Counting by 7s and Mockingbird

Overview (Non-Spoilers) This is a flawless masterpiece to the tune of "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine. Both of these look deeply into the life of people who are different than the rest of the world. In Counting by 7s this is the genius Willow and in Mockingbird it is Caitlin with Asperger’s. Starting before the death of her parents, the audience views Willow as she battles to understand her surroundings and fit in as a genius in middle school. ***Spoilers*** (for Counting by 7s and Mockingbird) Things I liked: I love our main character. She was a genius but she wasn't a character that would put the reader off. She wasn't pompous or full of herself and she simply wanted to fit in. As much as I was a little annoyed to see that the author had gone with the "family member death" scenario, as did Mockingbird, I didn't feel like the storyline were being repeated. I think it was because, in Counting by 7s, Willow experiences the death of her parents with the audience, rather than having the event already passed as in Mockingbird. I know that it may be annoying that I am comparing the two, but I read this due to a recommendation from Emma W. due to the similarity in genre. I really enjoyed Dell, the awkward therapist and his categorization of his patients. I appreciated the message in the end that no one could be placed into the categories that he had created, or any category in general, not even himself. Things that I didn't like: Not much actually. The story was a bit more depressing than I was expecting but it didn't have anything to do with the actual story itself. Overall: 5 out of 5 stars 98% out of 100% -Jaime