Marco Impossible

Mar 23, 2013 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads

I read this novel and my heart didn't break. Yes, it's true. I read a Hannah Moskowitz novel and did not emerge from it a sniveling ball of snot, tears running down my face because of my broken heart. I didn't think it was possible to read a Moskowitz novel and not be heart-broken on some level, but it is. Folks, Marco Impossible is the time that Hannah Moskowitz wrote a novel with a happy ending. And we all cried anyway.

Marco Impossible is my first Middle Grade novel from Hannah Moskowitz but,...more I read this novel and my heart didn't break. Yes, it's true. I read a Hannah Moskowitz novel and did not emerge from it a sniveling ball of snot, tears running down my face because of my broken heart. I didn't think it was possible to read a Moskowitz novel and not be heart-broken on some level, but it is. Folks, Marco Impossible is the time that Hannah Moskowitz wrote a novel with a happy ending. And we all cried anyway.

Marco Impossible is my first Middle Grade novel from Hannah Moskowitz but, despite writing for a younger audience, Moskowitz manages to retain both her depth of feeling and complexity in this tale. Stephen and Marco are best friends, gearing up for high school in just a few months. Marco, however, is moving away to a private school and will never see the love of his life, Benji, ever again. Thus, Stephen and Marco are forced to make an elaborate plan to break into senior prom where Benji will be playing with his band, all so that Marco can confess his true feelings to Benji. Granted, there isn't a bomb involved in the plan like the cover may lead you to believe, but this book is just as spectacular without it.

From the very first page, it is clear that Marco Impossible is an incredibly fun ride. Marco and Stephen are wildly different characters, but together, they can take on the world. Stephen, who narrates our story, has a large family and has grown up in the shadow of Marco, who is loud, boisterous, and witty. Unlike Stephen, Marco is an only child, tentative about having siblings despite the fact that his parents are adopting a child overseas. It is obvious that although Marco relies on Stephen just as much as Stephen relies on Marco in this friendship, there are deep secrets between the two, whether it be Stephen who is still upset at having found that his father was cheating on his mother through the detective games that him and Marco played or Marco, who has dark secrets he won't part with.

Marco Impossible chronicles the plethora of difficulties Marco and Stephen face as they plan, and later execute, the adventure that will lead to Marco confessing his love for Benji, but it is also the tale of their friendship. Moskowitz brushes upon many subjects in this novel that are all serious and prevalent today, but best of all, she deals with them in an accessible and friendly manner, all while conveying the horror of the situation. In addition to that, though, the sibling relationships prevalent throughout the novel are masterfully written. With the number of siblings that Stephen has, it would have been easy to make at least a few of them similar, but instead, each of these secondary characters is well-rounded in their own right, all suffering through their own problems.

Yet, best of all, this is a story of friendship. It is the story of two friends who think they know each other, but not fully. Both Marco and Stephen are disastrously flawed characters, but it is impossible not to fall for them and their crazy adventure. Moreover, throughout the novel are short excerpts from the detective log that Marco and Stephen keep: hilarious momentums certain to delight the reader. All in all, Moskowitz really has written a funny, meaningful, and unforgettable story - once again. With authors like her around, finding excellent novels doesn't seem quite so impossible anymore.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Sep 20, 2011 Hannah added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: i-wrote-this-book

I listened to a lot of Taylor Swift while I was writing this, and my main characters would kill me if they knew that. Sucks to be fictional!

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Jan 17, 2013 Kat Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-want-for-christmas, favorites, kat-s-book-reviews, leaves-awesomeness-behind, to-ya-or-not-to-ya

You just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be something happy? Something heart-wrenchingly sad? Both? Is she just going to straight up gut you and leave your innards lying on the floor at your feet while you hollowly ask, “Why, Hannah? WHY!?”

Hannah Pinkie Pie

“Don’t know! Seemed like fun to make you give up on humanity and despair for the world!”

Marco Impossible is one of those books that will make you laugh, la...more You just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be something happy? Something heart-wrenchingly sad? Both? Is she just going to straight up gut you and leave your innards lying on the floor at your feet while you hollowly ask, “Why, Hannah? WHY!?”

Hannah Pinkie Pie

“Don’t know! Seemed like fun to make you give up on humanity and despair for the world!”

Marco Impossible is one of those books that will make you laugh, laugh some more, fall in love with all the characters and float around buzzing afterwards. Marco and Stephen are so effortlessly charming and wonderfully fun. Moskowitz has captured that awkward balance between child and teenager. Marco and Stephen are just at the tipping point and the grand Heist in this novel is their last hurrah before life takes them in different directions. The novel perfectly captures that ennui of two friends close to saying goodbye to childhood and each other and their desire to also charge forth and grow older and mature. Throughout the novel there is an intense tug and pull between the two. Between wanting to play and solve mysteries, and looking for something deeper and intransient.

As always, Moskowitz’s signature ability to create characters that jump out of the page with their complexity and personality is here on display. From big loud Marco and quietly suffering wingman, Stephen. Two words to describe them and this story? Utterly charming. Words to describe how much I want to lock Hannah Moskowitz in a basement and force her to write 24/7 for my own personal satisfaction: Restraining Order.

It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s just about perfect. I’m very likely sneaking it into our local Catholic High School library, and the local council library, and every school library we can possibly get it into. If you’re a teacher, a librarian or a parent – this is a great book that I highly recommend.

It’s coming to the end of 2012 and I’ve already read all of Moskowitz’s 2013 books. I can’t express how depressing that is for me.

This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Jenni French rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqia-lit, age-4-grades-6-8, genre-contemporary-fiction

Marco has a crush on a classmate, a classmate who is about to leave for the entire summer. So he plots a way to break into the high school's prom so that he can confess his undying love before his crush leaves for the summer. He drags his best friend Stephen along for the ride.

I will have to echo what others have said about this book. I'm glad for a tween book with a gay character, and I sort-of enjoyed following the boys on their adventures across the town as they tried to rent tuxes, forge per...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Deal: Marco and Stephen are best friends and just a few days shy of finishing middle school and moving in different directions (and schools). They get busy planning one of their famous "heists".

With the clock tickling out, Marco wants to break into the high school prom and confess his love for Benji, the exchange student he has had a crush on for months and whom is leaving soon.

My Thoughts: I'm leaving the description very short, sorry about that but in very basic terms this is what happen...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Jenna Goodall rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt, middle-grade

ARC received from NetGalley.

In this middle grade/ YA book, Marco decides to crash the high school prom so he can profess his love to Benji, a boy from London who is a musician in the prom band. The story is told from the perspective of Marco’s best friend, Stephen, who is always Marco’s sidekick.

I really liked Stephen. He is an all-around good guy. He also has a ton of siblings who are each unique in their own way. My problem with the book is that I didn’t like Marco, and honestly I’m not sure...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, four-star-reviews

See more reviews on Short & Sweet Reviews!

Y'all, I'll be straight up. This book has done something impossible: it's a middle grade book that I loved. Technically, it's probably right on the cusp between middle grade and young adult, but still. This book is everything I've ever wanted out of a book aimed at tweens/young teens and have never gotten before. The writing is simple and fast-paced enough to keep readers engaged, but there is enough depth and emotion to satisfy even older, picker re...more See more reviews on Short & Sweet Reviews!

Y'all, I'll be straight up. This book has done something impossible: it's a middle grade book that I loved. Technically, it's probably right on the cusp between middle grade and young adult, but still. This book is everything I've ever wanted out of a book aimed at tweens/young teens and have never gotten before. The writing is simple and fast-paced enough to keep readers engaged, but there is enough depth and emotion to satisfy even older, picker readers like myself.

The book is narrated by Stephen, who is the best friend and often second-fiddle/wing-man/backup to Marco. Marco and Stephen have a close-knit friendship based on their love of solving mysteries, and they're often inseparable, but this story has a lot of growing pains for the lifelong friends as they begin edging towards young adulthood. Neither character is perfect, and Marco is especially hard to like sometimes. He can be moody, irrational, and self-centered, and has some ridiculous ideas -- but then again, doesn't that sound like lots of 13 year olds out there? Stephen is easier to like, as he's a bit more even-tempered, to the point where he kind of lets Marco walk all over him sometimes. You can tell that he resents this, but he doesn't quite know what to do about it. It's a tough spot for an adult to be in, let alone a teenager, so it's understandable that he struggles with their friendship and how it's changing.

Marco's grand plans for investigations have gotten the pair a bit of a reputation around school, but that doesn't stop Marco from trying to enact one last great heist before school is out and everyone goes their separate ways. He comes up with an elaborate plan to finally tell Benji how he feels, after pining after him for years. Of course, with all good caper stories, there are complications: it's a ridiculous plan to start with, and it relies on every step going just right. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that pretty much everything goes wrong. Add to that the fact that Marco's been dealing with some harassment at school for being gay, a fact that he tries to downplay for various reasons, and you've really got a recipe for disaster.

I think this is a really smartly written book that shows that sometimes there are no easy answers, that life isn't always fair, and that things don't always turn out the way you want, but it does it in a way that doesn't make these life lessons seem like downers. Life isn't always easy, especially for kids who are seen as different, and Marco Impossible doesn't try to hide this fact. On the flip side, the story also says that sometimes, going out on a limb with your feelings can result in good things, that there is always someone who cares about you, and that communication is essential to healthy relationships, be they romantic, friendship, or family. Many of the problems -- both in the main plot and in subplots regarding Stephen's and Marco's families -- could have been minimized if the people involved had just been more communicative with one another.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, quick contemporary story with lots of funny, memorable characters. Even though the main characters are boys, this book should appeal to girls as well, and there are some strong, sassy women as secondary characters in this book, anyway. There is some swearing and slurs, and as mentioned, Marco is bullied and threatened by other students.(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review, rating-griffin, hannah-moskowitz, gay-boy, bullying, prom, children-s-lit

Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz
247 pgs.
Target audience: Middle Reader
Rating: Griffin

Middle school children Marco, Stephen and Sasha have been investigating minor transgressions since they were five – lost dogs, missing socks, stolen lunch money and the like. But ever since Marco came out, the new exchange student from England, Benji, has been the sole focus of the group’s attention. When Marco hears that Benji’s band will be playing the high school prom, he drags Stephen into an impossible...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Alexander Petkovski rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Marco Impossible is a middle grade novel. The main characters are Stephen and Marco, two eight graders, best friends and partners in crime.
Marco is half-Italian, half-Japanese, very dramatic and the mastermind in the dynamic duo. Stephen is the sidekick who always takes the punches for Marco.

Marco and Stephen are spending their last days of elementary school "saving crimes". Marco receives a threatening note but Stephen doesn't let him see it. Meanwhile, Marco is making a plan how to conquer Be...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Dayla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, addicting, middle-grade, lgbt, friendship, family, romance, adventure, beautiful, bullying, contemporary, coming-of-age, favourites, good-character-development, humanity, insanely-good, inspirational, middle-school, society, surprising

Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Hannah Moskowitz's Marco Impossible is a middle grade novel that follows the adventures of young detectives Stephen and Marco during their last few days before their grade eight graduation.

The great "heist", as the two boys nickname it, begins with Marco's need to tell his crush, Benji, that he loves him. But as the time for the great revelation approaches, the boys are faced with c...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Stuti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, humor, more-please, realistic-fiction, reviews

So apparently I can write this review and the only thing impeding me was my own bloody bladder and stomach, being gnawed on by a hybrid of racoons and weasels and rats and squirrels and my legs quivering like they just encountered the Bloody Baron. Oh, Steven and Marco, the lengths I went to for you. Let me enumerate them in a hideous parody of "How do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barett.

How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee so much that I stealthily stayed up all night, thro...more

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May 07, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt, ya-fiction, coming-of-age-story

I want to take each and every one of these characters home with me. Moskowitz has this uncanny ability to create another group of characters for me to love and cherish.

Marco and Stephen are best friends who love to solve crimes. It is the last day of Middle School when a mysterious ninja with a note appears on their teacher's desk. But, Stephen is sick of being the Robin to Marco's Batman and takes on the investigation alone while Marco is making other plans.

Benji, the boy of Marco's dreams is l...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt, macmillan, romance, stand-alone, netalley-e-galley, angst, best-books-ever, all-time-favorites, bring-tissues, childrens, contemporary, controversial-subjects, cover-love, first-person-pov, fun-to-read, left-me-breathless, makes-me-smile, masterpiece, obsessed, sweetling, there-aren-t-enough-stars, young-adult, reread, review-on-blog, released

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

I just adore Hannah Moskowitz. She's perfect and I love her. Of all the books that I've read by her, Marco Impossible may be my favorite. It's real and sweet and meaningful and absolutely heartbreaking in the best of ways. I cannot stress how much love I have for this book.

Stephen and his best friend, Marco, are almost in high school. It's the end of eighth grade and many changes are hovering over them. Marco's about to get a new little sister. Stephen's older bro...more As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

I just adore Hannah Moskowitz. She's perfect and I love her. Of all the books that I've read by her, Marco Impossible may be my favorite. It's real and sweet and meaningful and absolutely heartbreaking in the best of ways. I cannot stress how much love I have for this book.

Stephen and his best friend, Marco, are almost in high school. It's the end of eighth grade and many changes are hovering over them. Marco's about to get a new little sister. Stephen's older brother is going to college. And the big whammy, Marco is transferring school for high school. This not only is affecting their friendship, but also Marco's love for Benji. In order to reveal his feelings, Marco comes up with the Heist--his plan to sneak him and Stephen in to the high school prom so that he can confess to Benji, who is a member of the prom band. The road to completing the Heist is lovely, and messy and a learning experience for not only the audience, but the characters themselves.

Moskowitz easily transitions from making her readers angry at Marco, to loving him, to hating him, to crying because of him. That may be another reason I love this so much. Everything felt real. I almost felt like I could be Stephen because his thoughts, actions and emotions were palpable. There were parts where I was so captivated by the novel and so taken with the characters that I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and was covered in goosebumps. I'm a very emotional person, almost to a fault, and one thing I know this author can provide is emotion.

What I love most about Hannah's books is how realistic she makes the characters. Their thoughts, feelings and actions are ones we often think, feel and see in real life. That makes them relatable. Our connections to them are immediate and natural because we all have had times where we have felt this way. They always make the story heartwarming, and often as well, heart-wrenching--though of all of the books I've read by Hannah, this is the most tame (at least, compared to Fishboy).

My only "complaint" is that I wish this had gone a bit into the future, because I would've liked to see how Marco got on with his baby sister, and how their friendship held up with their separation …but the world may never know and I'm oddly okay with how open-ended some things were. Maybe it's just because Hannah wrote it and Hannah is the goddess of all.

Of course, I'd recommend it. To any and everyone. It's a fantastic middle grade on the cusp of being a young adult. Marco Impossible is a book that I could read over and over again and never stop loving. It's very short, very sweet and reveals its point beautifully.

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the publisher via Netgalley.(less)

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Mar 21, 2013 Kristilyn (Reading In Winter & Winter Distractions) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, read-in-2013, review-books-completed

Thank you to Raincoast Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!

As I sit down to write this review, I’m not really sure what to write. I did like this book, my first read by Hannah Moskowitz, but not as much as I had wanted to like it. I liked how the story started off, with Marco and Stephen having their routine as detectives, solving crimes from a missing sock to the sudden appearance of a small toy on a teacher’s desk. I also really love the eye-catching cover, with the bomb about...more Thank you to Raincoast Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!

As I sit down to write this review, I’m not really sure what to write. I did like this book, my first read by Hannah Moskowitz, but not as much as I had wanted to like it. I liked how the story started off, with Marco and Stephen having their routine as detectives, solving crimes from a missing sock to the sudden appearance of a small toy on a teacher’s desk. I also really love the eye-catching cover, with the bomb about to go off — I think that’s what really caught my eye in the first place, leading me to want to read the story.

I think part of my problem with the story was Marco himself — I just couldn’t bring myself to like him. I think I was supposed to like him and, to an extent, feel sorry for him, but I just couldn’t. OK, I’m not that heartless — I felt sorry for him just a little bit, but he was just such a rude character and very pushy to always get his way that I wondered how Stephen could still remain friends with him. Now, Stephen, on the other hand, was a character I really liked. He just seemed so … normal. I really liked unfolding his story as I read and was very happy with how his ended.

But the friendship between the boys is what bothered me through most of the book. I’ve had those kinds of friendships growing up and it’s not fun to be constantly taken advantage of, or yelled at by someone who says they’re your friend. Maybe part of me wanted Stephen to tell Marco off? But Stephen was way too nice for that.

The pacing of the story was great, however — I liked that the whole story didn’t encompass too much time, but took place over the course of a few days. There wasn’t a lot that bogged down the plot and the story mostly had Marco and Stephen, with some secondary characters, like Stephen’s siblings and parents, as well as some school kids. There are parts that very funny, and other parts that are very sad, but I don’t think it took me to the emotional level that I had expected to be taken to.

Read the rest of this review on my blog ...

Read more reviews on my blog, Reading In Winter:

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Mar 25, 2013 Cialina (Muggle-Born) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, owned

Stephen is going to help his best friend, Marco, break into the high school prom so that he can declare his love for Benji in MARCO IMPOSSIBLE by Hannah Moskowitz. The recent middle school graduates are going all for nothing with a crazy plan for a declaration of love. While Marco is figuring out the last minute plans for their heist, Stephen learns that someone may be out to get Marco – someone who is uncomfortable with the fact that Marco is gay. Stephen must help accomplish Marco’s plan while...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Jenni Arndt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own

Hannah Moskowitz became an author I’m very excited about after I read and loved her YA novel Teeth. Her writing style was a fast favorite of mine and I really enjoy her ability to be gritty and honest while weaving a pretty fantastical tale. Marco Impossible showcased everything I love about her but in a much more innocent way. This story dealt with issues such as bullying and tackled the confusing dynamics of many types of relationships.

Stephen has grown up being Marco’s best friend and detecti...more Hannah Moskowitz became an author I’m very excited about after I read and loved her YA novel Teeth. Her writing style was a fast favorite of mine and I really enjoy her ability to be gritty and honest while weaving a pretty fantastical tale. Marco Impossible showcased everything I love about her but in a much more innocent way. This story dealt with issues such as bullying and tackled the confusing dynamics of many types of relationships.

Stephen has grown up being Marco’s best friend and detective partner. When there is a mystery going on the two of them always pull out their trusty notebook (full of information on everyone and everything) and hop on the case. I really liked how this habit of theirs showcased them striving to remain young in the face of entering high school and attending different schools. With their final heist of getting Marco into the prom so he could profess his love to his crush of 3 years, Benji, you could feel that they were grasping at straws and trying to live inside the heist rather than face reality. While all of their hijinx is taking place you also have Stephens large family in the background which brings a whole other aspect to the story. His now single mother is tasked with taking care of six children and through that everyone really pulls their weight in the family. I really loved the family dynamic here, all of the siblings would step up to help out the mother and their fellow siblings in any way they could and you really felt a strong family bond from all the characters.

I loved that we got the story from Stephen’s perspective. The novel really revolves in most ways around Marco, but we get a much more well rounded view of what is happening from Stephen. His need to protect Marco in the face of the bullying that’s happening is definitely admirable and you could tell he thought of Marco as another sibling of his. Marco didn’t come across as the nicest, most personable guy on Earth but as the story wears on you see that he kind of always has his guard up and I started feeling bad for him. He was ignoring all of the ugly in his life, only showing the pretty and fabulous, and letting everything build up inside. He was nervous about his new baby sister and feeling down because of how people treated him. All of these feelings were building up and really taking a toll on Stephen and Marco’s relationship and the progression their friendship goes on in the novel is really what kept me reading. They drive each other crazy and are holding so much in so I was dying to see the point where everything would finally come to the surface.

For me this story was really about the great relationships between the characters and I loved how well developed everything was. This is so much more than just your average MG novel and I’m happy to have finally read one that features a gay teen on a mission to profess his love. There needs to be more books like this because there is definitely an audience that needs these types of stories and I am thankful to Moskowitz for putting this out there. Marco Impossible is a quick read that will most definitely leave an impact on any reader.

An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

__

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Brad rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-own

3.5 stars

Marco Impossible a fun and lighthearted story that had me enticed in some parts, but other times, I couldn't connect with the characters.

I loved the hijinks that Stephen and Marco ensue throughout the novel. They're those best friends that always stick together, and they get into some crazy stuff. Hannah Moskowitz did a great job at showing their friendship throughout the novel. Plus, hijinks are always fun! And Marco Impossible was definitely fun in some parts.

But I do have to say th...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

3.5 Stars

Marco Impossible is my second Moskowitz novel, and it could hardly be more disparate from Teeth. Sure, both have male first person POVs (interestingly, both are told from the perspective of the character you wouldn't expect to be the main character) and LGBT themes, but the mood and writing of the two pieces are so different. Marco Impossible is often frustrating, but ultimately so satisfying, sure to leave you with a smile on your face.

Why the book is titled Marco Impossible becomes ap...more 3.5 Stars

Marco Impossible is my second Moskowitz novel, and it could hardly be more disparate from Teeth. Sure, both have male first person POVs (interestingly, both are told from the perspective of the character you wouldn't expect to be the main character) and LGBT themes, but the mood and writing of the two pieces are so different. Marco Impossible is often frustrating, but ultimately so satisfying, sure to leave you with a smile on your face.

Why the book is titled Marco Impossible becomes apparent really quickly. Marco's a force to be reckoned with, and he'll steamroll anyone who gets in his way. He's tiny, he's loud, he's proud, and he's completely determined to declare his love to Benji, the hot British bass player he's been crushing on, before he transfers schools. In true Marco fashion, he can't tell Benji via a letter or in person at school; no, he has to make a dramatic gesture. Thus begins a complicated series of events as Marco and his best friend, Stephen, plan to break into the Prom, where Benji's band is playing, so Marco can confess.

Actually,though, the story is less about Marco's relationship with Benji than his relationship with Stephen. Benji and Stephen have been best friends for ages, partners in solving crime. Even their families are close, which is why Marco's staying with Stephen's huge family while his parents are in Japan adopting a baby girl. Lately, or maybe not just recently, Stephen's been feeling frustrated with their friendship, with being the sidekick, with being the straight man (both literally and figuratively) on the Marco Show.

Stephen supports Marco with everything and will even take hits for him (since not everyone's cool about Marco's being gay), but a lot of the time he can't really remember anymore why they're best friends. He hates that Marco never listens to him or takes his advice. For example, Marco is being a total brat about his new sister, because he likes being an only child. Stephen, who has five siblings of his own, keeps trying to convince Marco that he'll love his little sister, but Marco continues to whine endlessly.

What really has Stephen upset, though, is that Marco is leaving him behind. How can Marco go to some fancy prep school and leave Stephen alone? Stephen doesn't even know why he's going. It's one thing being just a sidekick, but now he feels like he's being abandoned by the hero. Throughout Marco Impossible, Stephen becomes more and more fed up with Marco, and the way Marco never wants the spotlight on anyone but himself and ignores Stephen's input and feelings. I was really surprised by how painful most of this book was to read, because I've had a lot of problems with friends in the past, and this just got me in the feels.

No worries, though, because the story does end in a happy place, which, normally, I might complain about, but it was just right for this middle grade story. Marco and Stephen needed to have a happy ending, or at least a happy closing to their heist. That said, I would have appreciated a little bit more closure on some of the familial plot lines, most especially Marco's issues with his family's changes.

Hannah Moskowitz tends to write darker novels, but she does an excellent job with this touching middle grade story. Marco Impossible is full of heart, focused on the difficulties of loving someone, even your very best friend.(less)

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Feb 28, 2013 the golden witch. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, teenage-shennanigans, own-print-arc, gay-and-genderqueer, ebook, for-review, net-galley, best-of-13, get-off-my-lawn-you-damn-kids, hit-me-right-in-the-feels, reviewed, tough-stuff

Guys, I can't tell you how much fun I had with this one. While it's spunky, charming, and utterly a blast to read, it's very different in tone when compared to Moskowitz's other effort that was published earlier this year, "Teeth" - at least, on the surface. Moskowitz has done the impossible - she's written a solid MG/young YA contemporary with tough stuff issues inside without entirely couching it in suicide or bullying (though there is some of the latter in this book). She redefines the 'tough...more Guys, I can't tell you how much fun I had with this one. While it's spunky, charming, and utterly a blast to read, it's very different in tone when compared to Moskowitz's other effort that was published earlier this year, "Teeth" - at least, on the surface. Moskowitz has done the impossible - she's written a solid MG/young YA contemporary with tough stuff issues inside without entirely couching it in suicide or bullying (though there is some of the latter in this book). She redefines the 'tough stuff' genre with her own immense charm, and the last page will leave you not wanting to leave these characters or this world. If you're looking for a relatively lighthearted read that still deals with serious issues, make it "Marco Impossible".

Even though this is more of a comedic venture compared to "Teeth", there's still a huge, heavy heart to it at its center. What exactly constitutes the idea of growing up - does that mean leaving your favorite activities from childhood behind (in this case: detective work and heists)? Or does it mean leaving your old friends behind, so that you can start anew somewhere else? Or is it something different - does it mean looking at all of the relationships in your life and starting to make choices about them? All of these questions get looked at by Markowitz with her great MCs, Stephen and Marco, throughout the book. Marco has found his identity (or at least, has a head start), and is comfortable with it - but not everyone is comfortable with him. And that's a pretty common theme up until college, I think I can safely say. I feel like I identified a lot with both Stephen and Marco throughout the book for various reasons, and generally, I feel this book is pretty important to the late MG/early YA crowd to which it's aimed.

Even throughout the Great Benji Heist (as I started calling it in my head whilst reading), there's a lot of things that become clear very quickly in terms of the tough stuff arena. There's bullying that goes on, though Marco seems (keyword - seems) oblivious to, only wanting to get his man. There's hate crimes that get involved. And finally, there's the undeniable issue of losing one's best friend because he's going to switch schools. But does that mean you're really losing your best friend should that happen? While that isn't explicitly addressed, by the end of the book, we kind of have our answer. And all of this is going on while Marco obsesses and puts his great heist plan into action.

There's also something wonderful that Markowitz touches upon that usually gets the 'abusive significant other' routine when talking about it in YA - healthy relationships. Stephen really starts questioning whether or not staying with Marco is for the best for himself, and whether or not he should continue the farce of the heist when he's getting too fed up, too angry, and too worried about Marco's welfare to continue. I'm so glad this was touched upon in terms of friends (and best friends) - because I know I had some VERY unhealthy relationships at Marco and Stephen's age, and recently, it's not like our current culture is really promoting those very well. So it was nice to see that looked at.

The technical aspects of this book were flawless, so I won't really go into them aside from a bit of commentary of the worldbuilding: Markowitz successfully worldbuilds only using school and the atmosphere and constant action of the heist (and hate crime) itself, which I've never really seen happen before. She builds her world with her characters, and that was really something to behold. An unusual technique, but it really worked.

Final verdict? Definitely one of the more important late MG/young YA books to come out this year, "Marco Impossible" is tons of fun, but also covers very important ground in terms of young tween/teenage life. Definitely one of the best of 2013 so far and highly recommended, "Marco Impossible" is out March 19, 2013 from Macmillan in North America, so be sure to check it out when you get the chance!

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There’s a brief moment in Marco Impossible that had me flashing back to Vada shouting that Thomas J couldn’t see without his glasses on -or maybe it was that he’d get cold without a jacket? I’m unclear on the details, but the emotion in that scene had my mother then sister sniffling, so out I came asking, “What? What? What?” And only upon rewind did I get it, then there I was sniff-sniffling right beside them. Anyway, reading Marco Impossible feeling like something like that was coming my way, w...more There’s a brief moment in Marco Impossible that had me flashing back to Vada shouting that Thomas J couldn’t see without his glasses on -or maybe it was that he’d get cold without a jacket? I’m unclear on the details, but the emotion in that scene had my mother then sister sniffling, so out I came asking, “What? What? What?” And only upon rewind did I get it, then there I was sniff-sniffling right beside them. Anyway, reading Marco Impossible feeling like something like that was coming my way, well… I was half hesitant and half impressed. Hesitant because one can only see cute precocious Thomas bite it but once, but impressed too because this was turning out better than I expected out of an MG.

The only reason I picked this up at all because of the author, whose last three books I have read and loved. In this one is yet another kid (kids, actually) who are different and see things, then feel things differently. Steven is nice, too nice even so much so that he gets pushed around by the so many people, most unexpectedly by his best friend. Steven sees things for what they are… at least up to a point. With his larger than life best friend who’s good and funny but not all the time, things get complicated…but even more complicated when considering that they’re all growing up with some of them more ready for that fact than others.

And seeing that things are about to end, and other things about to start… they’ve begun their last thing together… And it’s cute and sweet what they decide to do, but Steven sees it in two different lights. On one had you see him seeing things as a kid growing up, they’re too old for this or that; then the other sweeter “I’ve got your back” side of things. And surprise, surprise: I loved both… because both are so true.

But it’s more than their ~~sweet~~ ~~cute~~ adventure of planning things out then following things through, this is seeing people for who they are. Stevie is an OK guy and you’re on his side from the word go. Marco too is an OK guy. Though best friends being best friends, they both do see the good AND the not so good in the other. It’s when they start voicing these things out that had me seeing Thomas J all over again. Though that kids fate is not quite what you’ve got here…there is however a similarity in in emotions of growing up, having that one person that gets you , feeling like you’re responsible for the other, then feeling held back and maybe even frustrated over things done and not done, said and not said.

Sweet book; sweet ending (even if it’s a tad too sweet to be real.)

4/5
Thank you, Net galley!
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Mar 14, 2013 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt, middle-grade, contemporary, romance, arc, adventure, reviewed, family, friendship

Thirteen-year-old best friends Stephen and Marco attempt a go-for-broke heist to break into the high school prom and get Marco to confess her love for (and hopefully steal the heart of) Benji, the adorable exchange student and bass player of the prom band. Of course, things don't always go as planned, and every heist has its share of hijinks.

Marco Impossible is an adventure of epic proportions, at least from Marco and Stephen's point of view. It won't be an easy adventure, and there might be tim...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Jennifer Leigh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1000000-pages-books, 2013-reads, 2013-standalone, juvenile-fiction, lgbt, young-adult, bullying

3.5 stars. A story about family, friendship, bullying, hate crimes, and love. Definitely breaches some serious subjects, which is why it is for sure in the older juvenile age group, if not YA. It makes me so incredibly sad that hate crimes and bullying have to be included in such a young age story, but that is just the reality of this world. This is definitely a realistic story, and not necessarily of the happiest variety. But Hannah Moskowitz captures the emotions of this story well.

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Apr 23, 2013 Nikki marked it as abandoned · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, contemporary, fiction, lgbt, library-loan, young-adult

Well the title of this one is correct: Marco IS Impossible. Marco is annoying and petulant and I just did not quite understand why we were supposed to like him or why Stephen continued to be his friend. Clearly Stephen got the crap end of the deal friendship-wise and putting up with Marco simply was not worth it in my opinion. I appreciated a LGBT character in a middle school setting, but did Marco have be so unlikeable? And although this is not necessarily the author's fault, I just simply did...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Ampersand Canada's Book & Gift Agency Inc rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ali-s-reads

The protagonist in this is Stephen, whose best friend Marco wants to confess his love to a boy in their class. Stephen gets dragged into helping with an elaborate plan, while they dodge a gang of kids who bully Marco for being gay. I really enjoyed it!

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Mar 28, 2013 Trisha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humour, lgbt, romance, younger-read-not-aust

Moskowitz is one of my favourite authors. Her boys are real, hurting and vulnerable.

Reviewers write that they find it difficult to like Marco. I don't understand that. You only have to read his outburst late in the story, where he lays it all out on the line for Stephen, that you realise why he is so impossible, so frustrating, so hurting.

It's really Stephen's journey. Marco has set his course, and Stephen is nowhere knowing what he wants from life.

Everyone also says this has a HEA, but for a mi...more

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May 01, 2013 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, children-s-fiction, ya-fiction

This book for middle schoolers feels like it should almost be teen fiction. But I think we cataloged it as J fic. Hmmm.
Un-put-downable!

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Aug 30, 2011 Cory marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I do like the name Marco (Animorphs anyone?), but I despised Kim Possible. So I'll just wait for the blurb before I say anything more.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 15, 2011 Alex marked it as to-read · review of another edition

This...sounds...awesome! It sounds like it has action, love, and all that other amazing stuff a good book has!

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Mar 18, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, juvenile, realistic, sexuality

4.5 stars

http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2...

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Mar 09, 2013 Snow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, teen-fiction, reviewed

reviewing for The Unshelved Book Club

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