Imagine trading one pain for another. Sometimes physical pain hurts less than the emotions you may fear. Meet Willow -She is 17 years old and her parents died in a car accident 7 months ago; Willow was the driver. She has since moved in with her brother, David, his wife and their new baby. Willow has turned to self-mutilation and has begun cutting herself to cope with the pain of her loss. She also mistakes David's grief as hatred and contempt for her. She is unable to connect with classmates and even avoids her old friends. It isn't until Willow meets Guy that her life seems to begin to come to life. They begin to form a friendship discussing books and it soon becomes more. It is with the help of Guy that Willow learns to feel life and all that goes with it again. She is no longer numb to emotion and those that she embraces overwhelm her. Does Willow give up the blades for a chance at life or do they have too much control over her?
Julia Hoban's story Willow follows Willow through her battle with the blades. Self-mutilation is a huge problem among teens today. What most people do not realize is that it is an addiction that is hard to break. Although some scenes may too much to handle for younger readers, Hoban does a good job showing Willow's struggle and the power the blades have over her. Willow also begins to embrace her emotions as she develops feelings for Guy. We see their relationship bloom throughout the book and it is definitely able to keep readers interested; I even felt jealous sometimes! Their's was a sweet vision of first love which seems to be a recurring theme in YAL.
Willow is a longer novel at over 300 pages and the chapters are very long; some almost 25 pages. Hoban's skills as an author shine through though as this did not bother me and I found myself deeply rooted in the book; it was hard to put down. I would definately reccomend this work but to a more mature audience as some of the cutting scenes can be graphic. Do not be fooled by the book's serious content as it is not just another depressing book. I found myself chuckling quite a bit in the second half and there were many smiles along the way.
*Please watch this videos. Some images may be disturbing but it is imperative to realize cutting is a serious problem.*
Self-Injury: An Addiction
In My Room Documentary: Cutting Story
