Living in Seattle is one of the greatest things, because of all of the different book resources that we have. There's the Amazon store, countless Barnes and Nobles, but, my personal favorite, is the Half Price Bookstore located in Redmond, WA, which is about twenty minutes from downtown Seattle. This bookstore has new books and used books, but you will always be able to get books for a great price. It smells like books and happiness the second you walk into the store. I love going there and finding new books and spending hours staring up at the gigantic bookcases and wondering what all the books are about. Recently, my sister and I went to Half Price Books and she found a book called, The Willoughbys. She asked me if I had ever read it (I hadn't) and then told me I needed to buy it because it looked like a book I would enjoy. Naturally, I had to purchase it. The cover looked so darling, and the book isn't super long, so I knew I could have it read within an afternoon.
The Willoughbys is written by Lois Lowry, who wrote the oh so famous book we all had to read in middle school known as The Giver. I enjoyed The Giver, so I figured why not give her other books a chance? After loving books like The Penderwicks or The Saturdays, The Willoughbys seemed like the next best book to read.
The Willoughbys is a children's fiction book, but I have to say that anyone, young or old, would be able to enjoy this book because of it's dry, sarcastic humor and immense character growth. There are some really good themes in this book, such as friendship, growing up, facing and overcoming sadness, and becoming a better person. When I first started reading the book I wasn't so sure I was going to like it, but in the end I'm really glad I stuck with it, because it turned out to be a super sweet and touching story.
The Willoughbys is a short story following the four Willoughby children Tim, Barnaby A, Barnaby B and Jane, a depressed millionaire, an abandoned baby, a nanny, a woman and her son who were lost in an avalanche in Switzerland, and two dastardly parents. The Willoughby children are enraptured with the idea of being typical, old fashioned children, and decide that, finally, they want to get rid of their horrible parents by sending them on a dangerous vacation. Unfortunately for the children, their parents seem to be thinking much of the same thing. Unhappy that they even had children, Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby come up with a plan to abandon their children forever and start a new life without them. Then, there is Baby Ruth, who is an abandoned baby that is left at the Willoughby's house, only to be gathered up by the Willoughby children and then placed on the porch of a rich but sad candy maker, who lost his wife and son in an avalanche in Switzerland. Finally there is Nanny, who is hired by Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby to look after the children until further notice, which may as well be forever.
One of my favorite things about this book, is how much Lois Lowry focused on character growth. When I first started reading the book, I didn't really like the main characters. I hated how rude they were and how selfish they appeared (then again, can I really blame them with such horrid parents?). But by the end of the book I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful they became and how sad I was when this book ended. I also really liked how the story had some realistic traits, but also some highly whimsical twists, such as a millionaire candy maker or a vacation filled with helicopter rides over erupting volcanoes or an avalanche that buried a train in Switzerland that might contain survivors even after so many years.
If I had to pick one thing about this book that I didn't like, then I would say that I didn't love how it started. I disliked the characters a lot in the beginning, but, rest assured, they really did grow on me and by the time the book ended, I thought they were perfect! But, it was a bit of a battle to get myself to keep reading. Granted, keep in mind that it does get better and it most definitely is worth the read, so please finish it all the way through.
One of my favorite quotes is, "We are four worthy orphans with a no-nonsense nanny."
The Willoughbys is definitely one of my new favorite books. It's witty, funny, and has fantastic character growth. Plus, it's super short so it doesn't take a long time to read. It's one of those books that you can finish in a couple hours, maybe even less if you're a fast reader. You can buy The Willoughbys on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Willoughbys-Lois-Lowry/dp/0385737769/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458582773&sr=8-1&keywords=the+willoughbys I hope you read it, it's totally worth it!
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