Synopses & Reviews
When the truth about her past is disclosed
the effect works like gangbusters.”
New York Times Book Review
A girl's letters to her best friend reveal two lives derailed by anorexia in this haunting debut that's Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls meets The Sixth Sense.
Zoe knows she doesnt belong in a hospitalso why is she in one?
Twin Birch isnt just any hospital. Its a strange mansion populated by unnerving staff and glassy-eyed patients. Its a place for girls with serious problems; skinny, spindly girls with eating disorders who have a penchant for harming themselves.
Zoe isnt like them. And she cant figure out why she was sent here. Writing letters to her best friend Elise keep her sane, grounded in the memories of her pastbut mired in them, too. Elise never writes back.
Zoe is lost without her, unsure of how to navigate tenuous new friendships and bizarre rules without Elise by her side. But as her letters intertwine with journal entries chronicling her mysterious life at Twin Birch, another narrative unfolds. The hidden story of a complicated friendship; of the choices we make, the truths we tell others, and the lies we tell ourselves. The story of a friendship that has the potential to both saveand damage beyond repair. And Zoe finds she must confront the truth about her past once and for all, before she can finally let go.
Nora Prices debut young adult book is a heart-wrenching meditation on the bonds of friendship with a gripping psychological twist.
Review
"Willow's acknowledgment of the cause of her grief — that she'll never be anyone's daughter again — is a sharp insight, and Hoban's appropriately complex portrayal of cutting makes this a good choice on a crucial subject." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"In this novel that is in part a love story, Hoban takes readers on an intense journey that allows them to see a cutter's painful reality." School Library Journal
Synopsis
Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen-year-old Willow's parents drank too much wine and asked her to drive them home. They never made it — Willow lost control of the car and her parents died in the accident. Now she has left behind her old home, friends, and school, and blocks the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when Willow meets Guy, a boy as sensitive and complicated as she is, she begins an intense, life-changing relationship that turns her world upside down.
Told in an arresting, 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.
Synopsis
Told in an arresting, 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.
Synopsis
Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen-year- old Willow's parents drank too much wine and asked her to drive them home. They never made it. Willow lost control of the car and her parents died in the accident. Now she has left behind her old home, friends, and school, and blocks the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when Willow meets Guy, a boy as sensitive and complicated as she is, she begins an intense, life-changing relationship that turns her world upside down.
Told in an arresting, 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.
Synopsis
Zoe knows she doesn't belong in a hospital. So why is she in one? Twin Birch isn't just any hospital. It's a strange mansion populated by unnerving staff and glassy-eyed patients. It's a place for girls with serious problems; spindly girls who have a penchant for harming themselves. Zoe isn't like them.
Through letters to her best friend, Elise, Zoe tries to come to terms with why she was sent to Twin Birch against her will. But Elise never writes back. Alone and trying to navigate tenuous friendships and bizarre rules, Zoe finds that the reason for Elise's silence lies in memories of their beautiful, inescapable, and sometimes suffocating friendship. A friendship that has both saved her and may still destroy her--unless she is able to confront the truth about her past once and for all.
"A psychological zinger . . . will keep readers invested to the last page."--Kirkus, starred review
Synopsis
Zoe knows she doesn't belong in a hospital. So why is she in one? Twin Birch isn't just any hospital. It's a strange mansion populated by unnerving staff and glassy-eyed patients. It's a place for girls with serious problems; spindly girls who have a penchant for harming themselves. Zoe isn't like them.
Through letters to her best friend, Elise, Zoe tries to come to terms with why she was sent to Twin Birch against her will. But Elise never writes back. Alone and trying to navigate tenuous friendships and bizarre rules, Zoe finds that the reason for Elise's silence lies in memories of their beautiful, inescapable, and sometimes suffocating friendship. A friendship that has both saved her and may still destroy her--unless she is able to confront the truth about her past once and for all.
"A psychological zinger . . . will keep readers invested to the last page."--Kirkus, starred review
About the Author
Julia Hoban is a woman of many talents: she writes, designs her own clothes and handbags, and attended graduate school for physics and philosophy. She lives with her husband in New York City, and is working on her next novel (and outfit).
Kids Q&A
Read the Kids' Q&A with Julia Hoban