Holly Goldberg Sloan's (I'll Be There) 12-year-old heroine draws readers in from the start. Willow Chase is exceptionally smart and socially awkward, and she recognizes that she is both. She becomes obsessive about certain things: counting by 7s, gardening and researching medical conditions, just to name a few.
Willow looks forward to starting at Sequoia Middle School, where she hopes she'll be better at fitting in with the students. She doesn't. It's loud. People mistake her gardening outfit for a custodial uniform, and her perfect standardized test score gets her an accusation of cheating and a sentence of repeated sessions with the guidance counselor. Through these sessions, Willow meets Mai Nguyen, older sister to Quang-ha, who also must be counseled by Dell Duke. Mai, though she's 14, becomes Willow's first real friend since her previous pal moved away. When, in the very first chapter, Willow's adoptive parents die in a car crash, Mai and her family take in Willow until she can find a home.
Willow narrates many of the chapters, and her winning voice and personality propel the novel. The heroine's compulsive curiosity gives her a reason to go on, even if her passion flags in the aftermath of her parents' death. "In my opinion it's not really a great idea to see people as one thing," Willow thinks in response to a letter labeling her "highly gifted," adding, "We are all imperfect genetic stews." Willow's hopeful outlook, despite her dire consequences, can't help but lift readers up right along with her. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness