APRIL: Impossible by Nancy Werlin

[Misty]

I just read this a couple of weeks ago. It definitely had some drawbacks for me, but all in all I liked it. Curious to see what everyone thinks.

[Mandy]

I read this book this past summer. I enjoyed it, I thought it was an interesting mix of the modern world and mystical elements. I mean it was not quite believable, but the characters themselves had to be convinced so that made it more realistic.

[Kathy]

I read this book about 7 months ago, so I will have to get it back out and jog my poor memory. I, like, Mandy thought it was an interesting mix of modern and mystical. I came away from it loving it.

[Amy]

I'm getting ready to start this book today so we'll see. Looking forward to reading another book that I wouldn't normall pick for myself.

[Misty]

It's interesting. Not perfect, but I never wanted to throw it.
Hope you like it!

[Mandy]

That's an interesting standard for a book... how many times you wanted to throw it... I've never thought about that before but I know what you mean :)

[Misty]

Well, it's just that the writing did frustrate me at times, but not to the point that I wanted to put it down, necessarily, and never to the point that I wanted to throw it. And yes, there have been books I've wanted to throw. Hard.
I should make a shelf for them.

[Amy]

We should make a separate thread for that. I've had a few that I've read recently that I'd like to throw!

[Misty]

I bet it'd make for good discussion. Probably heated, too, because people tend to really love or hate things that provoke the "throw" reaction.

[Amy]

I'm halfway through Impossible and I'm loving it!

[Andrea]

Impossible was a really gread read for me. I am really familiar with Scarbouragh Fair so I loved that Nancy Werlin made a story from it. I think she did a great job with it. I stayed interested the whole time and I liked the realistic fantasy element to it...if that makes any sense.

[Amy]

Has anyone read any other books by this author? I really enjoyed her style of writing.

[Leslie]

I enjoyed Nancy Werlin's Impossible although it was not quite believable. It's a haunting tale about a young girl, Lucy Scarborough, who discovers that her female ancestors have been cursed to complete several seemingly impossible tasks, or go mad upon their child's birth. The author weaves elements of fantasy, romance and mystery to create an unusual and mesmerizing novel.

I continued turning the pages of this spellbinding novel of a powerful love that would be tested. Read the book to find out if the love is strong enough to overcome the evil forces of an elfin knight. You will be swept away from reality for a while, as a young girl learns about the meaning and power of real love.

The cover of this book has a mysterious, mystical quality about the young girl. The blue-green ocean waves adds an interesting yet relaxing element to the novel. Who is this young girl on the cover? Is she desperate to leave or is she in mourning for the loss of her love? Would you be attracted to reading this book based on the cover art alone?

[Misty]

Speaking of covers, this was one I went back and forth on. I love both common covers:

and couldn't decide which one I liked more.
I ended up buying the red dress/wheat field one, which is absolutely stunning in person.
And yes, I am often attracted to reading things because of the cover art. (sucker.)

[Kathy]

Misty wrote: "Speaking of covers, this was one I went back and forth on. I love both common covers:

and couldn't decide which one I liked more.
I en..."

I, too, am attracted to books because of the cover art. Of course, a good title can get my attention, too. Think Alan Bradley's books, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie or The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. Of course, their covers are intriguing as well.

[Misty]

Yep, love those titles. And the covers, especially Sweetness.

[Amy]

I read the version with the mostly white cover but I love the red dress one! Definitely one I plan on buying for my collection.

[Kellee]

I'm listening to Impossible and because of it I have had Scarborough Fair in my head for DAYS now :)

[Misty]

Yep, sounds about right.

[Kellee]

Misty wrote: "Yep, sounds about right."

She sings it to me and it is the instrumental background as well....

[Kellee]

I just realized I never posted on here after I finished... Oops!

Well- here it goes.

I liked how the realistic fiction was intertwined with the fantasy. Lucy seemed so real and head strong and I totally believed that she could do everything she did in the book.

But- did anyone else want the bad guy to be just more... evil? I know that sounds horrible, but I wanted to hate him and I just never got to that point.

[Amy]

I actually think it was a relief that he just was.

[Lauren]

I'm just reading this now but I think there is something quite sinister in just how "normal" the bad guy is. He's not too anything and so he can get in where there may be resistance if he was more evil.

[Amy]

I think that's why I really liked it. He wasn't totally obvious because he did seem kind of "everyday."

[Lauren]

***SPOILERS***



I really liked that there were so many types of love represented in this. There was the perverted love of the Elfin King that created the curse but the love that broke the curse was so full.

The love of her birth mom, making really hard choices knowiing what was going to happen to her. the love of her adoptive parents believing everything that was so fantastic and doing everything they could to help Lucy fulfill these tasks. The love of her friend Sarah supporting Lucy even when she didn't understand everything that was going on or why Lucy was making the choices she was making. And then the romantic love between her and Zach. If any of these relationships had been missing she may not have been able to do what ultimately freed her. I liked that there was more than the romance going on-her life was not all Zach, he was a part to the whole.

[Kellee]

Amy wrote: "I think that's why I really liked it. He wasn't totally obvious because he did seem kind of "everyday.""

I did like it at first, but when he actually "shows" himself at the end and she is scared of him, he still seems normal and I just wanted him to be more sinister at that moment.

[Amy]

Well said (or typed) Lauren!

[Jennifer W, WT Moderator]

I'm late, as usual. I really liked this book (I listened to it), though there were a couple of times where the writing was a little cheesy (Zach occasionally made me nauseous with his sugary sweet proclamations of love). The thing I really didn't like was that the synopsis gave away too much. You get halfway through the book before Lucy knows she's been cursed and starts working on it. It wasn't until she caught up with the knowledge I already had that the book got good for me. I have a friend who might like this story, but if I lend the cds to him, I'm not including the case, so that he doesn't have the same problem.