Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen

Pilu of the Woods

by Mai K. Nguyen

A heartwarming story of friendship, loss, and finding your way home fromdebut author/illustrator Mai K. Nguyen!

Willow loves the woods near herhouse. They’re calm and quiet, so different from her ownturbulent emotions, which she keeps locked away. When her emotions get thebetter of her one day, she decides to run away into the woods.

There, shemeets Pilu, a lost tree spirit who can’t find her way backhome—which turns out to be the magnolia groveWillow’s mom used to take her to. Willow offers to helpPilu, and the two quickly become friends.

But the journey is long, andPilu isn’t sure she’s ready to returnhome yet—which infuriates Willow, who’sdetermined to make up for her own mistakes by getting Pilu back safely. As astorm rages and Willow’s emotions bubble to the surface,they suddenly take on a physical form, putting both girls indanger… and forcing Willow to confront her inner feelingsonce and for all.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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I received a copy of Pilu of the Woods through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If I was giving out awards, there is no doubt in my mind that Pilu of the Woods would be getting the ‘cutest graphic novel of the year’ award. It’s charming, sweet, and has the perfect balance of fantasy and wonder, while also exploring the expansive set of emotions that come with loss.
Pilu of the Woods is a fantasy about loss and friendship. The main character is named Willow, and early on in the story she meets and befriends and odd sort of girl named Pilu. Together they find their way through the forest.
I believe their journey through the forest is symbolic, as they’re both working through complex emotions during the course of the story. Willow is grieving, and has clearly hit the anger stage, while Pilu feels like she’s too easily lost in a crowd, and thus unloved. While their pain is very different, they can still find common ground to understand.
This story brought tears to my eyes at point, while at others I could do nothing but hope that they would find their way through this mess. It was sad, it was heartbreaking, but it was also beautiful and heartwarming. I can’t praise it enough.

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 December, 2018: Finished reading
  • 6 December, 2018: Reviewed