The Possibility of Fireflies [Paperback]

Dominique Paul (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2007

I am sitting on my front stoop. I think it's about midnight. I was busy reading up until an hour ago, but my eyes started to hurt from squinting. Now it's just me and the waiting.

It's 1987 and fourteen-year-old Ellie Roma doesn't have much of a family. She lives with her mother, who has taken a break from parenting; and her older sister, Gwen, who is on her way to becoming a juvenile delinquent. Her father left them to start a new life.

So Ellie spends a lot of time alone, especially at night, when all she has to keep her company are the fireflies that flicker in the summer air. Then one day a mysterious stranger enters her dark world. He is Leo, twenty-one, who is on his way to Hollywood to become a rock star. Ellie and Leo connect instantly, and Ellie hopes Leo will be the one to rescue her from her unhappy life. But instead, Leo teaches Ellie that no one can save you. You have to go after what you want. So one night -- one terrible, frightening, thrilling night -- that's exactly what Ellie decides to do.

With a fresh perspective, first-time novelist Dominique Paul deftly weaves a family drama about chaos and dysfunction, with a young girl's journey of triumph. Full of humor and sorrow, heartbreak and hope, The Possibility of Fireflies is really a story that we all have to tell: the story of the summer we grew up.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Since Ellie's father left, her mother has gotten more and more neglectful. For older sister Gwen, it's a chance to run wild, but Ellie, 14, longs for the attention and support of a real parent. One of the times she returns home to an empty house, she notices a new neighbor, Leo, who is not only older, but also has an air of cool maturity to go with his handsome face. Full of pop-culture references to late-'80s music and fads, Ellie's touching and tender narrative has a lightness of spirit that balances the seriousness of some events. Hints that smoking, drugs, arson, and risky sex are just some of the problems plaguing Gwen leave readers frightened for Ellie, who turns to Leo for answers and help as she finally gives up on her mother. While the seriousness of the situation is clear to readers, the protagonist convincingly manages to convey her determination to be happy and find support. A vulnerability pervades the narrative, never denying the fragility of the characters' circumstances.–Carol A. Edwards, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ellie, almost 15, and her older sister, Gwen, were always close--until their parents separated and their depressed mother became brutal, detached, and unpredictable. Ellie hides her problems at home from her friends, always trying to steer clear of controversy. Her sister, however, rebels, challenging their mother at every turn--partying, vandalizing, doing drugs--and sometimes taking Ellie along. But Ellie knows Gwen's solution is not for her, and in her strong, distinctive voice--smart and sweet--she agonizes as she struggles to find a way to connect loving memories of her mother with the reality of the volatile parent she knows now. It's a familiar enabling scenario (complete with a "counselor" in the form of a kindly, if sketchily drawn, 20-year-old neighbor), but Paul makes the story her own by investing Ellie with an appealing stubbornness and optimism that allow her to work her way slowly but surely through difficulties to find a safe, right path. Nancy Werlin offers a slightly different take on the difficult subject of abusive mothers in The Rules of Survival (2006). Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (December 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416913114
• ISBN-13: 978-1416913115
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,427,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

DOMINIQUE PAUL grew up in a Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and received her BA in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. The Possibility of Fireflies, her first novel, was published by Simon & Schuster in October 2006 to rave reviews. Kirkus Reviews hailed Fireflies as "sensitively written, immediately gripping and emotionally intense." TeensReadToo.com raved, "Every so often a book comes along that is so good it feels more like it grew than it was written." In 2007, it was awarded as one of New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age.

Dominique Paul lives in Los Angeles, where she works as a screenwriter and has developed several projects for both Film and Television, including her own novel. Currently in pre-production, Dominique and her producers hope to see The Possibility of Fireflies on the big screen next year.

Dominique is currently at work on a novel, tentatively entitled Hey Jupiter, as well as a comedy about the aftermath of a 30-something life-implosion. "Finding joy in the darkest moments, that's my passion," says Dominique. She also writes freelance articles for several magazines.

When she's not writing, Dominique enjoys yoga, pilates, hiking, biking, movies and watching the Steelers. She's also loves to cook. A Maryland girl at heart, her favorite foods are oysters and blue crabs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope and Survival, January 27, 2007

By 

L. L. Doubleday "School Psychologist" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Possibility of Fireflies (Hardcover)

I read this inspirational novel at the recommendation of a high school English teacher. While on the surface, this story is one of dysfunction, it is really a story of hope and survival. Ms. Paul is very in tune with the challenges many teens face unbeknownst to their teachers and other adults in their daily lives. I would highly recommend this book to teens and any adults who work with teens. This book has left a lasting impression on me and I will think of Ellie and infinite possibilities whenever I see fireflies.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wise and witty narrator, October 22, 2006

By 

lovetoread "Carol" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Possibility of Fireflies (Hardcover)

It's a thrill to be totally captivated by a first novel and to miss the narrator when you finish. This compelling story of a very perceptive young teenager struggling to find her place in a world of insensitive and uncaring adults will appeal to adult readers as well as the "young adults" who are the readers suggested on the book jacket. Ellie, like Sal in "Walk Two Moons" and Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird," is a wise and witty observer of the adults in her life who severely disappoint but also provide hope. Her story will stay with you for a long time!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars i love this book!, November 7, 2007

By 

Jessica Blank (brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Possibility of Fireflies (Hardcover)

In "The Possibility of Fireflies," Dominique Paul paints a heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully moving picture of one girl's struggle with an abusive mother and a rebellious big sister as she grows up and learns to find her own voice. Paul's portrayal of the late 80s is spot on and hilarious, and her narrator is vulnerable, hopeful, smart, and incredibly real. I grew up in suburban Maryland just a few years after the time period this book takes place in--and recognized so much of my own teen years in the clever, poetic and beautiful writing. I can't say enough good things about this book. I read it in a single sitting--and then I opened it up and read it again.