Reviews

This Impossible Light by Lily Myers

sb1119's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lovegirl30's review against another edition

4.0

Review to come

illbefinealone's review against another edition

3.0

This Impossible Light is a novel in verse about a girl named Ivy and her struggles after her parents’ divorce. It’s a heavy read subject-wise, but it didn’t impress me.
I liked the poetry, there are some amazing, powerful lines hidden in the verses, and I liked how it was all organized. But it’s a before-seen plot, and those powerful lines aren’t enough to carry the filler ones. Not to mention, it continuously reminded me of The Princess Saves Herself in This One.
I thought I was going to love this book, I’m really bummed out that I didn’t.

Copy received through NetGalley.

cherrythepie's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

katkinney's review against another edition

4.0

Lily Myers does such a great job of really pulling you into Ivy's head in "This Impossible Light" and showing the way her self-image and sense of stability slowly crumble as she falls deeper into the stages of her eating disorder. This is a quick read, but a very effective one. I love the way Ivy reflects on very small details... family vacations... a fish shaped waffle iron that made Saturday mornings cozy... Myers does an outstanding job at making the comforting life she's mourning tangible and oh so easy to picture.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.

kristy_k's review

4.0

Written in verse, this tells the story of 15 year old Ivy as she tries to navigate her way through her parents divorce, her BFF slipping away from her, her body changing, and keeping up appearances as the Smart Girl in school. A poignant tale that I related to on multiple levels.

maeri's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The book itself was very emotion and I connected to it a lot. The writing itself though was not very entertaining and way too fast paced. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

allisin's review against another edition

4.0

I like how this was written. How the words played on the page. Story line was pretty short and not much meat to it, yet very enjoyable!

jhahn's review against another edition

4.0

This book is written in verse. Very quick read. Portrayed well how an eating disorder can take hold.

liralen's review against another edition

4.0

I look up at the moon,
Trace its waxing and waning.

Each month
she gets thin and razor-sharp
before disappearing completely. (180)

Packs a nice quiet punch. I still find novels in verse to be quite hit-or-miss, but this one hit the mark. Complex, interesting characters with a lot going on in their lives, a heroine who loves math, a subtler treatment of disordered eating than I usually see. I love that it's not about romance. Romance wouldn't fix the things that have changed in Ivy's world, or the things going wrong. I love that it ends on a note of hope but that things are not just...magically perfect. I really didn't know what to expect going into this, but if I'd had expectations they probably would have been surpassed.