Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, is easy to love. This is because Willow Chance is such a unique and endearing character. It’s her quirky voice that ensnares you.
I’m, right now, someone that other people might find interesting to observe. Why? Well, first of all, I’m speaking Vietnamese, which is not my native tongue. I really like that expression because, in general, I think people don’t give this contracting muscle credit for how much it does. So, thank you, Tongue.
Willow is a color you’ve never seen, a new flavor that tickles the tongue, a sound that echoes pleasantly in your ears. She’s a character you become addicted to.
The plotline sees her losing her parents and then building a new family out of unlikely people she finds in the unfrequented rooms of her life. While the plotline is compelling, it’s Willow herself who keeps me reading. Put her in any plot and I will read just to be near her. I find her that addictive as a human being.
Ironically, her addictiveness leads to what I see as a weakness in the book. Just as I, a living, breathing reader, become addicted to Willow, a fellow character of Willow’s does the same—Dell Duke. Dell Duke is a school counselor to whom Willow is sent after being accused of cheating on a standardized test. She finished the hour long test in 17 minutes and got every answer correct. Willow is an unacknowledged genius, you see. Dell Duke is the opposite of Willow in every way. Just as Willow is a born genius, Dell is a born loser. Fortunately, Holly Goldberg Sloan, the author, applies some genius of her own and describes Dell’s loser-ness with such skill and enthusiasm that his story is as compelling as Willow’s.
It would seem that two strong characters in a book would be better than one, but Sloan confuses me with the narrative. When the book begins we are hearing Willow’s genius, but innocent, voice telling us her story in first person. In my mind it’s established that this will be her story and hers alone. I want to hear her voice on every page. However, when Dell enters the picture, the narrative switches to third person. Just as first person is the perfect narrative voice for Willow, third person is the perfect narrative voice for Del. The problem is that I begin to hear two separate stories being told at the same time. It’s almost like Sloan couldn’t decide between the two stories.
With both stories being so compelling I can see why Sloan might become conflicted as to which to focus on. I’m not sure Sloan could write both stories nearly as effectively using only first person or third person. I have to assume that’s why she chose to use both narrative voices at once. I don’t remember ever reading a book with two narrative voices before. Perhaps I am just old, but I found this a bit jarring. But even more, I found myself feeling sad when I saw Dell’s story fading away in comparison with Willow’s. I found myself yelling in my head that Del, after all the work Sloan put into him, needed the respect of an ending also instead of a comparative footnote.
Having said this, if you haven’t read Counting by 7s, there is a good chance you will enjoy it. Willow’s quirky (but flawed) genius; her ability to bring out better lives in other, diverse people; and her ability to heal and find joy are entertaining and inspiring. And Dell? Well, he’s no genius, but he’s a man who’s willing to take the higher path when the opportunity arises.
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These books by Tory Anderson are now available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback format:
