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ohhedgehogs's review against another edition
1.0
This book was horrible when I tried to read it in book format, This book is HORRIBLE STILL when I tried to listen to audio book. I WANT to like it, the concept is good... but... ugh
emrodav's review
2.0
This book was okay, but I definitely felt it could have been better. I was mostly disappointed with the author's style and the way the fantasy elements were handled.
Werlin's writing sounds childish at times. The sentences are halting and unvaried, and are therefore strange to read. When the author tried to put in elements to make the narrative sound more sophisticated, instead it just sounded stupid. One example is the name of the main character (Lucy)'s foster mother, Soledad. It just didn't sound right. And for nearly 20 pages the character Padraig Seeley is referred to by his full name over and over. It's very annoying.
As for the fantasy elements, they were too few and far between for me. Okay, there is a curse and it's brought on by a fairy prince/elfin knight but then the characters accept this as fact without exploring it. Who finds out that there are fairies/elves and just moves on? The fantasy elements felt arbitrary, like Werlin wanted to tell this story but didn't want it to be a fantasy but it simply doesn't work.
So for me, Impossible gets two stars for the premise and the few times when I enjoyed the narrative. I definitely wasn't able to overlook the strange style choices and the poor integration of fantasy.
Werlin's writing sounds childish at times. The sentences are halting and unvaried, and are therefore strange to read. When the author tried to put in elements to make the narrative sound more sophisticated, instead it just sounded stupid. One example is the name of the main character (Lucy)'s foster mother, Soledad. It just didn't sound right. And for nearly 20 pages the character Padraig Seeley is referred to by his full name over and over. It's very annoying.
As for the fantasy elements, they were too few and far between for me. Okay, there is a curse and it's brought on by a fairy prince/elfin knight but then the characters accept this as fact without exploring it. Who finds out that there are fairies/elves and just moves on? The fantasy elements felt arbitrary, like Werlin wanted to tell this story but didn't want it to be a fantasy but it simply doesn't work.
So for me, Impossible gets two stars for the premise and the few times when I enjoyed the narrative. I definitely wasn't able to overlook the strange style choices and the poor integration of fantasy.
goodem9199's review against another edition
3.0
Purdy good...I just wish she wouldn't have called him an "elfin knight." Too goofy.
abaugher's review against another edition
4.0
this was such an interesting story! it had a fairy tale family curse, and a fairy tale ending, but the road it traveled was pretty neat. the narrator had a nice voice, except for when she let her words drop off to almost unintelligible murmurs. maybe she was looking away from the micropone, but that excuse doesn't help.
caseyflemingo's review against another edition
3.0
My feelings on this book are complicated. When I first read it, when I was a teenager, it was one of my favorite books, and I thought about it for years afterwards, and even reread it a few times. Reading it now as an adult, I’m not quite as fond of it, so I’m thinking this is maybe a great read for younger, newer readers. Even though I didn’t enjoy it as much this time, there are parts of this book that are breathtaking and extremely emotional to me. I still adore the creative premise of this book, and I know it will continue to stick with me.
littlemrsrankins's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
4.0
Updated review, October 2016
I originally read this in my teens and was a bit nervous about revisiting it, since I liked it so much and a lot of my critical thinking processes have evolved since then. But I shouldn't have been! I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's still funny and poignant (and so very fluffy). The characters are still lovable and the plot is still clever. It's not groundbreaking (pun not intended, what with all the plowing), there are a few awkward snippets of dialogue here and there, and I certainly no longer think it was aiming for realism—but it'll stay on my shelf of fun fairytale novels to reread when I really want to enjoy a clean romance.
Original review, February 2012
Contemporary YA fiction with fantasy elements is not my usual genre of choice, but one of my best friends brought this book up during an animated discussion about different versions of "Scarborough Fair" (yes, really), I borrowed the book…and once I started it, I absolutely couldn't put it down. It subverted many of the clichés I'd been expecting, it was emotionally intense and satisfying as well as darkly realistic, and the conclusion was totally plausible (considering the genre and the intended audience). The heroine was neither facelessly flat nor bewilderingly quintessential, and the hero was appropriately dashingly attractive without being overly idealized. The plot was relatively clean, sweet but dark, well-paced, and kept me wondering in the places where it mattered most. Upon my first reading, I actually have no real complaints. Really, it was far better than I was expecting—I'd highly recommend it to fans of either YA romance or fantasy fiction.
I originally read this in my teens and was a bit nervous about revisiting it, since I liked it so much and a lot of my critical thinking processes have evolved since then. But I shouldn't have been! I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's still funny and poignant (and so very fluffy). The characters are still lovable and the plot is still clever. It's not groundbreaking (pun not intended, what with all the plowing), there are a few awkward snippets of dialogue here and there, and I certainly no longer think it was aiming for realism—but it'll stay on my shelf of fun fairytale novels to reread when I really want to enjoy a clean romance.
Original review, February 2012
Contemporary YA fiction with fantasy elements is not my usual genre of choice, but one of my best friends brought this book up during an animated discussion about different versions of "Scarborough Fair" (yes, really), I borrowed the book…and once I started it, I absolutely couldn't put it down. It subverted many of the clichés I'd been expecting, it was emotionally intense and satisfying as well as darkly realistic, and the conclusion was totally plausible (considering the genre and the intended audience). The heroine was neither facelessly flat nor bewilderingly quintessential, and the hero was appropriately dashingly attractive without being overly idealized. The plot was relatively clean, sweet but dark, well-paced, and kept me wondering in the places where it mattered most. Upon my first reading, I actually have no real complaints. Really, it was far better than I was expecting—I'd highly recommend it to fans of either YA romance or fantasy fiction.
embereye's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fun modern fairytale. Ok, maybe not fun, but definitely well told. It's a young adult/teen book dealing with some fairly adult issues.
The premise takes the Scarborough Fair poem and turns it into a curse set on a line of women where they all become pregnant by the time they are 18 and as soon as they give birth they go crazy. But! There are three impossible tasks that are set to them as a whole that if one can accomplish before she gives birth, she can save herself and every child after her. There were parts that I wasn't sure about, but mostly it won me over.
The premise takes the Scarborough Fair poem and turns it into a curse set on a line of women where they all become pregnant by the time they are 18 and as soon as they give birth they go crazy. But! There are three impossible tasks that are set to them as a whole that if one can accomplish before she gives birth, she can save herself and every child after her. There were parts that I wasn't sure about, but mostly it won me over.
emerygirl's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book that has been on my "want to read" shelf for years. In an effort to clean up that shelf, I've been going through the books and deleting those that I am no longer interested in. This book's description sounded intriguing, and so I decided to give it a go. Even better, it was available instantly from my library's digital book section. So I started reading, and couldn't put it down. I finished it in 24 hours. I really liked the love story. I loved how the author dealt with sensitive topics like rape and sexuality with respect and dignity. I liked the mystic quality of the book. It was just a fun read. I've already checked out #2 and can't wait to start it.