Customer Reviews

Impossible

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

For the past five generations the women in Lucy Scarborough's family have been cursed to give birth to a girl at 17-years old then fall into madness. One difference in Lucy's case is that she has her foster family and good friend Zach to protect her. When the inevitable pregnancy happens Lucy finds her birth mother's diary and learns the secrets to breaking the curse. Now Lucy has nine months to figure out and complete three tasks. Will she do it on time and save herself and her daughter or will she be doomed to follow the women in her family into insanity?
The target audience is ages 12 and up however I feel that some of the subject matter in the book would be unsuitable for children so young. Without revealing any spoilers the way Lucy becomes pregnant and the discussions of sex in the book seem more suited for someone at least 16 years or older.
I got through the book in one day however it seemed to drag on more than I expected. Lucy's character is well written but I just couldn't connect with the other characters surrounding her. The happily ever after ending was unbelievable and I feel that the completion of the three tasks could have been developed a whole lot more being that they were a major plot point in Lucy breaking free of the curse.
I'm not convinced that true fantasy readers will like this story. To me it was passable but I would have liked more fantasy elements to the story. The book is more romance or fiction addressing social issues than fantasy. If you're looking for a realistic fantasy with lots of magical elements then this book might not work for you.

Raise your hand if you haven't heard the song "Scarborough Faire." Odds are, your hand is down and your head's full of music. As with many songs, the ballads are based on legends.

This is just one possible scenario for "Scarborough Faire."

On her seventh birthday, Lucy Scarborough finds a hidden letter in a hollowed out place in her bookshelves. She cannot read the cramped cursive writing, but she figures the old papers have some 'magic'. Angry at her best friend, Zach, she hides the baseball shirt which doesn't fit that he'd given her for her birthday with the letter and a wish that she'd find the shirt and letter when the shirt fit--and Zach would love her more.

It's ten years later and Lucy finds shirt and letter. She's 17 now and the warning in the letter which turned out to be from her biological Mom has come true.

The Scarborough women carry a curse. At seventeen, they all become pregnant, go crazy and abandon their infant child, and end up out on the streets.

Lucy doesn't quite believe the story--until her foster parents and Zach start helping her do some research. She's got a little less than nine months to perform three seemingly impossible tasks, or face the same fate as the rest of her line for generations.

"Impossible" is a wonderful story for lovers of folk songs, faery tales, and love stories. While the target audience is young adults, any age will love the timeless beauty of the tale.

Rebecca Kyle, December 2008

I vacillated between 2 stars and 3 stars in my rating. I ended up giving it 3 stars since 2 stars indicated "I don't like it" and 3 stars indicated "It was ok".

So, it was just, OK.

Really, I wanted to love this book, because quite frankly the premise for Werlin writing it was very cool. I love authors who create a story out of an well known object (like a painting - shout out here to Tracy Chevalier!) or, in the case of Impossible, an old folk ballad: Scarborough Fair. I've loved that old Simon & Garfunkel tune since I was a kid, and didn't realize there were so many variations to the ballad.

Werlin was definitely on to something here, but for me, she lost it in her approach to this novel. IMO, I think she was trying too hard to merge both the magical aspect and the realistic aspect of the plot together. Due to the fact that you're dealing with an "elfin knight", a centuries old curse, and seemingly impossible tasks to complete, I would have enjoyed the novel more had it rested more heavily on the fantasy aspect and less on trying to fit it into a contemporary YA book. I just didn't buy into Lucy and Zach's relationship and eventual marriage, nor the way Lucy's family just accepted the curse and the tasks at hand. Too much suspension of disbelief for my taste.

Not a horrible book by any means, and certainly entertaining enough to keep you reading to find out what happens, but it could have been much, much better IMO.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is intriguing and totally held my interest throughout. In fact, I read the book in one day just so that I could find out what happened. The characters are multi-dimensional and so well developed that I truly cared about what happened to them, which led me to zip through the book. There is definitely a fantasy element to the book, but it is more of a side line to the story of love and family, a great combination that, for this reader, was a real positive.

I can't really judged this book accurately without saying, right up front, that the 17 year-old protagonist is a virgin, going on what appears to be her first date EVER to the prom, and gets raped and becomes pregnant. No I didn't just ruin the plot. That's what the book is about and it should be right on the cover but it's not. Without the benefit of online reviews, if you pick this book up in the store, you would think it's a mystery romance, haunting and well-written. If you're a 12 year-old 7th grader and avid reader, as my daughter is, you'd be duped by the author and the publisher into thinking this book was okay to read because, no where on the jacket, does the word "rape" appear. Is it relevant? Absolutely. Penguin's website claims this book is for 12+. It's not.

I really wish I could write a fabulous review for "Impossible," but the truth is, the book was amazingly dull.
A few chapters into the book, I started formulating ideas about the ending, how things might turn out, etc. But I thought to myself, "Surely there's a twist and she brings in someone or something to shake things up!" But no. There was no twist. It was a quick read, but what a waste of time.
Of course, a fairytale with few twists and turns might be just what you're looking for. Seriously though, this was more predictable than a Sarah Dessen novel. (I'm actually a big Dessen fan.)
I also do not approve of Werlin using rape as a plot device. Rape is a serious issue, not something that should be used to move the story along. It was just so... Casual. And there's really something wrong about that.
I really loved Nancy Werlin's book, "The Rules of Survival." That's why I bought "Impossible" in the first place.
I wish I hadn't been so disappointed, but there you go. Better luck next time, I guess.

When I picked up a copy of IMPOSSIBLE, I was excited to read it. A National Book Award finalist, it had all of the elements of a potential favorite--a story inspired by song, a mysterious curse, a strong female protagonist who would have to survive an act of violence.

Werlin wove her tale around the lyrics of the legendary song "Scarborough Fair," and the mystery she created was indeed initially intriguing. Lucy, a 17-year-old, is the victim of a date rape (which is in no way described in the novel) and becomes pregnant. As Lucy was born to a 17-year-old unwed mother, the mystery begins as history seemingly repeats itself. She investigates, and with the help of her friend (who becomes a love interest) and foster parents, Lucy learns that five generations of women in her family have been unwed and impregnated at the age of seventeen. What's even more disturbing is that each her ancestors lost her mind after giving birth. Ultimately, Lucy must perform seemingly impossible tasks as they are outlined in alternative lyrics of "Scarborough Fair" (one of which is to make a shirt with no seams), if she is to escape the curse. There is a level of suspense in the story, as readers wonder if Lucy will survive the ordeal and live happily ever after.

This book has a magical element to it (with the Elfin Knight as the antagonist), but it falls short of fantasy. Harry Potter fans won't like it, as the writing style isn't as lyrical. The reading level is quite easy, making it a quick read for any teen or adult. However, the story is somewhat unsatisfying, and the subject matter may be too mature for some preteens. I was hoping for a new teen favorite; instead, I encountered an okay story with some interesting allusions to legend. There are a few poetic passages, but most of the book is driven by basic narrative that doesn't resonate once the book is closed.

Lucy Scarborough leads a perfectly average life. She's a seventeen, soon to be eighteen year old who has two adoptive parents that love, care, and would give the world to her. She has a best friend, Sarah, who even though is often wrapped up in her own life, always finds a way to be there for Lucy no matter what. She has Zach Greenfield, the boy next door who has never forgotten her, even when he went off to college. And best of all in Lucy's eyes - she has a really great date for the prom, Cray Smith.

When things turn from fantastically great - from dancing and being held in Cray's arms - to incredibly sour Lucy then learns the shocking truth of her family, and the curse that has been placed upon them. A curse so dark, and so sinister than only an entity just as dark and sinister could place upon the Scarborough girls.

To break the hundred year old curse three impossible tasks must be completed in order for it to be broken forever. When Lucy finds out that she may end up like her birth mother Miranda - crazy - she summons all the power within her to break the curse and keep, not only herself, but her family safe. Lucy's the only one who possess the power to set her and her lost generations of Scarborough women free, but will she survive and conquer, or will the tasks prove to be impossible?

Nancy Werlin's Impossible is a cross-breed of genres - realistic and fantasy - a combination that is rarely seen, and rarely executed well. It's not only is it executed well - well written, well paced, and full of easy-going, easy to love characters - but it is also fill with all the girl power one could want and ask for.

What makes Impossible so incredible is Werlin's attention to detail. Throughout the book acclaimed song, Scarborough Fair is interwoven, added even more depth and meaning to the storyline. Not only will readers love this book, but so will true music fans. Impossible is a great example of what happens with literature and music collide and combine - it truly is as magical as Impossible was.

I love fantasy and sci-fi young adult books, so when I read the premise of this book I knew I had to read it. Not only did it fit that criteria, but it was written by Nancy Werlin who graduated from the same high school I did and who I constantly heard about from my creative writing teachers! I had read the "Killer's Cousin" years ago, so I was excited to read this. It did not disappoint! From the very beginning, I found Werlin's writing to be addictive. Her writing and dialogue flows so well. I felt like I was there with Lucy as she experienced the things she did. I loved the plot line, I thought it was completely original and I enjoyed seeing Lucy grow from a young girl to a mature woman. Werlin's inspiration behind the book was the different renditions of the song "Scarborough Fair" (Simon and Garfunkel) - I found this very interesting in itself, exploring the different origins of the myths surrounding the song. This is an excellent young adult read for fantasy lovers of all ages. Lucy was a likeable and relatable character, and the book ended exactly the way I wanted it to - which is refreshing for a change! I really liked all the characters in this novel, and it helped that all the scenery she was describing seemed somewhat familiar to me. GREAT BOOK!!!

Lucy Scarborough had always known her mother was crazy. Literally, she was insane. More accurately she was a homeless crazy bag lady as far as Lucy could see. But that was only on the occasions Lucy would see her, but where she went to when she disappeared no one knew.

When she was seven Lucy made a discovery, one that would change her life. But being seven and as yet unable to read fluently this discovery was put aside and all but forgotten but for a spell created and made on a childish whim. A spell that may just one day save her life.

When she was seventeen Lucy learned the truth, well the truth as her mother believed it to be. But would believing her mother really be the key to her salvation, or was it yet more ranting from a mind lost to insanity and would listening to it only lead to insanity for Lucy herself?

More importantly would Lucy, being only seventeen with her only experience with a boy being a horrible and traumatic one, be able recognise true love when she saw it? Especially if true love was her only saving grace from a ancient curse that had already taken all her family before her.

Taken from the balled 'Scarborough Fair', Impossible is more then just a tuneful song, it is a story of magic, heartbreak and love. But Impossible is only one way to describe the puzzling tasks Lucy must undertake to break an ancient curse that has plagued her family for generations. This is an emotional story with true love at its heart.