Book Reviews

Review: Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen

Pilu of the Woods is an adorable middle grade graphic novel about friendship and grief.

Summary

Willow loves the woods near her house. They’re calm and quiet, so different from her own turbulent emotions, which she keeps locked away. When her emotions get the better of her one day, she decides to run away into the woods. There, she meets Pilu, a lost tree spirit who can’t find her way back home—which turns out to be the magnolia grove Willow’s mom used to take her to. Willow offers to help Pilu, and the two quickly become friends. But the journey is long, and Pilu isn’t sure she’s ready to return home yet—which infuriates Willow, who’s determined to make up for her own mistakes by getting Pilu back safely. As a storm rages and Willow’s emotions bubble to the surface, they suddenly take on a physical form, putting both girls in danger… and forcing Willow to confront her inner feelings once and for all.

Review

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Pilu of the Woods is a sweet graphic novel about friendship, grief, and family. It’s about a family still coming to terms with the death of a mother and the relationship between the youngest daughter and her older sibling. The drawing style is cute and it definitely fits the narrative of the story. At the same time Pilu of the Woods is about making a friend and helping them confront their fears and doubts. Willow is a clever plant obsessed girl and she has to learn throughout the story that we can’t repress our thoughts and emotions. It just creates an even bigger problem and we need to embrace them.

Find Pilu of the Woods on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.

Discussion

What’s your favorite Middle Grade graphic novel? Some of my other favorites are Click by Kayla Miller and Sanity and Tallulah!


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