Pilu Of The Woods by Mai K Nguyen is a beautiful graphic novel to read, especially in the fall time.

This story is about a girl named Willow, who lost her mom so she now lives with her sister, Linnea and their father. 

As you read on in the beginning, it’s clear she gets picked on by the bullies at school. They call her names and even a know-it-all, because she knows a lot of facts like a human encyclopedia!

One day, Willow got into a fight with her sister so she runs off into the woods near her home. There, she meets a forest spirit, Pilu. When Willow met her, she was crying so she comforted her. Just like Willow, Pilu also ran from home. 

The two explored the woods and they are on a grand journey. Along the way, they share their feelings with each other. They think no one else understands how lonely, angry, or sad they feel. In their mind, it seems like no one is listening to them.

It will give you flashbacks of how you were as a young teen. I know it reminded me of how I was when I was around the age of 18. The rebellious soul, thinking no one else could possibly understand what you’re going through, shutting out the world, keeping your emotions in and wouldn’t communicate properly.

Because of their shared emotions, that’s when they really bond and help each other out. They are greeted by “monsters” in the woods. I interpreted the monsters as emotions. The monsters will get angry as how you would when you’re in a fight. Any type of emotions the characters feel, so will the monsters.

The art style reminds me of the fall time because of the color scheme. It’s a story about grief, confronting your feelings and character development. You cannot escape how you feel, you can only learn how to deal with them. 

It’s a cute book full of lessons, great for any age!