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Willow
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Willow
Unavailable
Willow
Audiobook10 hours

Willow

Written by Julia Hoban

Narrated by Kim J. Ulrich

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen 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.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 14, 2009
ISBN9780739386460
Unavailable
Willow
Author

Julia Hoban

Julia Hoban is a woman of many talents: She writes, designs her own clothes and handbags, and attended graduate school for physics and philosophy. She lives with her husband in New York City, and is working on her next novel (and outfit).

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Reviews for Willow

Rating: 3.956522140468228 out of 5 stars
4/5

299 ratings48 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    You know it's bad when you can't work up much sympathy for a character who's just lost her parents.

    I just couldn't bring myself to like Willow, no matter how hard I tried. I totally understand that she was going through a lot and struggling but I still don't think it's an excuse to act like nobody else's problems are real. Willow seemed to think that just because she'd gone through something awful, NOBODY else's feelings were valid. No problem other than Willow's was worth crying about. That just really annoyed me.

    Also couldn't stand Guy, the love interest. He was SO odd. Very melodramatic, as was Willow. Their relationship was incredibly unhealthy but Hoban portrays it as something to be desired. Maybe I'm just not one for 'damsel in distress' type stories. I think the story did have potential.

    It could have been an interesting story of a girl who gets the strength to carry on after a disaster with support from friends and family, instead of a story about how a girl can only recover with the 'help' of some random overbearing guy.

    I know I've torn the book apart here but it wasn't ALL bad. The writing is good, the story idea was good, it kept me interested until the end which is also good. There are certainly a lot of people who will like this- just not me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not as gripping as I thought it would be. I waited almost six months to read this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Just finished reading this book received on interfamily loan from my daughter Elizabeth Snyder. This is a very good book about a young girl who is driving a car and is in an accident which kills her parents. The story is about cutting, this young girl's method of dealing with her grief. A very moving story about living with grief and how different people deal with their grief in different ways. Kudos to the author Julia Hoban. And thank you Elizabeth for loaning it to me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So fantastic!!!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    OK I gave up on this because I was tired of the teenage angst although if we ever have a cutter on campus I will have to tell Bon about it. "I killed my parents" every other chapter (she was driving a car during an accident)...I can't carry on a decent conversation with ANYONE and act like a ditz (as in a girl asks where the library in her school is and she starts to take her to a university one where she works rather than the one in her school) ....I need to cut myself constantly.....I realize that this is a problem with some girls and for them I am sure that this is a worthwhile book although it never really explains why she gets some much out of doing it, unless of course that happened in the 2nd half of the book. Seems the boyfriend got way to involved also so definitely not a book for us.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think it's a really amazing book. I'm not a cutter. but i think it's good book for those that are because it shows that their ways around self hurt.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really enjoyed this book and the fact that it was written in 3rd person! As recovering cutter I could really relate to this story. I could not put this book down but I must say I with the ending was a bit deeper or maybe a part 2!?
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I could not get past the first 50 pages.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read a few books lately involving teens who have experienced loss of family members. This one would seem to be the most tragic. Willow gets into a car accident while driving her parents home from a party (they had too much to drink). Willow survives the accident, but both of her parents die. Willow's older brother, David & his pregnant wife, Cathy take Willow in and become her guardians. Willow turns to cutting to help her avoid dealing with her emotional pain. When Willow meets Guy and he discovers her secret, she is forced to deal with all the feelings she has been trying so desperately to avoid.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When 16 year old Willow accidentally kills her parents in a car accident, her world turns upside down. Forced to live with her older brother, his new wife and baby, Willow finds condemned by his silence towards her. In order to cope with her losses, she turns to cutting. Cutting is the only way she can face each day, and drown out her former life. For 7 months, cutting is her way of life - until she meets Guy. Guy is unlike any boy she's ever met before and, despite herself, Willow finds herself drawn to him. Guy offers her hope, something she has not had in so long, but Willow doesn't feel she can't let go of the cutting which has become her life. She will have to choose, but Willow's choices have never turned out well...
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not an absolutely horrible book, but one I had to give up on slightly past page 200. It was just the same thing over and over. I think it would ring strongly with someone that the problem of cutting strikes a little more closely. I'm not sure how the book ended, but a few possibilities all seem very likely. One interesting thing Hoban did was limit her physical descriptions of characters (or so it seemed to me), which I think was brilliant so readers did not have preconceived notions of the characters and the real life people they represent.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a "free read" for me, it used to belong to Sarah I believe, came across it in a pile in the garage. Willow is a 17 year old girl who's parents died in a horrific car accident with her behind the wheel on the night of the worst storm system to have gone through in years. Willow believes that SHE killed her parents, & has caused her older brother, who is 15 years older than she is, to hate her. Her own pain has caused her to turn to pain that she can control, & she cuts.This is Willow's journey through the pain, to finally reconnecting with her brother, facing her fears, her grief, & with the help & love of a boy named Guy, overcoming the need to self mutilate.It's eye opening, heart breaking, & ultimately sweet all at the same time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Eight months ago Willow and her parents got into a horrible car crash. And, unfortunately because her parents decided to drink a little bit too much, Willow was the one behind the wheel and the only one who survived. She is forced to move in with her much older brother, his wife and their new baby girl. Consumed with grief, and worst of all, guilt Willow starts to cut herself. It is the only escape she knows until she meets Guy who helps her overcome her self harm. I’m not going to lie, I cringed every single time she cut. The author describes it so vividly it almost felt like I was there with Willow whenever it happened. And although it was slightly uncomfortable at times, I really did like the vividness. It made the book seem real. I felt like the book progressed perfectly. Willow and Guy don’t automatically become best friends and fall in love, which seems to happen in quite a few books, nor does Willow stop cutting all of a sudden just because she meets Guy. It takes time for them to trust each other completely, but once they do it’s perfect.Both Willow and Guy are great characters. Despite everything she’s been through, it doesn’t feel like Willow is complaining when she talks about her problems which is great since I can’t stand when all characters do is whine, whine, whine. As for Guy, he is fantastic. He is caring and sweet, but also tough. He doesn’t give up on Willow no matter how hard or how many times she tries to push him away. I originally bought this for my friend as her Christmas present a while back. But instead of giving it to her I decided to give her the first book in the Pretty Little Liars series and keep this one for myself. Kind of bad, I know, but I’m so glad I did.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not as gripping as I thought it would be. I waited almost six months to read this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What is the book about? It was seven months ago that Willow lost both her parents to a horrible car accident. She couldn't feel more guilty about that day, since she was the one behind the wheel. Her parents had to much to drink, and she only had a drivers permit. Now she lives with her much older brother and his family. The only way she can deal with the memory of her parents dying, and the guilt of being the one behind the wheel, she cuts herself. Willow confides this monumental secret in a classmate named Guy. He won't give up on her, and sticks by her side to support her.What did I think of the book? Cutting is a seriously emotional problem for some people. The people that aren't cutters, cannot understand what is so appealing about mutilating one's body. Julia Hoban really opens you up to the cutting world, and gives you an idea of what might be going on in a cutter's mind. Hoban does not glorify cutting or make it sound appealing, but simply shares what it feels like to have pain inside of you that can only be released with a blade.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My sister told me I should read this book so when I saw it on the library shelves I picked it up. The story was okay, nothing phenomenal, but what really made this a three star and not a four star was the writing style. It's the "she cries as she watches him" instead of "she cried as she watched him". I don't know why it bothers me so much but it does. As a young adult book the story is good, but I've read better. However, for someone who could be going through the same kind of thing this could be a very powerful book. I'm sure it connected well with some people. I don't regret reading the book but now I'm ready to move on to the next book on my desk.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Willow is an enjoyable enough read, with a character who is engaging enough to keep my attention. The consideration of her behavior and thinking patterns is realistic and straightforward without getting to graphically melodramatic. As a simple novel of fiction, I can't find much fault with the story. However, as an example of how to deal with self injurious behavior, the book really doesn't lend itself to assisting those who practice self injury, or those dealing with friends or family who do so. Other than Willow's eventual romantic interest, no one knows about her behavior. She doesn't receive counseling or any kind of intervention, and there is not really a solution involved. The idea that a boy Willow likes could on his own save her from herself might make for romantic literature, but in reality, would most likely not make her stop her behavior. So, if you want a good angsty book, Willow will suit your needs just fine. If you are looking for insight into how to help a self injurer, steer clear of this title. Unless you want a example of what not to do.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Willow has been through the tramatic experience of losing both her parents. Not only did she witness the horrible moment, she was the one behind the wheel. She blames herself. She moves in with her older brother and his wife and infant. She hates what her life has become. She hates her strained relationship with her brother, all the things left unsaid and especially his inability to even talk about their parents. She becomes a cutter to escape the pain. She would rather feel a physical moment of pain than to deal with feeling anything emotional. Willow's journey is not a feel-good-story. There is no real happy ending. Her reality is sad. She is sad. The whole book is depressing. Spoilers: I really did enjoy Guy's character. He brought out a good side of Willow. He was charming and caring. With all that being said, I hate that it sort of took a guy to pull Willow out, like he was the cure. Too many teenage (especially girls) base their existence on a boy and a lot of the time it is a huge mistake. You can't just depend on one person to pull you up and get you through things. Their life is not a guarantee. They are not required to see you through it. People are fickle and a lot of us bail out when things get too tough. My other "problem" was the whole cutting thing. I know there are so many people who have this issue, so I'm not trying to be insensitive. I really just don't get why anyone would scar and hurt themselves that way. It's so sad to me that even if you stop cutting, you will always have those scars. People will always judge you for them unfortunately. But, I suppose it is that way with anything. Everyone has their own coping mechanisms. Next up is the way the story was written. It was choppy? I don't know, it just didn't flow well at times for me and it didn't keep my attention. 3 (generous) stars I do not recommend this for anyone going through anything traumatic or for anyone who is depressed. It is a depressing little book Not a bad story, just not really one for me
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an exceptional book! I was riveted right from the start! I read this in two days! Its a dark story about a girl who solves her emotional problems by cutting herself. Its characters are well thought out and wonderful! It delivers a very heart wrenching story with an ending that will bring you to tears! Out standing!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book! It was kind of slow in the beginning but it picked up fast. This book was fascinating, so intense and sad. It is a great eye opener! Willow gave me a reality check in the sense that this isn't a perfect world, nobody is perfect and there are many people who resort to hurting themselves to cope with pain and suffering. Willow’s relationship with both Guy, and especially her brother, are perfectly captured and make the book an extremely emotional read. I really loved this book and the romance that was woven into Willows life when she really needed someone to talk to and someone who would listen to her without judgment. I loved the characters Willow, Guy and Willow’s brother. Willow blamed herself for her parent’s death because she was the one who was driving the car that got her parents killed. I feel for Willow because she started to cut herself to make her feel better, whenever she’s sad instead of talking to her brother or anyone, she cut herself. When Guy found out she was a cutter, he was shocked at first but then he decided to help her. In addition, Guy was there when Willow needed him, and wouldn't give up on her. Julia Hoban description is beautiful; it makes me understand the pain Willow going through. Overall, I loved this book. I recommend this book for everyone age 15 or over.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I think this had a great message for kids about cutting and warning signs, etc. However, the ending was crap. We don't need anymore stories out there that promote teen sex-it's like all these books nowadays are saying that when teens have sex, all their problems disappear! Really? We don't need to encourage teen sex AT ALL! I really felt like the ending was saying that sleeping with the boy of her dreams made Willow start healing. I mean, I really could have done without all that. And it's sad; it didn't need that at all to be powerful. Take out that and it's amazing. I just feel like it might be sending the wrong message to confused and hurting teens.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Willow by Julia Hoban was an amazing read! At age 16, Willow and her parents were in a car crash. She was driving and her parents died. Ever since that day, she had a hard time getting back to her normal life. Her and her brother have grown apart after the accident. As a way of coping with the pain and guilt, she cuts herself. Everything starts to change when she meets Guy who helps her. I really enjoyed this book. It is a great read and brings lights to topics such has cutting, death, and guilt. I think everyone should read this is will learn something from it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very sad and moving novel about a teenage girl named Willow who parents were killed in a car accident. Not only is Willow feeling grief, she also feels guilt because she was the one who was driving. Willow deals with the grief and guilt by cutting herself. She meets and falls in love with a boy who helps her find her way out of the pain and into the beginnings of a life without the razor.Having recently lost my boyfriend of 5 years due to a sudden catastrophic illness, I could relate to a lot of the things Willow goes through in the book. While the book made me very sad, it also gave me some hope.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Willow is the story of a girl who is dealing with the death of her parents. To cope with the loss, she cuts herself. While working at the library, she meets a character named Guy, whom she becomes romantically interested in. This was a quick read. The story flowed well and was entertaining enough to keep my interest, but I disliked the romantic and emotional parts of the story..
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    i have to honestly say that this book wasn't all that great. the story line was amazing but i just wish that the auther could of put more realistic characters and the only thing that save the book for me was the fact that it was written in third person.i, a former cutter would never act anything like Willow. she often came across as well....crazy. i understand that she was hurt by the death of her parents, but the things that she said and how she treated people was horrible. she seemed to have trust issues when no one even broke her trust. and her boyfriend was just....pathetic.i might be a little to harsh but if you read the book then you would understand.i also had my friend read it who is also a former cutter and she couldn't understand her actions either. dont get me wrong. we understood where she was coming from...but it was just a little bit over the top.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Bieng a recovering cutter myself, I tend to like self destructive type books, if only for the inevitable happy ending. They almost always get over it in the end. But I have never found a cutting book (then again I usually avoid cutting ones, I go for the drugs or other destructive behaviours)that was this authentic and acurate (at least for me) about the actions. Other books make it feel like the cutting is more for shock value and less for actual story telling. "Willow" had a much more in depth storyline that made you feel for her. It was about her emotional pain and the cutting played a large part, but if focused on other parts as well. And Guy's aproach to her was great. I had a boyfriend that threatened to leave when I cut and generally made me feel angry and more apt to do it. I had another boyfriend that took the same basic aproach as Guy and well...I ended up married to him and even though I still struggle occasionally, Im mostly over it.Kudos to Julia Hoban for such a well thought out and written book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A wonderful (but rather long) story of overcoming self-injury.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I usually tend to steer clear of young adult books that are after-school-special-like. Mostly because they tend to be filled with the whole "woe is me" attitude and that can get old very quickly. However, sometimes I need my share of angst, so Willow seemed to fit the bill. Was it angsty-ahoy? Without a doubt. And while it did have shadings of "woe is me", I still ended up captivated by Willow (the book). Just the whole premise of the book (Willow's parents die in a car accident that had her behind the wheel) was so heartbreaking. I think that's why I sympathized with Willow. The thought of being in that situation is incomprehensible to me. Willow's pain was so raw that I literally cringed while reading some of the parts in the book. Her pain was so overwhelming and I really felt for her. I really loved and adored Guy. He was such a good guy and his refusal to leave Willow to suffer alone was really sweet. Their whole relationship was really sweet. Sure, the fact that he seemed to have no visible flaws was annoying, but I really wouldn't mind having my own personal Guy to help me through my tough times. Willow is highly recommended. It was a haunting and poignant story. I really couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in one sitting. Plus, it wasn't overly dramatic or cliched. But most importantly, it doesn't feel preachy like an after-school special does.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was a joy to read. It was sad and did make me tear up.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Grades 8 and upSeven months ago, Willow Randall’s parents had a little bit too much wine with dinner and asked Willow to drive them home. It was raining terribly, and Willow only had a learner’s permit. When she lost control of the car, her parents were killed. Now Willow lives with her older brother and his wife, and she blames herself for the accident completely. The pain of losing her parents coupled with the knowledge that she killed them is too much for her to bear on her own, too much pain – the only way she’s able to deal with it all is to cut herself.Willow’s self-destructive secret is easy for her to keep, but when her control slips just once, a boy named Guy is there to see, and he won’t let it go. Now Willow has, in Guy’s friendship, another unlikely (for her) outlet for her grief, but she doesn’t want to use him – the emotions that come along with friendship, with connection, are ones she would rather never feel again.Willow is a compelling, bitingly honest and tender story about acceptance, connection, and grief that will grab you by the heartstrings and tug.