Customer Reviews

The Possibility of Fireflies

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

150 pages in and the plot finally picks up... and I still don't care about the main character. It was a good premise for a story and I think it could have been a great book... but if I'm half way through the book and the main part of the plot lasts one chapter and I still don't care whether I stop reading or not... something is just missing.

And then the chapter long main plot ended too simply. The main character was totally head over heals 14 year old in love with Leo... and then with a tissue and a few kind words gives up and accepts the fact that they can't be together...

And then the father totally just being cool with her showing up on his doorstep unannounced in the middle of the night after not seeing her or bothering to see her for months was just too tidy...

It felt like the book had deleted scenes.

It was a fast read and an okay book but the plot wasn't really there... it skimmed over it. And not caring about the character really dissapointed me.

Every so often a book comes along that is so good it feels more like it grew than it was written, like it came into being through it's own sheer force of will. That is exactly how I feel about this book.

Ellie Roma is a freshman in high school. She has her fair share of normal high school problems; she hates school, she only has a few friends, she`s insecure about the way she looks, her sister seems like she's become an alien, etc. Ellie's got some bigger problems, though. She's new in town. As if that isn't bad enough, they moved three times when they first got to town. The last time was just next door, so everyone in the neighborhood thinks they're nuts. Her parents recently got divorced, and she hasn't seen her dad in a few months. Oh, and her mom has decided to "take a vacation from parenting."

Ever since her parents' divorce Ellie feels like nothing in her life makes sense. Her sister, Gwen, has completely switched personalities, from cheerleader to juvenile delinquent. Her mother, well, Ellie says it best; "...it's more like she's come unraveled. Like he was the last bit of glue that was keeping her together, and now that he's gone, all the broken parts can take over." Ellie spends a lot of time locked out of the house, basically living by her mom's whim. It's starting to get to the point where it's easier to lie than to tell the truth. Consciously trying to escape her mother's notice, Ellie has become an observer in her own life.

The book is told by Ellie, as things happen. At first it's all observation and barely scratches the surface of Ellie. As the story progresses Ellie opens up more, and allows herself to be a bit more vulnerable. The more vulnerable she lets herself become, the more she begins to be involved in her own life, and the more involved we become. Somehow, before you know it, you are living and breathing inside Ellie's story. By the end of it my heart felt like it had been taken, broken, and given back in the most tender, loving, beautiful way.

At its simplest level this is a coming of age story, but it's also a story of survival, strength, love, hope, and most of all possibility.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

I loved the storyline, partially because I knew a girl like Ellie, but mostly because it's just such an easy situation to fall into and empathize with. It's real and relate-able. Easily one of my favorite books.

I read this book very quickly. I really liked it, it pretty much follows Ellie's life and the endings really good. A must-read

Dominique Paul takes you to an era where the music is rockin' and dreams are what you make them. The Possibility of Fireflies is an engrossing story of one girl's journey through intense family drama. Real, hopeful, and heart-wrenchingly honest.

Dominique Paul is an amazing author who knows what she is doing. Today, she came to Wootton High School (the high school she attended) and told us about her inspirations and about adapting this book into the upcoming movie! She is such a real person and this book enbodies a lot of what us teens feel on a daily basis. Worth reading...and be sure to root for her upcoming movie which starts production in March '07

www.myspace.com/dominiquepaul

This book has all the elements of a great novel. It has believable characters that made me laugh and cry. Since I teach high school and know what some students struggle with, I found the book was also very inspirational. It will definitely be on my next list of reccommended books for my students. I applaud Dominique Paul for an absolutely awesome first novel.