's life at a time when she needed someone desperately. He was sensitive, caring, and self-sacrificing and Willow recognized and appreciated his good qualities.

But as far as portraying the miracles of redemption through love, this book is not in the same league as "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. That book may well be the best book I have ever read (listened to actually), period -- and some of Francine's other books are almost as good.

sad, but some how breath takingly courageous

you definitely have to be in a positive mind set. no weakness about you before digging into this one. fairytale? oh no too real for that. but the most realistic listen in a long time!

yuck

very disgustingly annoying and bad and I did not enjoy the self-harm topic and narrator was atrocious so was the writing and book

Out of touch

Thinking she's responsible for her parents' recent deaths, Willow cuts herself to dull the pain. She meets a guy named Guy who is determine to help her.

The third person POV kept me from embracing Willow. I didn't like how she compared everyone's problems to the loss of her parents, deeming others' as frivolous.

Writing wise, Julia Hoban included a lot of extraneous dialogue that added nothing to character development or the plot.

I don't recommend WILLOW.