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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
There were some twists and turns that were unexpected (and unrealistic) but overall I liked the style and voice of this book and I honestly couldn't put it down. A great read!
Summary: Lucy discovers that she is another family member doomed to be cursed: she will become pregnant at seventeen, give birth, and descend into madness as her daughter grows up to repeat the cycle unless they can perform three seemingly impossible tasks. But Lucy has something earlier generations didn't have: a loving foster family, notes from her birth mother, and Zach. Inspired by the ballad "Scarborough Fair."
Thoughts: I've been wanting to read this for a while so I was very excited to pick it up at my library. I was not familiar with the ballad but I had seen some reviews around and they seemed largely positive. I'm glad I picked it up because I flew through it.
I really loved the characters; I felt for Lucy as she was struggling to make sense of everything. I loved her foster parents Soledad and Les who were so loving to her and supportive. I liked her (basically only) friend Sarah. And I liked Zach...
In fact I think Zach is a big part of my happiness with this book; he sounds super hot and is basically just a fantastic guy as evidenced by this quote: "...who had just told her she was competent to take care of herself, but who was still there to hold her up anyway" (116). He knows that she is strong and can take care of herself but he still wants to be there along the way to help her if she stumbles and to love her when she needs it and to watch her be awesome.
The tasks set to Lucy were quite difficult-I'm still not entirely sure how she completed the first one but it doesn't really matter because in the end "True love conquers all!" (Does anyone else sing this like they do in Sleeping Beauty?)
The villain, the man who had placed the curse on Lucy's family, is suitably creepy and I felt dread when he showed up because obviously nothing good was going to happen but I also felt drawn to him like the characters in the book do because he had that magnetism.
Warning: There is a brief rape scene, which is obviously horrifying.
Overall: 4.5/5. I'm not sure this deserves this high of a rating but it was so much better than some of the other stuff I've read this week that this is more of a immediate reaction; later on I may feel it is more deserving of a 4.
Thoughts: I've been wanting to read this for a while so I was very excited to pick it up at my library. I was not familiar with the ballad but I had seen some reviews around and they seemed largely positive. I'm glad I picked it up because I flew through it.
I really loved the characters; I felt for Lucy as she was struggling to make sense of everything. I loved her foster parents Soledad and Les who were so loving to her and supportive. I liked her (basically only) friend Sarah. And I liked Zach...
In fact I think Zach is a big part of my happiness with this book; he sounds super hot and is basically just a fantastic guy as evidenced by this quote: "...who had just told her she was competent to take care of herself, but who was still there to hold her up anyway" (116). He knows that she is strong and can take care of herself but he still wants to be there along the way to help her if she stumbles and to love her when she needs it and to watch her be awesome.
The tasks set to Lucy were quite difficult-I'm still not entirely sure how she completed the first one but it doesn't really matter because in the end "True love conquers all!" (Does anyone else sing this like they do in Sleeping Beauty?)
The villain, the man who had placed the curse on Lucy's family, is suitably creepy and I felt dread when he showed up because obviously nothing good was going to happen but I also felt drawn to him like the characters in the book do because he had that magnetism.
Warning: There is a brief rape scene, which is obviously horrifying.
Overall: 4.5/5. I'm not sure this deserves this high of a rating but it was so much better than some of the other stuff I've read this week that this is more of a immediate reaction; later on I may feel it is more deserving of a 4.
A great beach read ... contemporary fairy tale-fantasy ... complete with Elfin Knight, young love, and madness!
Since it was a Christmas present from my uncle, I wasn't expecting much. However, I was thoroughly mistaken. I often stay up late into the night reading, but this was one where I couldn't put it down until I found out exactly what would happen. It was most definitely a page-turner, by no means a literary wonder, but also not terrible.
It was quite interesting how the curse was wrapped up with the song "Scarborough Fair" and even more interesting to see how each task would be completed.
It was quite interesting how the curse was wrapped up with the song "Scarborough Fair" and even more interesting to see how each task would be completed.
I kind of wanted to give it three stars, but the whole elfin knight thing became kind of annoying. He just kind of hovers around and is quite easily dismissed. The book lacked more horror from and about him. It's a horrible curse, don't get me wrong. But what does he do all day besides that? Taunts people? Works as a social worker? No really he isn't even all that manipulative. But that being said I was worried for Lucy. But this book could have been more.
It was a good book, a good idea and a good concept. I like the quirky different character that is Lucy but it was too predictable. I love the family dynamic. I think I would prefer the sequel to this though. I enjoyed it thoroughly though.
I was attracted by the reference to the Scarsborough Fair song. It sounded romantic and mystical to me. Okay, maybe it wasn't so romantic and mystical but it was a clever play on the song. And I think I did appreciate the fact that it was fairly strongly grounded in reality with a twist of fantasy. A good young adult read that shys away from some of the graphic stuff that I've seen in more and more young adult novels.
Nancy Werlin's "Impossible" is an engrossing young adult novel with a supernatural twist. Covering typical teen novel topics such as date rape, foster parents, and the boy next door, "Impossible" throws in a family curse, magical tasks, and impending insanity to create a suspenseful and intriguing story. Lucy, raised by foster parents after her mother went insane after her birth, now finds herself pregnant at age 17. The only clue to her possible doom is the ballad her mother passed down her, which is a more sinister version of the song "Scarborough Fair". Lucy must use the song as a guide to the tasks she must perform in order to break the curse on the women of her family; if she fails, she too will be doomed to go insane upon the birth of her daughter. The characters are sharply drawn and believable, taking the grist of many a teen drama and adding the spice of a supernatural mystery... as well as reaffirming the power of true love and family. "Impossible" is geared toward teens, but is a nice, entertaining, and compelling read for adults as well.
