From B&N.com:
Lucy has nine months to break an ancient curse in order to save both herself and her unborn daughter.
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?
It may be a little vague, but the memory of listening to “Scarborough Fair” when I was younger remains; I was often soothed* by S&G’s music, and, honestly, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” if it catches me at the rigth time, still has the ability to choke me up. And so the premise for Werlin’s Impossible pulled me in. It also didn’t hurt that it was getting wonderful pre-publication buzz.
That kind of buzz hasn’t done well by me lately. Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy Impossible because I did. It’s just that it didn’t leave me with that little euphoric spark that a truly fantastic book leaves behind. Even so, this one could easily be suggested to teens who are a fan of contemporary romance with a twist.
What I enjoyed about Impossible: Again, I love the tie-in with the song. The characters discuss the folklore behind the lyrics**, spilling out various versions and where they originated. I appreciated Lucy’s quiet strength and Zach’s unwavering loyalty. And the ending, while some claim it unrealistic, was suitable and appropriate for the tone of the novel in my opinion.
On the other hand, I do agree with those reviewers who felt it could have been fleshed out more; the act of trying to solve the impossible tasks could have been a bit more of a struggle, one we see firsthand, and despite everything else going on in the story, it should have felt more consuming than it did. Since the outcome was inevitable, the getting there needed more tension, and the resolution could have been slowed down some.
But really these are little things that didn’t actually impact my enjoyment; Impossible was a quick, light read, one I’m glad to have read.
*In an odd, melancholy way
**The only question that remains for me is why the repetition of “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme”?
Filed under: Just Finished
I used to love the song Scarborough Fair. I haven’t heard it in years but this book sounds intrigueing!
I haven’t listened to it in a while either, but, man, does it get stuck in your head as you read this book! Since I’ve finished it I’ve been singing it nearly every day.