Okay, I'm excited about this book. Maybe because I just (just) finished it. Or maybe because I finished it in one day. Yes, even with a new baby and a three year old, I finished Impossible by Nancy Werlin in ONE DAY.
Synopsis:
Inspired by the ballad "Scarborough Fair," this riveting novel combines suspense, fantasy, and romance for an intensely page-turning and masterfully original tale. Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child's birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents and her childhood friend Zach beside her. Do they have love and strength enough to overcome an age-old evil?
For me, this was one of those suck-you-in books, but it didn't happen right away. I really wasn't even aware it was happening until I realized I had read 200 pages in the span of 12 hours (which included 6 hours of interrupted sleep), which is not normal behavior as of late. What I loved about it was the mystery of it all. From the prologue, the reader has a basic idea of what is going on before the main characters do, but it doesn't give too much away, so I was desperate to find out more. I found myself racing through to find out whether or not the tasks could be completed, and if Lucy would succeed.
The other thing I liked about this book is how it never strayed from the real world. I know I normally love being sucked into faery-land, but I liked how this book stayed grounded in the real world, while dealing with the Other Weird Things. That being said, I would have loved to hear more from the evil Elfin Knight. The few glimpses we get into his mind are fascinating and it would have been fun to see more of that, because we all love a good villain.
One of the unique things about this book is that it is based on the ballad "Scarborough Fair." Not exactly Simon & Garfunkel's version, but the Scottish ballad traced back to 1670. For you folklore lovers out there (and I'm totally a folklore nerd), this will only make the book that much more interesting. And real.
And the characters! I loved Lucy, although not so much in the beginning. I mean, braids on prom night? With high-top sneakers? But, it was after the tragic turn of events that occurred on prom night that I began to love her. She is forced to grow up much too quickly and take responsibility for her own future, as dire as it seems. She does this with a strength and tenacity that is admirable and beautiful to watch. And then there's Zach. Sweet, adoring, strong Zach. There's a love story mixed in here, and while I'm not going to give away how or why it comes about, I will say that I was moved by it (even the sappy moments).
I had not heard of this book before I randomly picked it up, and I'm wondering how I missed it until now. I definitely recommend reading it - and let me know what you think!
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