Review: Willow by Julia Hoban

Teaser from barnesandnoble.com
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.

Review
What caught me about this book when I found it at the store was the teaser itself. I don't often read realistic fiction and this was one that caught my eye right away.

Characters:

Willow- Willow is the main character in the story. As the teaser tells you she was driving her parents home seven months ago when the car went out of control and she lost her parents. She moves in with her adult brother and his family and finds herself hiding her feelings from her family and herself, by cutting.
Guy- Willow runs into Guy at the library she works at and keeps running into him, and soon it becomes much too hard to lie to herself, is he really just a guy, or something more.
David- Willow's older brother who works at a local university. Ever since the death of their parents both Willow and her brother haven’t been able to speak of the deaths, making Willow even more isolated.

Reaction: 
This is one of my favorite realistic books of all time. The emotion fixed into it is so hooking and moving that I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended for both teens and adults!

Rate
Story: 89/100
Speed: 75/100
Originality: 90/100

Comment please!