Brittany Warner, 15, "hates" her high-powered attorney mother—but never meant to cause the car crash that put her into a coma. Now the guilt-ridden teen is stranded for the summer on a Vermont horse farm run by loving believers including tenderhearted waitress Cassie, horse-trainer-turning pastor Luke, and recently reformed hottie Will, 17. Spurning the grace they offer, Brittany turns for comfort instead to a troubled filly and a devastating drug dealer. Things go from bad to worse when she discovers secrets about her mother's past that threaten her own identity. Her risky behaviors create a dangerous spiral that threatens to take her down, and Will with her. Finally broken, she calls out to God and races to ask her mother's forgiveness, only to find her waking and burning with fever. All seems lost ... but a greater love is at work, ultimately bringing faith and hope.
Topping the Willow by Lori Closter accurately captures the struggles many teens encounter and offers hope for healing. Through its first person perspective, Brittany’s voice and emotions are made more apparent. The painful effects of emotionally distant parenting are also evident in the story. There are many uplifting messages beautifully woven into the plot including how faith can offer hope, encourage forgiveness and facilitate healing. I loved that each character was realistically portrayed and that the issues explored in the plot are familiar and relevant. Brittany and Will’s friendship was also inspiring. Topping the Willow by Lori Closter is a beautiful, profound novel with practical themes for its intended audience. It sensitively tackles many challenges that teenagers face. Highly recommended.
"Topping the Willow" by Lori Closter is a realistic, contemporary novel that contains little or no explicit sex or strong language, and is especially recommended for mid-teen and older readers due to mature themes and situations. The universal themes of parent-child love and our core beliefs about God, life, and death will appeal to a broad audience and bring hope to those who need it. "Topping the Willow" is especially appropriate and recommended for highschool and community library YA Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal lists of young readers ages 15-18 that "Topping the Willow" is also available in a digital book format ($4.99).
For interested librarians, Topping the Willow has now been entered into the Library of Congress holdings. The Library of Congress Control Number is 2022360943.
