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A review by l_salhus
Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa
4.0
Fans of the Impossible Life is a beautifully raw and poignant novel that tells the story of three friends; Mira, Sebby and Jeremy. Mira is starting a new year at Saint Francis Prep School after suffering from a debilitating bout of depression, from which she is still recovering. While she may want to spend most of her time in bed, she feels the best about herself when she is with her gay best friend, Sebby. Sebby and Mira met in the hospital when they both attempted suicide (on separate occasions). On the surface Sebby seems to be a sunny and witty teenager. Yet deep down he is fighting his own battles with being a foster child. Then there is Jeremy, the quiet, shy artist and son of two fathers who is suffering from a traumatizing incident that happened the semester before. Jeremy meets Mira and Sebby at his art club and is captivated by their spontaneous world of rituals including fairy wings and whiskey.
Scelsa treats the themes of sexuality and mental illness with a very realistic approach. The relationship between Jeremy and his new friends is tentative and shy. Yet Sebby, being a very sex-positive character in the book, helps Jeremy experiment with his (bi)sexuality. The novel also shows the consequences of homophobia and bullying that the characters face throughout their high school years. Mental illness is portrayed with realist techniques. Mira and Sebby don’t have a strong support system like Jeremy, forcing them to lean on each other even when the situation appears light hearted on the surface.
The book is written from three different points of view. Meaning Mira’s story is told in third person, Jeremy’s is told in first person and Sebby’s story is told from a second person point of view. I found this to be an interesting and effective choice. It made each character that much more unique. Yet I can see how it can make the book that much harder to follow. If I were to teach this book in a classroom I would be sure to discuss the effects of Scelsa’s choice.
With its LGBTQ theme, this book definitely deserves a spot on the diversity shelf. As for racial diversity, the book is culturally neutral. On the cover we see a depiction of a brown-skinned teenager. While reading the book we can guess that this character is Mira, whose mother is indirectly described as a person of color. I believe Scelsa chose Mira’s skin color to be a relatively neutral detail in order to make the book a clear window and mirror into the themes of mental illness and sexuality.
Overall I really did enjoy this book. I believe the comparison to the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower is accurate. Jeremy is a shy kid who is entranced by the world of Mira and Jeremy, much like Charlie with Sam and Patrick. The books share similar themes of sexuality and mental illness, both with very realistic approaches. I believe that fans of Chobsky’s book will also become fans of this book as well.
Scelsa treats the themes of sexuality and mental illness with a very realistic approach. The relationship between Jeremy and his new friends is tentative and shy. Yet Sebby, being a very sex-positive character in the book, helps Jeremy experiment with his (bi)sexuality. The novel also shows the consequences of homophobia and bullying that the characters face throughout their high school years. Mental illness is portrayed with realist techniques. Mira and Sebby don’t have a strong support system like Jeremy, forcing them to lean on each other even when the situation appears light hearted on the surface.
The book is written from three different points of view. Meaning Mira’s story is told in third person, Jeremy’s is told in first person and Sebby’s story is told from a second person point of view. I found this to be an interesting and effective choice. It made each character that much more unique. Yet I can see how it can make the book that much harder to follow. If I were to teach this book in a classroom I would be sure to discuss the effects of Scelsa’s choice.
With its LGBTQ theme, this book definitely deserves a spot on the diversity shelf. As for racial diversity, the book is culturally neutral. On the cover we see a depiction of a brown-skinned teenager. While reading the book we can guess that this character is Mira, whose mother is indirectly described as a person of color. I believe Scelsa chose Mira’s skin color to be a relatively neutral detail in order to make the book a clear window and mirror into the themes of mental illness and sexuality.
Overall I really did enjoy this book. I believe the comparison to the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower is accurate. Jeremy is a shy kid who is entranced by the world of Mira and Jeremy, much like Charlie with Sam and Patrick. The books share similar themes of sexuality and mental illness, both with very realistic approaches. I believe that fans of Chobsky’s book will also become fans of this book as well.