I really enjoyed Willow. What kept me turning pages wasn't just the mystery surrounding Willow herself, but the way everyone around her reacted. People could see Willow perfectly well. The fascinating part was that they all seemed to know something was wrong, even when they couldn't quite articulate it. They talked around the problem long before anyone confronted it directly.
What stayed with me most was the relationship between Rowan and Willow. Willow isn't simply a ghost from the past. She's something far more unsettling: a supernatural presence that seems able to take shape through memory, desire, and longing. That ambiguity allows the story to explore the difference between love and need, and the danger of mistaking one for the other.
The people around Rowan don't necessarily understand what Willow is, but they recognize the effects. They watch Rowan stop eating properly, stop caring for herself, withdraw from her friends, and give up the parts of her life that once brought her joy. They may not be able to name the problem, but they know they are losing her.
As Willow's influence grows, Rowan increasingly chooses Willow over everything else. She attempts to isolate herself and subsume herself within the relationship. What ultimately made the story work for me, though, was the persistence of the people who refused to let that happen. Selene, Janet, Susan, and others keep showing up, even when Rowan pushes them away. In many ways, the central conflict becomes simple: Rowan keeps choosing Willow, and everyone else keeps choosing Rowan.
The book has strong gothic horror elements, with a house that feels increasingly shaped by the presence within it and a growing sense of unease as Rowan's world narrows. What stayed with me most, however, wasn't the supernatural mystery. It was the exploration of love versus need, desire versus fulfillment, and the people who refuse to give up on someone they care about.
If you enjoy atmospheric horror, complex relationships, and stories that linger after you've finished them, Willow is well worth a read.
REVIEW: Willow by Marisa Billions
RATING: 5-stars
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