Impossible by Nancy Werlin stands on a very interesting plot, forces you to feel emotion and makes the reader try to think about possible solutions. Even though the recommended reader age starts at 12 years, or 6th grade, I would never recommend this book to anyone younger than a mature 7th grader. Some of the main topics include rape, teenage pregnancy, mental illness, love and marriage. They are presented in a mature way. The rape is not described, but it is always there. Also, Lucy talks very bluntly about her feelings toward her rapist.
It seems weird to say this, but Impossible also had a very romantic love story. The romance is the kind that every girl dreams of, but surely not the situation. The love story occurs in between the rape, pregnancy and impossible tasks. Even though the tasks are a huge part of the plot, the book doesn’t get to them until much later in the story. Most of the book develops the characters, discovers the curse and debates its validity. The reason a reader will keep reading this book is to learn the outcome of the love story, not to read about the tasks, even though the former depends upon the latter.
Overall, Impossible was intriguing and unique. Mature 7th grade and high school girls would be most interested in this book. Since the subject matter is not young, it would probably even be a great easy read for college students. I would somewhat recommend Impossible to libraries looking for a book on this subject matter.
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Posted by Kristin