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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
This reads like an Australian John Green.
Dan Cereill is miserable - his family went from rich to struggling after his father bankrupted the family company and his parents divorced when his father confessed he was gay. Dan and his mother move into an old Victorian that his mother inherited as a life tenant (she can live there but once she dies it will go to the National Trust, so they can't sell it and use the cash to survive, or sell any of the antiques within). The Cereills can no longer afford Dan's private school tuition, so he will begin the new school year at the local public school, where he hopes to reinvent himself from the nerd he used to be. Unfortunately for him, he does not reinvent himself and instead immediately becomes the target of the resident bully.
Meanwhile, Dan is obsessed with his beautiful new neighbor, Estelle. Like a John Green hero, he is a nerd who loves the mysterious, vibrant, cool girl without knowing her. In addition to being a creeper, Dan is a brat to his mom who is trying her best, but who keeps talking brides out of their weddings and thus out of being customers for her new wedding cake business.
I talked about how a book can win me over with a strong narrative voice in my review of [b:Other Broken Things|23257336|Other Broken Things|Christa Desir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427128307l/23257336._SX50_.jpg|42798630]. And that's what helped me enjoy this book- despite Dan being a pretty flawed protagonist, he has a strong, compelling narrative voice. He also (thankfully) matures quite a bit in the course of the book, confronting his flaw. He owns up to his bad behavior and has many moments of true kindness.
Dan Cereill is miserable - his family went from rich to struggling after his father bankrupted the family company and his parents divorced when his father confessed he was gay. Dan and his mother move into an old Victorian that his mother inherited as a life tenant (she can live there but once she dies it will go to the National Trust, so they can't sell it and use the cash to survive, or sell any of the antiques within). The Cereills can no longer afford Dan's private school tuition, so he will begin the new school year at the local public school, where he hopes to reinvent himself from the nerd he used to be. Unfortunately for him, he does not reinvent himself and instead immediately becomes the target of the resident bully.
Meanwhile, Dan is obsessed with his beautiful new neighbor, Estelle. Like a John Green hero, he is a nerd who loves the mysterious, vibrant, cool girl without knowing her. In addition to being a creeper, Dan is a brat to his mom who is trying her best, but who keeps talking brides out of their weddings and thus out of being customers for her new wedding cake business.
I talked about how a book can win me over with a strong narrative voice in my review of [b:Other Broken Things|23257336|Other Broken Things|Christa Desir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427128307l/23257336._SX50_.jpg|42798630]. And that's what helped me enjoy this book- despite Dan being a pretty flawed protagonist, he has a strong, compelling narrative voice. He also (thankfully) matures quite a bit in the course of the book, confronting his flaw. He owns up to his bad behavior and has many moments of true kindness.
I didn't love this one as much as I loved Wildlife. Don't get me wrong, still worth a read.
4.5 stars
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I have wanted to read Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood since buzz first started to go around about it when it came out in Australia. I waited and waited for it to be published in the US. When Wildlife was published last year I hoped it meant we would be getting this one too. (I was even more eager to read it after the amazingness of Wildlife.) It's been a long wait for this book, but it was well worth it.
Dan Cereill is not having the best year. His family has lost their fortune. His father has come out as gay and left his mom. He has to switch schools halfway through the year. He is living in the house of his dead great-aunt. The only thing getting him through his break is his neighbor Estelle who is beautiful and who he has so much in common with. His problem is that he hasn't actually met her. And how he knows they have so much in common is a secret that he never wants to think about let alone have any one discover. Especially Estelle. Once Dan starts school and reenters life, his path begins to cross with Estelle more an more until he feels like he is really getting to know her and he just may have a chance to accomplish the six impossible things that may set his life to right.
I adored Dan's voice. He is snarky and vulnerable at the same time, and his desperate loneliness is heartbreaking. Losing all of his money and most of his privilege is hard, but harder still is the break with his dad. Dan and his father were always pretty close. Dan does not have a problem with his dad being gay. He has a problem with him leaving him. All Dan wants is his family back, but he knows that isn't possible and it hurts. His mom is not the same either. Fueled by sadness and desperation, she has started a new business which she is sabotaging due to issues she has yet to resolve from her ended marriage. Best not to go into the business of making wedding cakes when one is going through a divorce. I really loved the relationship between Dan and his mom. I liked how he tried to care for her. She wasn't at her best as a mother, but it was clear that she loved Dan and wanted him to find happiness and get through their hard time. I found their interactions and struggle with their individual and shared sadness to be realistic.
All the other relationships in the book are also done incredibly well. I loved the friendship between Dan and his best friend, Fred. They are there for each other and have each other's backs. The growing relationship between Dan and Estelle was also done very well. It was obvious it was heading toward rough times because of course she was going to discover hi secret, but I felt this was handled well and I loved the resolution. Dan also has a developing friendship with Lou (one of the main characters of Wildlife) which is incredibly enjoyable as well. It is strange that the two books were published in a different order in the US. Since Wildlife takes place later and references a devastating incident in Lou's (and Dan's) life that takes place sometime between the two books, it made from some stressful reading. Because I didn't realize that incident took place between the novels until I was more than halfway through with this one, so I was reading this in fear of that. It made it a little difficult for me to fully throw myself into certain parts of the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and would be happy to read anything Fiona Wood writes in the future. I hope she continues to get published in the US. Wood writes frank honest looks in the lives and thoughts of teens.
Content Warning: underage drinking
I read an ARC received from the publisher, Poppy, via Edelweiss. Six Impossible Things is on sale August 11th.
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I have wanted to read Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood since buzz first started to go around about it when it came out in Australia. I waited and waited for it to be published in the US. When Wildlife was published last year I hoped it meant we would be getting this one too. (I was even more eager to read it after the amazingness of Wildlife.) It's been a long wait for this book, but it was well worth it.
Dan Cereill is not having the best year. His family has lost their fortune. His father has come out as gay and left his mom. He has to switch schools halfway through the year. He is living in the house of his dead great-aunt. The only thing getting him through his break is his neighbor Estelle who is beautiful and who he has so much in common with. His problem is that he hasn't actually met her. And how he knows they have so much in common is a secret that he never wants to think about let alone have any one discover. Especially Estelle. Once Dan starts school and reenters life, his path begins to cross with Estelle more an more until he feels like he is really getting to know her and he just may have a chance to accomplish the six impossible things that may set his life to right.
I adored Dan's voice. He is snarky and vulnerable at the same time, and his desperate loneliness is heartbreaking. Losing all of his money and most of his privilege is hard, but harder still is the break with his dad. Dan and his father were always pretty close. Dan does not have a problem with his dad being gay. He has a problem with him leaving him. All Dan wants is his family back, but he knows that isn't possible and it hurts. His mom is not the same either. Fueled by sadness and desperation, she has started a new business which she is sabotaging due to issues she has yet to resolve from her ended marriage. Best not to go into the business of making wedding cakes when one is going through a divorce. I really loved the relationship between Dan and his mom. I liked how he tried to care for her. She wasn't at her best as a mother, but it was clear that she loved Dan and wanted him to find happiness and get through their hard time. I found their interactions and struggle with their individual and shared sadness to be realistic.
All the other relationships in the book are also done incredibly well. I loved the friendship between Dan and his best friend, Fred. They are there for each other and have each other's backs. The growing relationship between Dan and Estelle was also done very well. It was obvious it was heading toward rough times because of course she was going to discover hi secret, but I felt this was handled well and I loved the resolution. Dan also has a developing friendship with Lou (one of the main characters of Wildlife) which is incredibly enjoyable as well. It is strange that the two books were published in a different order in the US. Since Wildlife takes place later and references a devastating incident in Lou's (and Dan's) life that takes place sometime between the two books, it made from some stressful reading. Because I didn't realize that incident took place between the novels until I was more than halfway through with this one, so I was reading this in fear of that. It made it a little difficult for me to fully throw myself into certain parts of the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and would be happy to read anything Fiona Wood writes in the future. I hope she continues to get published in the US. Wood writes frank honest looks in the lives and thoughts of teens.
Content Warning: underage drinking
I read an ARC received from the publisher, Poppy, via Edelweiss. Six Impossible Things is on sale August 11th.
1. Kiss Estelle.
2. Get a job.
3. Cheer my mother up.
4. Try not to be a complete nerd/loser.
5. Talk to my father when he calls.
6. Figure out how to be good.
Fourteen-year-old Dan Cereill (pronounced "surreal") is reeling from moving and changing schools when the family's fortune, such as it was, is completely gone. On top of that Dan's father has announced that he is gay leaving Dan to wonder if his father ever wanted to be a father.
Inheriting a house should be a godsend. And in some ways it is because Dan and his mother have nowhere else to go. But the house is old, drafty, and filled with strange museum-quality possessions that cannot be sold for some much-needed cash. His mother sets up a wedding cake business in the kitchen but that seems to repel more clients than it retains.
Dan has enough problems without an impossible crush on the girl next door. But he knows he's a goner for Estelle from the moment he sees her--especially once he realizes how much they have in common (although he doesn't want to talk about exactly how he knows that).
Dan narrows all of his problems to six impossible things--with a penchant for making lists and following through, Dan is optimistic about fixing at least some of them in Six Impossible Things (2015) by Fiona Wood.
Six Impossible Things is Wood's first novel. It is a companion set in the same world as Wild Life and Cloudwish although it does function as a standalone and can be read without knowledge of the other titles.
There is something very soothing about Fiona Wood's writing. Her blend of humor and pathos as Dan struggles with the changes in his life make a winning combination. Dan's narration is authentic and understandably sardonic as he adjusts and tries to make sense of his new home, new school, and new life.
Dan's relationship with his mom is refreshingly two-sided as they both try to pull themselves together. Their challenges are realistic while also still feeling manageable in a narrative that is overwhelmingly hopeful.
Dan starts Six Impossible Things with no one. His support system is fractured and his everyday life is unrecognizable. Over the course of a rocky few months in a new house and a new school, readers watch Dan rebuild and regroup only to come out stronger than before. The slowly developing friendships with Estelle and other characters are wonderful additions to this charming story. No one captures whimsy and moments of everyday magic quite like Wood. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo, Boys Don't Knit by T. S. Easton, I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, Kissing in America by Margo Rabb, The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider, The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle, Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes, The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
2. Get a job.
3. Cheer my mother up.
4. Try not to be a complete nerd/loser.
5. Talk to my father when he calls.
6. Figure out how to be good.
Fourteen-year-old Dan Cereill (pronounced "surreal") is reeling from moving and changing schools when the family's fortune, such as it was, is completely gone. On top of that Dan's father has announced that he is gay leaving Dan to wonder if his father ever wanted to be a father.
Inheriting a house should be a godsend. And in some ways it is because Dan and his mother have nowhere else to go. But the house is old, drafty, and filled with strange museum-quality possessions that cannot be sold for some much-needed cash. His mother sets up a wedding cake business in the kitchen but that seems to repel more clients than it retains.
Dan has enough problems without an impossible crush on the girl next door. But he knows he's a goner for Estelle from the moment he sees her--especially once he realizes how much they have in common (although he doesn't want to talk about exactly how he knows that).
Dan narrows all of his problems to six impossible things--with a penchant for making lists and following through, Dan is optimistic about fixing at least some of them in Six Impossible Things (2015) by Fiona Wood.
Six Impossible Things is Wood's first novel. It is a companion set in the same world as Wild Life and Cloudwish although it does function as a standalone and can be read without knowledge of the other titles.
There is something very soothing about Fiona Wood's writing. Her blend of humor and pathos as Dan struggles with the changes in his life make a winning combination. Dan's narration is authentic and understandably sardonic as he adjusts and tries to make sense of his new home, new school, and new life.
Dan's relationship with his mom is refreshingly two-sided as they both try to pull themselves together. Their challenges are realistic while also still feeling manageable in a narrative that is overwhelmingly hopeful.
Dan starts Six Impossible Things with no one. His support system is fractured and his everyday life is unrecognizable. Over the course of a rocky few months in a new house and a new school, readers watch Dan rebuild and regroup only to come out stronger than before. The slowly developing friendships with Estelle and other characters are wonderful additions to this charming story. No one captures whimsy and moments of everyday magic quite like Wood. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo, Boys Don't Knit by T. S. Easton, I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, Kissing in America by Margo Rabb, The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider, The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle, Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes, The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a good, fast read. Fun. In the mind of a teenage boy. It was very entertaining.
Loved this book! A believable 15-year old male protagonist with wit, humor, hormones, flaws, and gumption....I was entranced! Tickled with every character, an extremely believable plot, and a setting in Australia, I didn't want this to end. I laughed aloud...actually guffawed...in four different places. I've known so many young men like this, and I'm really glad to see a ya novel written from the male perspective!
I feel a little bad about this but I'm just not really clicking with this book. I'm not a huge fan of the narrator and honestly, I'm getting a little tired of characters who pine after another seemingly perfect character for much of the book. It's just not for me. But it's not a bad book or poorly written. I think a lot of other people will enjoy it. Just not me.
In Australia, this came out before Wildlife did, and I kind of wish the same thing happened here. While this is great read -- and I love that Dan's voice feels so 14-year-old boy -- it's not as strong as Wildlife and suffers a bit because of that.
This is a funnier read, but it has a lot of heart. It's a bit of a twist on Cinderella, down to Dan's name. There's a sweet romance that blooms, and the things Dan has to tackle, including moving, his parents' split, his father's coming out, entering a new school, are well done, authentic, and really flesh out Dan as a compelling, sometimes downright dorky, character. While I suspect many readers may be put off by what he does when trying to get to know Estelle, I thought it was kind of charming and funny in the way that's real to a boy his age.
A little reminiscent of the humor of Amy Spalding, in that sometimes it's laugh out loud, sometimes it's really subtle, and sometimes it's really about the heart and family.
This is a funnier read, but it has a lot of heart. It's a bit of a twist on Cinderella, down to Dan's name. There's a sweet romance that blooms, and the things Dan has to tackle, including moving, his parents' split, his father's coming out, entering a new school, are well done, authentic, and really flesh out Dan as a compelling, sometimes downright dorky, character. While I suspect many readers may be put off by what he does when trying to get to know Estelle, I thought it was kind of charming and funny in the way that's real to a boy his age.
A little reminiscent of the humor of Amy Spalding, in that sometimes it's laugh out loud, sometimes it's really subtle, and sometimes it's really about the heart and family.
DNF @ 15%.
I started this book and just couldn't get into the story. I liked the character voice, but not very much. And I really didn't like the writing style. It felt very amateurish and I was unable to look past it, to the point that it pushed me out of the story.
I started this book and just couldn't get into the story. I liked the character voice, but not very much. And I really didn't like the writing style. It felt very amateurish and I was unable to look past it, to the point that it pushed me out of the story.