Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Main Characters: Lucy, Zach, Miranda, Soledad, Padraig

Summary:

Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child’s birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won’t be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents and her childhood friend Zach beside her. Do they have love and strength enough to overcome an age-old evil?

Anna’s Thoughts

Everyone always says: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. It’s a good saying most of the time, but everyone does it anyway. You’re walking through the bookstore and out of the corner of your eye you catch something – whether it’s the photo on the book or the colors, or both, it caught your attention. Which is the exact reason I picked up Impossible – it caught my attention. I was scanning the books at the local Walmart (by the way, who usually has prices lower than the bookstore, and VERY sticky stickers on the covers), and suddenly I had to stop, between the photo, the colors and composition I was hooked. To be honest, I would have probably ended up buying this book even if it hadn’t sounded completely amazing, which, it does.

The main thing that pulled me in about Impossible was the song, “Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel, which is what inspired Nancy to write Impossible. And it truly was, every inch of this book is infused with the lyrics, as well as the history of it, and the made-up history that Nancy imagined for it. When I started reading Impossible I didn’t know the song, and to be fair I still don’t completely know it, but I certainly have listened to it beyond numerous times, it’s enchanting. I can see why it inspired Nancy to write Impossible, however I think I would prefer the version that Nancy has in the book, purely for lyrics sake. It sets a good ground for the story, and burrows it’s way into your head – if you forget the book, you won’t forget the song.

The only problem I have with Impossible is how seemingly easy Lucy gets over her rape. I have never experienced such a thing (thank the Heavens), but I also know people who have and it’s not something you brush off in the way that Lucy did. It’s something that takes years to get over, so when it barely effected her at all, it kind of peeved me.

Impossible itself is absolutely enchanting as well, I love the story, and I love how once Lucy let everyone in – no matter how unreasonable her story sounded – they rallied around her. I loved Zach, and I loved Lucy and Zach together, their chemistry was really well woven, and although I would have preferred to see more of their relationship in the past, I think it ended up beautifully. And the story! There are plenty of books who have good ideas, plenty of books that have good writing, exceptional writing, but very few things nowadays – be it a book, a song, a poem, etc – is original or unique, and that is exactly what Impossible is. It’s a fairytale based in OUR world, instead of us being swept away in Faerie. It has a wonderful concept, and excellent execution.