In the novel Counting by 7s, Sloan writes about a young girl named Willow, obsessed with plants and biology. After she loses her parents in an accident, she goes through a painful time. But, gradually, with the help of the Nguyen family and her counselor Dell Duke, she eventually finds the home where she belongs.

Before the accident, Willow enjoys counting things by 7s. On the first day of middle school, when Willow and her parents disagree about the outfit she wants to wear, she looks down and starts counting flax seeds by 7s as an “escape technique” (Sloan 22). However, in the afternoon, Willow finds her parents dead, and her world suddenly stops. Her mind goes blank, and she “​​cannot count anymore by 7s”(Sloan 63). The fact that Willow becomes unable to count by 7s, her favorite number, indicates that she is traumatized and refuses to connect with the outside world. This inability continues as Willow starts living with her friend Mai, Mai’s brother Quang-ha, and their mother Pattie; grief still overwhelms her, while she describes herself as “a shadow”(Sloan 100). Later, they move to Dell’s apartment in the Gardens of Glenwood; Willow gets a lot of support from the people around her, which helps her begin her journey to resettle in this world.

The turning point finally comes when Willow decides to plant the sunflower seeds in the neighborhood’s garden. After that, everyone decides to work on planting together, fixing the soil, watering the place, etc. When Mai mentions the number seven, Willow admits that though she isn’t counting by sevens anymore, she “still [appreciates] the beauty of the number”(Sloan 165). At the end of the book, Willow gets to stay with the Nguyen family permanently; she counts the seven people that are most important to her: mom, dad, Mai, Dell, Quang-ha, Pattie and Jairo. “Like the colors of the rainbow”(Sloan 204), these 7 people are distinct and vivid individuals that Willow has built an emotional connection, which reveals she finds the meaning of “family” again, finally moving on from the painful memories.

Furthermore, Counting by 7s did an amazing job in using flexible narrations. Most of the time, the point of view is from Willow’s perspective; yet the author surprised me by switching the narrator to other characters, which first happened in chapter 5. From different perspectives, the readers can learn more about all the main characters and their thoughts when interacting with Willow. It became apparent that when they offered assistance and support to Willow, she was positively affecting them too.

In general, if you are looking for a novel that addresses people’s emotions, where they belong, and their relationships with others, Counting by 7s will undoubtedly exceed your expectations.