Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

“If you’re lost, you might need to swim against the tide.”

Counting By 7s is a realistic fiction novel by Holly Goldberg Sloan. It’s sad, funny, beautiful, and heartwarming, and it tugs on your heartstrings in all the right ways. The novel focuses on an extremely intelligent 12 year old girl named Willow Chance who has a love for gardening. She has two loving adoptive parents who have taken care of her since she was born, and they all care for each other very much. When she starts at the middle school, she aces a test using her own knowledge, which no one had ever done before. Because she finished so quickly and accurately, the principal falsely accuses her of cheating and puts her into counseling. There, she meets the lazy but caring counselor named Dell Duke, a friendly and persistent high schooler named Mai, and Mai’s troublemaking, artistic brother Quang-Ha. However, when tragedy strikes, Willow will find new family in unexpected ways, whether it be a new friend or even a kind taxi driver.

Overall, Counting by 7s was a fantastic read. The way it was written invokes all these different strong emotions, whether it’s frustration at the principal for an accusation of cheating or sympathy for what Willow has to go through. It might even make you cry! The characters are so well-written and fleshed out, and they each have their own unique personalities. By the end, you care about them each for a different reason. Another thing that stood out as I was reading was how I was glued to the pages. It’s one thing to simply read a book, it’s another to be glued. It’s just one of those books where it is so well-written that the story keeps you trapped and makes you want to find out what’s next.

If you like realistic fiction books like One for the Murphys or Out of My Mind, this is a great book for you to read. I’d recommend it for ages eleven to fourteen and up, but really, anyone from any age can read this novel.

Review written by Silas, Grade 8