Reviewed by Cocktails and Books on
We meet Willow as she moves to live with an aunt she didn't know she had. Immediately you can tell this young woman has lived through something horrible, but you can also sense her strength. Beneath her fear and broken faith is a Willow who wants to survive. She wants to belong and feel wanted. What Willow wants, but doesn't voice, is what she finds with her Aunt Addy. Despite looking exactly like her mother, she couldn't be more opposite and exactly what Willow needs. It's with Addy that Willow learns to trust and understand a mother's love doesn't necessarily come from the woman who gave birth to you.
But it's not only Addy that helps Willow. It's overly friendly Allison, who doesn't let Willow's gruff responses and standoffish behavior push her away. Somehow, Allison knows exactly what questions to ask to gauge Willow's reaction to certain scenarios and acts as a buffer to help her deal. She teaches Willow how to lean on someone and know they'll stand by her.
And then there's Sam. He sees Willow. Not the broken girl she feels like, but the person that's lurking beneath her pain. Their relationship started off rocky, but that was a bit of teenage normalcy that Willow needed. They fought, they didn't speak to each other, they found a way to be friends and they grew to more. And it was Sam who knew exactly what to say to Willow to make her realize she was so much more than what happened to her and that people have her back.
The topic of this book could be a trigger for some, but JL Berg handled this topic beautifully. Willow may have started off broken, but she discovered the true meaning of family and exactly how brave she is.
Reading updates
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- 30 January, 2017: Reviewed