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Fans de una vida imposible / Fans of the Impossible Life
Tres amigos, dos historias de amor y una única búsqueda: la de vivir para alcanzar lo imposible.
Mira va a empezar de cero en un nuevo instituto, justo un año después de que su gran aventura acabara en el hospital. Ha prometido a sus padres que se va a comportar como una persona normal.
Sebby parece llevar la luz del sol allá donde va. Es el mejor amigo de Mira. Juntos dibujan un mundo de rituales mágicos y viajes improvisados diseñados para reparar las partes rotas de sus vidas.
Jeremy es un tímido estudiante de arte. Cuando ve a Sebby por primera vez, se enamora perdidamente de él. Esa atracción lo llevará a sumergirse de lleno en el mundo secreto que Mira y Sebby se han construído a medida para protegerse de los que no entienden su anhelo de vivir, de alcanzar sus sueños por imposibles que parezcan.
Una brillante historia sobre el amor y la amistad, perfecta para fans de Las ventajas de ser un marginado y de John Green.
La crítica ha dicho...
«Una novela con personajes simplemente redondos, dibujados con inteligencia y empatía. Una conmovedora historia sobre la amistad como refugio y protección contra el mundo.»
Kirkus Review
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
A captivating and profound debut novel about complicated love and the friendships that have the power to transform you forever, perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Mira is starting over at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to pretend that she could act like a functioning human this time, not a girl who can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby.
Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn, it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with mischief glinting in his eye.
Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and impromptu road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives.
As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.
Mira va a empezar de cero en un nuevo instituto, justo un año después de que su gran aventura acabara en el hospital. Ha prometido a sus padres que se va a comportar como una persona normal.
Sebby parece llevar la luz del sol allá donde va. Es el mejor amigo de Mira. Juntos dibujan un mundo de rituales mágicos y viajes improvisados diseñados para reparar las partes rotas de sus vidas.
Jeremy es un tímido estudiante de arte. Cuando ve a Sebby por primera vez, se enamora perdidamente de él. Esa atracción lo llevará a sumergirse de lleno en el mundo secreto que Mira y Sebby se han construído a medida para protegerse de los que no entienden su anhelo de vivir, de alcanzar sus sueños por imposibles que parezcan.
Una brillante historia sobre el amor y la amistad, perfecta para fans de Las ventajas de ser un marginado y de John Green.
La crítica ha dicho...
«Una novela con personajes simplemente redondos, dibujados con inteligencia y empatía. Una conmovedora historia sobre la amistad como refugio y protección contra el mundo.»
Kirkus Review
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
A captivating and profound debut novel about complicated love and the friendships that have the power to transform you forever, perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Mira is starting over at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to pretend that she could act like a functioning human this time, not a girl who can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby.
Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn, it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with mischief glinting in his eye.
Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and impromptu road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives.
As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2015
204 people are currently reading
13689 people want to read
About the author
Kate Scelsa
9 books259 followersKate is a writer who grew up in New Jersey and now lives in Brooklyn with her wife and two black cats. Kate's debut novel "Fans of the Impossible Life" was a Fall 2015 Indie Next pick, a Junior Library Guild pick, a 2016 Rainbow List Top Ten Pick, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and has been published in ten languages. Kate is a 2016/17 New Georges Audrey resident, a Lambda Literary LGBTQ Writers in Schools author, and the recipient of a Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation grant for playwriting. Her play "Everyone's Fine With Virginia Woolf" had its debut production with Elevator Repair Service Theater in June, 2018 and toured to the Dublin Theatre Festival in October, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 937 reviews
Want to read
May 9, 2015I LOVE the first line of that synopsis ("This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them") enough that I'm going to ignore how not interested I am in the rest of it because BISEXUAL LOVE TRIANGLE MAYBE
September 12, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“This felt a little dangerous, this interest in other people. It meant that there was something that I needed, or at least wanted. It seemed to demand some kind of action on my part, and I had no idea what was supposed to come next.”
This was a bit of an unusual story, and it was written similarly to The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
I felt quite sorry for each of the characters in this story, even though she put on a brave face, Mira was obviously suffering with depression, and the lack of support she received from her parents was awful. Poor Sebby also had a lack of support, and even his foster mother didn’t seem to care much about him, and Jeremy was the victim of bullying, to the point where he had no friends at all.
“You better not try to pretend to the boy who was in the psych ward with you for three weeks of our lives that you’re the only crazy person sitting here.”
The storyline in this was about Jeremy becoming friends with Mira and Sebby, and finally feeling like he had someone to rely on, as well as being able to help Mira and Sebby in return. The pace in this was quite slow, but the underlying messages and relationships between the characters were the most interesting part of the story.
There was some complicated romances springing but between these three, and there were some mentions of sexual acts.
“See, Jeremy, girls aren’t that hard to please.”
The ending to this was pretty open, and could have done with being a little more concrete really.
“May we live the impossible life.”
7 out of 10
“This felt a little dangerous, this interest in other people. It meant that there was something that I needed, or at least wanted. It seemed to demand some kind of action on my part, and I had no idea what was supposed to come next.”
This was a bit of an unusual story, and it was written similarly to The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
I felt quite sorry for each of the characters in this story, even though she put on a brave face, Mira was obviously suffering with depression, and the lack of support she received from her parents was awful. Poor Sebby also had a lack of support, and even his foster mother didn’t seem to care much about him, and Jeremy was the victim of bullying, to the point where he had no friends at all.
“You better not try to pretend to the boy who was in the psych ward with you for three weeks of our lives that you’re the only crazy person sitting here.”
The storyline in this was about Jeremy becoming friends with Mira and Sebby, and finally feeling like he had someone to rely on, as well as being able to help Mira and Sebby in return. The pace in this was quite slow, but the underlying messages and relationships between the characters were the most interesting part of the story.
There was some complicated romances springing but between these three, and there were some mentions of sexual acts.
“See, Jeremy, girls aren’t that hard to please.”
The ending to this was pretty open, and could have done with being a little more concrete really.
“May we live the impossible life.”
7 out of 10
January 14, 2016
Nope, not a fan. I liked all of the characters, but I just really--I mean REALLY--disliked the writing style. On top of being dull, it felt disjointed and awkward. Also, there are three different POV's and three different tenses of writing for each... uh, no. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me.
December 31, 2015
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Well, that was disappointing. Like most people, I was originally drawn in by the first line of the synopsis: 'This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.' However, the romance was not between the three characters, and was barely existence. What was there, between Sebby and Jeremy, was destructive, and not enjoyable at all - I wouldn't even say you could exactly call it a relationship.
I only finished reading this book last night, and already can't remember a lot of it. That is not what you want from a book. It was a book I forced myself to finish, and don't really understand why I didn't DNF it earlier. I wasn't bad in the sense that it was a chore to finish, rather, it was simply boring. Nothing kept my attention. Out of the various characters we met, Mira was one of the only ones I liked, and I felt she was brought down by Sebby, and was better on her own. Sebby was a character, who, for me, ruined the whole book. I never liked him from the get go, and everything he did made me sort of hate him a little more. If the book was just Mira and Jeremy, with their other friends, I might have enjoyed it a lot more.
I also had a majot problem with the format of the book. It was split between three PoV's (Mira, Sebby, and Jeremy), which normally wouldn't bother me. However, each one was in a different tense. The split between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tense was so choppy, and it ruined the reading experience. Like I've already said, if Mira and Jeremy were the only PoV's, it might not have been too bad. If this is Scelsa's writing style, then I'm sorry to say I won't be reading any more of her books.
Another thing that annoyed me, when I finished the book, was how many things weren't tied up, or answered? What's happening with Rose and Ali? Is Talia going to be punished? How does Peter fare? Do Mira and Julie get along now? etc., etc. I know you tend to get a lot of open-ended contemporary YAs these days, but this was just taking it too far. It seems a bit lazy, as if some of the plot points were just added for shock value, and nothing else.
Yeah, so this book was not for me. I understand that a lot of people enjoyed it, but I wasn't lucky enough. If you think you can cope with the issues I had, then be my guest, and I wish you luck.
Well, that was disappointing. Like most people, I was originally drawn in by the first line of the synopsis: 'This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.' However, the romance was not between the three characters, and was barely existence. What was there, between Sebby and Jeremy, was destructive, and not enjoyable at all - I wouldn't even say you could exactly call it a relationship.
I only finished reading this book last night, and already can't remember a lot of it. That is not what you want from a book. It was a book I forced myself to finish, and don't really understand why I didn't DNF it earlier. I wasn't bad in the sense that it was a chore to finish, rather, it was simply boring. Nothing kept my attention. Out of the various characters we met, Mira was one of the only ones I liked, and I felt she was brought down by Sebby, and was better on her own. Sebby was a character, who, for me, ruined the whole book. I never liked him from the get go, and everything he did made me sort of hate him a little more. If the book was just Mira and Jeremy, with their other friends, I might have enjoyed it a lot more.
I also had a majot problem with the format of the book. It was split between three PoV's (Mira, Sebby, and Jeremy), which normally wouldn't bother me. However, each one was in a different tense. The split between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tense was so choppy, and it ruined the reading experience. Like I've already said, if Mira and Jeremy were the only PoV's, it might not have been too bad. If this is Scelsa's writing style, then I'm sorry to say I won't be reading any more of her books.
Another thing that annoyed me, when I finished the book, was how many things weren't tied up, or answered? What's happening with Rose and Ali? Is Talia going to be punished? How does Peter fare? Do Mira and Julie get along now? etc., etc. I know you tend to get a lot of open-ended contemporary YAs these days, but this was just taking it too far. It seems a bit lazy, as if some of the plot points were just added for shock value, and nothing else.
Yeah, so this book was not for me. I understand that a lot of people enjoyed it, but I wasn't lucky enough. If you think you can cope with the issues I had, then be my guest, and I wish you luck.
Read
September 4, 2015The book is fucked up in all the right places and I need to process all the fuckery because hot damn.
Review to come.
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'This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.'
I don't want to read below that line to know that I really, really, REALLY want to read Fans of the Impossible Life.
Please be good.
Review to come.
---------------
'This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.'
I don't want to read below that line to know that I really, really, REALLY want to read Fans of the Impossible Life.
Please be good.
August 18, 2015
*2.5 stars*
I originally rated this a 3.5 but had to drop my rating after I thought about all the problems I had with it. More extensive thoughts will be on my channel and blog.
I originally rated this a 3.5 but had to drop my rating after I thought about all the problems I had with it. More extensive thoughts will be on my channel and blog.
September 25, 2016
Ai, que soco no meu estômago quando eu pensei que estava tudo lindo e maravilhoso.
Vamos lá. Esse livro me entreteve pra caramba. Me apeguei aos personagens e eles me fizeram rir um monte, mas me emocionar também. É um livro que fala de uma forma muito real sobre lidar com os seus demônios diariamente. Sobre se sentir preso em si mesmo, sozinho e sem esperanças. Sobre a dura realidade de que não somos capazes de salvar tudo e todos, apenas nós mesmos — saber que, às vezes, as coisas não dependem de nós. Sobre projetar a solução de seus problemas em alguém que, no fim das contas, também possui defeitos.
A narrativa é muito gostosa e fluída na grande parte. Me senti dentro daquele universo e junto daqueles personagens. Mira, Jeremy e Sebby são incríveis, e os diálogos são maravilhosos. A única coisa que me incomodou foi o ponto de vista do Sebby, pelo fato de ser contado em segunda pessoa. Pra mim, ele era o personagem mais interessante (e cômico), e acho que isso acabou tirando um pouco do impacto — não vou mentir... tinha preguiça de ler os capítulos dele por causa disso. Alguns capítulos (pouquíssimos) se arrastaram demais em devaneios internos, e eu acho que esses problemas acabaram sendo melhor mostrados através da própria trama e das atitudes dos personagens, então não foram tão necessários assim. Eu ainda tenho as minhas dúvidas em relação ao "romance", porque, apesar de eu não ter me convencido no começo, achei que caminhou para uma conclusão justa no final.
No mais, acabei me relacionando com todas essas dificuldades dos personagens. Parece que eu tenho o dom de escolher o livro com a mensagem certa pra cada fase da minha vida. Foi uma ótima leitura entre outros livros mais pesados e, com certeza, vou guardar essa mensagem no coração pro resto da vida. Uma mensagem sobre se reencontrar e amar sem restrições, afinal...
"O amor se lembra dos lugares onde pousou."
Vamos lá. Esse livro me entreteve pra caramba. Me apeguei aos personagens e eles me fizeram rir um monte, mas me emocionar também. É um livro que fala de uma forma muito real sobre lidar com os seus demônios diariamente. Sobre se sentir preso em si mesmo, sozinho e sem esperanças. Sobre a dura realidade de que não somos capazes de salvar tudo e todos, apenas nós mesmos — saber que, às vezes, as coisas não dependem de nós. Sobre projetar a solução de seus problemas em alguém que, no fim das contas, também possui defeitos.
A narrativa é muito gostosa e fluída na grande parte. Me senti dentro daquele universo e junto daqueles personagens. Mira, Jeremy e Sebby são incríveis, e os diálogos são maravilhosos. A única coisa que me incomodou foi o ponto de vista do Sebby, pelo fato de ser contado em segunda pessoa. Pra mim, ele era o personagem mais interessante (e cômico), e acho que isso acabou tirando um pouco do impacto — não vou mentir... tinha preguiça de ler os capítulos dele por causa disso. Alguns capítulos (pouquíssimos) se arrastaram demais em devaneios internos, e eu acho que esses problemas acabaram sendo melhor mostrados através da própria trama e das atitudes dos personagens, então não foram tão necessários assim. Eu ainda tenho as minhas dúvidas em relação ao "romance", porque, apesar de eu não ter me convencido no começo, achei que caminhou para uma conclusão justa no final.
No mais, acabei me relacionando com todas essas dificuldades dos personagens. Parece que eu tenho o dom de escolher o livro com a mensagem certa pra cada fase da minha vida. Foi uma ótima leitura entre outros livros mais pesados e, com certeza, vou guardar essa mensagem no coração pro resto da vida. Uma mensagem sobre se reencontrar e amar sem restrições, afinal...
"O amor se lembra dos lugares onde pousou."
September 7, 2015
I had such high hopes for Fans of the Impossible Life, the tag line "The story of a girl, her gay best friend and the boy who falls in love with both of them." caught my attention the moment I saw it and I was expecting some kind of epic bisexual love triangle or possibly even a relationship that developed between all three main characters. I'm not usually a fan of love triangles but I would definitely put my irritation to one side for a story like that! Unfortunately that isn't what this story is about so I ended up feeling incredibly disappointed. I don't think that's necessarily the author's fault but whoever was in charge of writing that marketing tag line definitely did the book a disservice. Hopefully if you go into it without that same expectation you'll end up enjoying the story much more than I did.
This book is told from three different points of view which should really allow us to get to know all of the main characters but for some reason I never really connected with any of them. The POVs of Mira and Jeremy weren't too bad but the way Sebby's sections were written was completely jarring and the left me feeling completely disconnected from anything that happened to him. His POV should have been the one that moved me most, he was really going through some very tough times, but I felt so distanced from him that I didn't even come to like him that much and I struggled to see why both Mira and Jeremy were so drawn to him. He was supposed to be the brightest character, someone they both adored, but I just didn't feel it.
I didn't really believe in the romance either which was incredibly disappointing. The most realistic relationship was the friendship that developed between Mira and Jeremy, I really felt like they cared about each other and were there for each other but I didn't feel any chemistry or romantic love between them. Sebby was a bit too distant and the way he kept so many secrets and held the others at arms length just didn't work for me. There was also one particular scene between the three of them (possibly the scene that was inspiration for the tag line) that made me feel really uncomfortable, it never quite felt that all three of them were on board with what was happening and it seemed more like their actions sprung from too much alcohol rather than any real desire they felt. I was also uncomfortable about the actions of a certain teacher, he doesn't exactly do anything wrong but he definitely oversteps boundaries and I was extremely upset by the way things played out when they turned to him for help with a major problem they were having. It felt a bit like it was sending a message to teenagers saying that going to an adult for help is just going to make matters worse so you're best off keeping silent and I don't think that's a helpful message to give.
I have to give Kate Scelsa kudos for having such a diverse cast of characters though and she really does touch on some difficult issues. We get some interesting insights into drug addiction, living in foster care, coping with mental health issues, coming from a mixed race family, having two gay parents and even questioning your own sexuality and I definitely enjoyed that about the story. Unfortunately the rest of the story fell flat and it didn't really feel like any of them had achieved much by the end of the book, I was hoping to see them grow up and become more comfortable in their own skins but I was left feeling that they were right back where they started only this time they had become codependent on each other for their survival.
______________________________________
Thoughts before reading:
The story of a girl, her gay best friend and the boy who falls in love with both of them.
It only took one line of that blurb - now I HAVE to read this!
This book is told from three different points of view which should really allow us to get to know all of the main characters but for some reason I never really connected with any of them. The POVs of Mira and Jeremy weren't too bad but the way Sebby's sections were written was completely jarring and the left me feeling completely disconnected from anything that happened to him. His POV should have been the one that moved me most, he was really going through some very tough times, but I felt so distanced from him that I didn't even come to like him that much and I struggled to see why both Mira and Jeremy were so drawn to him. He was supposed to be the brightest character, someone they both adored, but I just didn't feel it.
I didn't really believe in the romance either which was incredibly disappointing. The most realistic relationship was the friendship that developed between Mira and Jeremy, I really felt like they cared about each other and were there for each other but I didn't feel any chemistry or romantic love between them. Sebby was a bit too distant and the way he kept so many secrets and held the others at arms length just didn't work for me. There was also one particular scene between the three of them (possibly the scene that was inspiration for the tag line) that made me feel really uncomfortable, it never quite felt that all three of them were on board with what was happening and it seemed more like their actions sprung from too much alcohol rather than any real desire they felt. I was also uncomfortable about the actions of a certain teacher, he doesn't exactly do anything wrong but he definitely oversteps boundaries and I was extremely upset by the way things played out when they turned to him for help with a major problem they were having. It felt a bit like it was sending a message to teenagers saying that going to an adult for help is just going to make matters worse so you're best off keeping silent and I don't think that's a helpful message to give.
I have to give Kate Scelsa kudos for having such a diverse cast of characters though and she really does touch on some difficult issues. We get some interesting insights into drug addiction, living in foster care, coping with mental health issues, coming from a mixed race family, having two gay parents and even questioning your own sexuality and I definitely enjoyed that about the story. Unfortunately the rest of the story fell flat and it didn't really feel like any of them had achieved much by the end of the book, I was hoping to see them grow up and become more comfortable in their own skins but I was left feeling that they were right back where they started only this time they had become codependent on each other for their survival.
______________________________________
Thoughts before reading:
The story of a girl, her gay best friend and the boy who falls in love with both of them.
It only took one line of that blurb - now I HAVE to read this!
September 7, 2019
A seriously affecting (to me, anyway) YA novel about three high schoolers' messy and intertwined lives: biracial Mira who struggles with depression, gay or bisexual (identification in progress) Jeremy who's targeted for bullying because of his gay dads, and gay or homoromantic+bisexual (unclear) foster kid and drug user Sebby who met Mira while they were both in inpatient mental health treatment.
I can't help but interpret their relationship as a shifting polyamorous triad with various levels of sexual and romantic attraction/behavior and passionate friendship between various pairs, in a very teenage way where no one's ever 100% sure what's going on except they can't stand to be apart. I actually really liked that ambiguity and lack of labels here, as it felt appropriate to the amount of chaos and self-discovery each character was dealing with. Not all of the relationship parts are healthy, either, which again, feels appropriate to the characters.
It's the kind of book where you want to scoop up all the main characters in your arms, give them hot chocolate, and tell them everything is going to be okay... and then go yell at their various parents / foster parents who are fucking up and MAKE them fix everything they can. So I don't know if Scelsa intended the ending to be ambiguous, but I found it to be so, yet I cannot help but interpret it in the most positive way possible, because that's what I need from this book. YMMV.
I can't help but interpret their relationship as a shifting polyamorous triad with various levels of sexual and romantic attraction/behavior and passionate friendship between various pairs, in a very teenage way where no one's ever 100% sure what's going on except they can't stand to be apart. I actually really liked that ambiguity and lack of labels here, as it felt appropriate to the amount of chaos and self-discovery each character was dealing with. Not all of the relationship parts are healthy, either, which again, feels appropriate to the characters.
It's the kind of book where you want to scoop up all the main characters in your arms, give them hot chocolate, and tell them everything is going to be okay... and then go yell at their various parents / foster parents who are fucking up and MAKE them fix everything they can. So I don't know if Scelsa intended the ending to be ambiguous, but I found it to be so, yet I cannot help but interpret it in the most positive way possible, because that's what I need from this book. YMMV.
July 14, 2015
So much love for this book! Drag queens, mental illness, some seriously witty dialogue, a PoC lead, and queer characters galore--this book is a must. But what I love most about Fans is that it isn't afraid to turn brutal and to thrust its characters (especially Sebby) into a harsh light. I went from laughing out loud on an airplane in the beginning of the novel to hurting for all of the characters by the end.
(Side note: I'm really conflicted about something that happened in That Scene Toward The End and the way the "something" was--or, in this case, wasn't--dealt with. Would love to privately hear someone's thoughts about it.)
But really--Fans is excellent.
(Side note: I'm really conflicted about something that happened in That Scene Toward The End and the way the "something" was--or, in this case, wasn't--dealt with. Would love to privately hear someone's thoughts about it.)
But really--Fans is excellent.
May 25, 2016
Leí este libro cuando se publicó en Noviembre en nuestro idioma. Como en aquel entonces no utilizaba esta plataforma, no le di mi valoración. Pero hoy, por casualidad, me ha salido en recomendaciones y he tenido que darle la puntuación que se merece. Ha sido como un acto reflejo, al igual que lo es deciros que lo leáis. Es genial de los geniales.
September 29, 2015
"in love with both of them"
"IN LOVE WITH BOTH OF THEM"
BISEXUAAAAAAAAL! HELL YES!!!
"IN LOVE WITH BOTH OF THEM"
BISEXUAAAAAAAAL! HELL YES!!!
September 19, 2015
Ah, this book is addicting.
I didn't want to put it down. I was consumed by it from the beginning.
With the summary and vibe of the book, it gave me the impression that I was either going to love it or hate it or not bother with it. But I LOVED it.
I'm not a fan of love triangles but this one didn't even feel like one. I felt that this story was about three damaged people and we see them find love, acceptance and solace in the fact that they aren't alone in their messed up lives.
I really really recommend this read!
I didn't want to put it down. I was consumed by it from the beginning.
With the summary and vibe of the book, it gave me the impression that I was either going to love it or hate it or not bother with it. But I LOVED it.
I'm not a fan of love triangles but this one didn't even feel like one. I felt that this story was about three damaged people and we see them find love, acceptance and solace in the fact that they aren't alone in their messed up lives.
I really really recommend this read!
September 10, 2015
This book is MY FAVORITE. It's heartbreaking in all the best ways.
February 4, 2016
I loved, loved, LOVED Fans of the Impossible Life! I seriously can't heap enough praise onto this book. I just adored it, it was easily one of my top reads of 2015, and now I will be stalking Kate Scelsa on social media until she reveals what she is coming out with next. She's one of the few authors that I have seen who manages to pull off three wonderful, distinct points of views, and puts one in first person, one in second and one in third. It worked so well in this and helped to give each character their own distinct voice.
This book provided me with everything I could ever want from a young adult contemporary novel. I wouldn't even be able to come up with even one little issue I had with this book, for me it was utter perfection. Here is everything that I loved about it:
1. The characters: I've already mentioned the fact that I loved the different point of views, but now it is time to gush about the characters in general. Mira was a fantastic character, she's not slim and she struggled with her self image. She loves thrift stores and uses the clothes she finds to make creations of her own. She is also has depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, which Scelsa just wrote about so perfectly. I cared so much for her character and truly felt for her. Sebby got all my love and feelings in this book, I felt for him so much!!! He is also absolutely hilarious and his jokes with Mira were so hilarious, it reminds me so much of me and my own best friend. He is a whirlwind of snark humour and quick comebacks, and I absolutely love him. Jeremy is the new guy, the one who they befriend. He is painfully shy, something I can really relate to, but Sebby and Mira just grab him and won't let him even consider not being their friend.
"Share room with fellow tiara-obsessed prositute."
"Probably not great to call a nine-year-old a prostitute," Mira said.
"Fine. Filthy whore, then."
2. Diversity: DIVERSE CHARACTERS GALORE!!!!
3. LGBTQ themes: This is a book that explores sexuality and people discovering who they are and what they want. I love how this explored the spectrum of sexuality.
"You know, people used to assume I was gay in high school too," Dave said. "And I knew that I was gay, but somehow everyone else knew before me. It's a strange position to be in, because it doesn't let you decide how you feel about it on your own time."
4. Deals beautifully with depression: I can't get enough of books that deal with depression in a way that is so real, honest and doesn't sugarcoat anything. I felt so much for Mira every time someone treated her like her depression was nothing, or worse, as if it was something that she had any control over. Even her parents treated her like she was enjoying being home, getting to miss school and that she being depressed was a choice that she had made.
What did it feel like now? It was good to name it. A pressure in her head. A desire to crawl out of her skin. Like some part of her needed to be removed. Some part was poisoned. Like her body and brain had always been enemies.
This book provided me with everything I could ever want from a young adult contemporary novel. I wouldn't even be able to come up with even one little issue I had with this book, for me it was utter perfection. Here is everything that I loved about it:
1. The characters: I've already mentioned the fact that I loved the different point of views, but now it is time to gush about the characters in general. Mira was a fantastic character, she's not slim and she struggled with her self image. She loves thrift stores and uses the clothes she finds to make creations of her own. She is also has depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, which Scelsa just wrote about so perfectly. I cared so much for her character and truly felt for her. Sebby got all my love and feelings in this book, I felt for him so much!!! He is also absolutely hilarious and his jokes with Mira were so hilarious, it reminds me so much of me and my own best friend. He is a whirlwind of snark humour and quick comebacks, and I absolutely love him. Jeremy is the new guy, the one who they befriend. He is painfully shy, something I can really relate to, but Sebby and Mira just grab him and won't let him even consider not being their friend.
"Share room with fellow tiara-obsessed prositute."
"Probably not great to call a nine-year-old a prostitute," Mira said.
"Fine. Filthy whore, then."
2. Diversity: DIVERSE CHARACTERS GALORE!!!!
3. LGBTQ themes: This is a book that explores sexuality and people discovering who they are and what they want. I love how this explored the spectrum of sexuality.
"You know, people used to assume I was gay in high school too," Dave said. "And I knew that I was gay, but somehow everyone else knew before me. It's a strange position to be in, because it doesn't let you decide how you feel about it on your own time."
4. Deals beautifully with depression: I can't get enough of books that deal with depression in a way that is so real, honest and doesn't sugarcoat anything. I felt so much for Mira every time someone treated her like her depression was nothing, or worse, as if it was something that she had any control over. Even her parents treated her like she was enjoying being home, getting to miss school and that she being depressed was a choice that she had made.
What did it feel like now? It was good to name it. A pressure in her head. A desire to crawl out of her skin. Like some part of her needed to be removed. Some part was poisoned. Like her body and brain had always been enemies.
June 15, 2016
2.5/5
This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.
In the book description, Fans of the Impossible Life was pitched as a bisexual love triangle, so naturally, I was excited to read it. Sadly, that's quite a bit of a descriptive stretch. A bisexual love triangle is not within these pages; really, this book is about three teenagers dealing with some heavy problems (mental illness, homophobia, depression, suicide, bullying) with a touch of not-really-romance thrown in.
The premise and characters of Fans of the Impossible Life were decent, however the writing style was not enjoyable. The story switches between the three main characters—Jeremy, Mira, and Sebby—which in itself is fine, but it also literally changes POV: it switches from first person to third person to second person point of view with each character change. Those switches made the reading experience clunky and unpleasant.
Had the POV stayed consistent throughout the character changes, I do believe I would have enjoyed the story more. The inconsistencies between the POVs disrupted the flow. I'd be all into Jeremy's POV with lots of 'I's, and then BAM we'd switch to Mira and it's all 'he' and 'she'. Then just as I was getting into the groove of Mira's POV, I got slammed upside the head with Jeremy's always awkward second person 'you'.
Despite my discomfort of the pronoun battle Jeremy, Mira, and Sebby were fairly developed characters. Each one had their own set of problems and had the depth to make me care about their lives. It's such a shame I couldn't enjoy their stories because of the way it was written.
Kate Scelsa's writing style was simply not for me. However, if shifting from first to second to third POV does not put you off, give this book a shot. You'll know by the first 30 pages or so whether or not it's to your tastes.
I received an advance reading copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.
In the book description, Fans of the Impossible Life was pitched as a bisexual love triangle, so naturally, I was excited to read it. Sadly, that's quite a bit of a descriptive stretch. A bisexual love triangle is not within these pages; really, this book is about three teenagers dealing with some heavy problems (mental illness, homophobia, depression, suicide, bullying) with a touch of not-really-romance thrown in.
The premise and characters of Fans of the Impossible Life were decent, however the writing style was not enjoyable. The story switches between the three main characters—Jeremy, Mira, and Sebby—which in itself is fine, but it also literally changes POV: it switches from first person to third person to second person point of view with each character change. Those switches made the reading experience clunky and unpleasant.
Had the POV stayed consistent throughout the character changes, I do believe I would have enjoyed the story more. The inconsistencies between the POVs disrupted the flow. I'd be all into Jeremy's POV with lots of 'I's, and then BAM we'd switch to Mira and it's all 'he' and 'she'. Then just as I was getting into the groove of Mira's POV, I got slammed upside the head with Jeremy's always awkward second person 'you'.
Despite my discomfort of the pronoun battle Jeremy, Mira, and Sebby were fairly developed characters. Each one had their own set of problems and had the depth to make me care about their lives. It's such a shame I couldn't enjoy their stories because of the way it was written.
Kate Scelsa's writing style was simply not for me. However, if shifting from first to second to third POV does not put you off, give this book a shot. You'll know by the first 30 pages or so whether or not it's to your tastes.
I received an advance reading copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
March 27, 2016
This was unexpectedly dark...
The fans of the impossible life is said from three different perspectives; in first person, in third, and the rarely used second person.
EDIT: (The point of views are important. I read a couple of reviews that stated how they were unnecessary, but read carefully and think about it. You'll get it)
"In my own life, when I've had emotions that seemed mysterious or unreasonable, it usually meant I was hiding a part of myself. That there was something that I was afraid to show other people and I need to find a place of strength to look inside and figure out what I was trying to get out and then you know, embrace it. Be myself"
This was said by the first and third person's teacher and art club advisor. He was a gentle caregiver, and he kept his arms open for everyone.
This book discusses vulnerability, and how sometimes showing others this may result in happiness, but often it results in extreme sadness. But the last line shows hope, and a possibility for change, good and bad.
The fans of the impossible life is said from three different perspectives; in first person, in third, and the rarely used second person.
EDIT: (The point of views are important. I read a couple of reviews that stated how they were unnecessary, but read carefully and think about it. You'll get it)
"In my own life, when I've had emotions that seemed mysterious or unreasonable, it usually meant I was hiding a part of myself. That there was something that I was afraid to show other people and I need to find a place of strength to look inside and figure out what I was trying to get out and then you know, embrace it. Be myself"
This was said by the first and third person's teacher and art club advisor. He was a gentle caregiver, and he kept his arms open for everyone.
This book discusses vulnerability, and how sometimes showing others this may result in happiness, but often it results in extreme sadness. But the last line shows hope, and a possibility for change, good and bad.
August 20, 2015
So many feels! I read this book and I need more. Excellent story. Unforgettable characters. I loved the way the author took risks on writing this book because this "love triangle" was like nothing I've read before.
May 2, 2018
Definitely one of my favorites this year! <3
February 5, 2016
Original de: El Extraño Gato del Cuento
Si no me equivoco, en la versión de la sinopsis para USA dice "La historia de una chica, su mejor amigo gay y el chico que se enamoró de los dos", leyendo eso más la portada, te da entender que podrías tener un libro sobre un triángulo amoroso bisexual o una historia con protagonistas polígamos. Es lo que uno piensa a la primera. Pero no es eso.
La primera vez que leí sobre un personaje bisexual, fue cuando leí Pretty Little Liars, tengo muy marcado ese recuerdo porque lo leí de muy joven, y a pesar de que sabía que yo era bisexual, aún no había hecho las pases con la etiqueta. Fans of the Impossible Life, es sobre un chico que te podrá mostrar lo que es ser bisexual. No es que nos guste todo el mundo (aunque de vez en cuando he bromeado con eso, no lo es), sino que es sobre específicas personas. Jeremy, uno de los narradores, me hizo sentir muy a gusto leyéndolo, porque durante gran parte del libro está seguro de ser gay, pero a la misma vez tiene esta fascinación por Mira y Sebby. La bisexualidad es eso, ver cuan grandiosa es una persona sin importar su género.
Además, me encantó como Kate Scelsa en lugar de darnos un personaje heterosexual que empieza tener sentimientos hacía alguien de su mismo género, lo hace al revés: un personaje seguro de su homosexualidad, hasta que conoce a Mira. Ser bisexual, es como jugar a la ruleta rusa a veces u.u Un problema, ah.
YO. TÚ. ÉL.
He tenido el placer de leer todo tipo de narrativa, una que siempre voy a recordar será When Everything Feels like the Movies, y otra será Fans of the Impossible Life.
Creo que es la primera vez que leo un libro con capítulos narrados en segunda persona, y no me había dado cuenta de que tan triste y melancólico podría sentirse el leerlo. Sebby de por si es un personaje que genera demasiada ternura y un miedo por él. Esos personajes tan perfectos y rotos que solo necesitas protegerlo de la escritora porque de seguro lo tortura. Junta el aura del personaje más la forma de narrar y tienes capítulos bastante duros de leer, tuve la misma sensación que cuando leí los primeros capítulos de Lies We Tell Ourselves, de sacarlos del libro y darles de comer y protegerlos del mundo.
***
¿Recomiendo este libro? Un enorme sí, tiene una narración preciosa, los personajes son entrañables y la historia va mucho más allá sobre la sexualidad de los personajes. La verdad es que estoy entre resumir el libro y soltar spoilers a lo loco o no contar nada más porque quiero que experimentes el libro también.
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Si no me equivoco, en la versión de la sinopsis para USA dice "La historia de una chica, su mejor amigo gay y el chico que se enamoró de los dos", leyendo eso más la portada, te da entender que podrías tener un libro sobre un triángulo amoroso bisexual o una historia con protagonistas polígamos. Es lo que uno piensa a la primera. Pero no es eso.
La primera vez que leí sobre un personaje bisexual, fue cuando leí Pretty Little Liars, tengo muy marcado ese recuerdo porque lo leí de muy joven, y a pesar de que sabía que yo era bisexual, aún no había hecho las pases con la etiqueta. Fans of the Impossible Life, es sobre un chico que te podrá mostrar lo que es ser bisexual. No es que nos guste todo el mundo (aunque de vez en cuando he bromeado con eso, no lo es), sino que es sobre específicas personas. Jeremy, uno de los narradores, me hizo sentir muy a gusto leyéndolo, porque durante gran parte del libro está seguro de ser gay, pero a la misma vez tiene esta fascinación por Mira y Sebby. La bisexualidad es eso, ver cuan grandiosa es una persona sin importar su género.
Además, me encantó como Kate Scelsa en lugar de darnos un personaje heterosexual que empieza tener sentimientos hacía alguien de su mismo género, lo hace al revés: un personaje seguro de su homosexualidad, hasta que conoce a Mira. Ser bisexual, es como jugar a la ruleta rusa a veces u.u Un problema, ah.
YO. TÚ. ÉL.
He tenido el placer de leer todo tipo de narrativa, una que siempre voy a recordar será When Everything Feels like the Movies, y otra será Fans of the Impossible Life.
Creo que es la primera vez que leo un libro con capítulos narrados en segunda persona, y no me había dado cuenta de que tan triste y melancólico podría sentirse el leerlo. Sebby de por si es un personaje que genera demasiada ternura y un miedo por él. Esos personajes tan perfectos y rotos que solo necesitas protegerlo de la escritora porque de seguro lo tortura. Junta el aura del personaje más la forma de narrar y tienes capítulos bastante duros de leer, tuve la misma sensación que cuando leí los primeros capítulos de Lies We Tell Ourselves, de sacarlos del libro y darles de comer y protegerlos del mundo.
***
¿Recomiendo este libro? Un enorme sí, tiene una narración preciosa, los personajes son entrañables y la historia va mucho más allá sobre la sexualidad de los personajes. La verdad es que estoy entre resumir el libro y soltar spoilers a lo loco o no contar nada más porque quiero que experimentes el libro también.
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July 24, 2015I think I will have to read this again closer to release, because there's a huge disconnect between what I went in thinking this was and what it actually was, and I was way too amped up on "bisexual love triangle!" thoughts to appreciate this one sufficiently. (Which is definitely largely my fault, because after that first line of the description, who could really focus on the rest?) But: This book does a lot I haven't really seen in YA (including a cross-dressing scene I loved), and has a spectacularly queer cast (my favorite character was actually one of the secondaries, a lesbian named Rose), including gay dads. (My third YA read of the year with gay parents, in fact, which makes me very happy.) Looking forward to revisiting this one as a later date and having some more coherent thoughts.
April 18, 2017
This was one of those books that started off good but the ending just kind of ruined it. I realized that Sebby was a jerk and everybody was better off without him. He is so screwed up and people like him don't really change. I did like Mira and Jeremy's relationship. They worked better together. As screwed up as they are it's good that they have each other.
February 8, 2016
You can read this review and more @Book Enthral
First Thoughts 25/01/16
This book is fantastic!! All the characters are so raw and emotional. There individual struggles are heart wrenching but the way they lean on each other had me admiring their friendships! The ending was so bitter sweet! Brilliant debut!! RTC.
Review 8/02/16
First Thoughts 25/01/16
This book is fantastic!! All the characters are so raw and emotional. There individual struggles are heart wrenching but the way they lean on each other had me admiring their friendships! The ending was so bitter sweet! Brilliant debut!! RTC.
Review 8/02/16
THIS BOOK!! DAMN!
Okay, I’ve been staring at this book on my shelf since I got it for Christmas and I’ve been kind of dubious about starting it, unsure if I was going to enjoy it that much! WELL I’M NOW DAMN SURE I ENJOYED IT!!
The characters in this book are my favourite type contemporary of characters, emotionally raw, a little bit effed up and a whole heap of original! Mira and her best friend Sebby are actually #friendshipgoals, they are literally the definition of each other’s rock and I LOVED IT! The way they were consistently there for each other, without being (to) dependent was making me so happy!! Despite my love for Mira and Sebby, Jeremy actually takes the cake for being THE.BEST.CHARACTER.EVER (okay, maybe not EVER! But definitely best character this week!) He is such a sweet heart, and yet so unsure of himself, ever thing he does has this double meaning of self doubt and my heart was melting for him!!! I just wanted to hug him and tell him he’s THE BEST!! And can we please just talk about this friendship group, we have a straight girl who’s battling depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, a bi-sexual self conscious boy with two dads, a gay drug addict and an obsessive lesbian. LIKE THEY DON’T SOUND LIKE CHARACTERS YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT!! AND THAT’S JUST THE MAIN CHARCATERS! All the side characters in this book are just as well constructed! When I say I LOVED IT I can’t shake in your face how much I loved it haha!!!
This book was mostly character driven (but that wasn’t a problem with me since the characters were phenomenal, if you didn’t catch that from above? LOL) but the plot that was there was one I can total get around as well! About friends, being there for each other and helping each other. This element of this book is actually beautiful because of this!
There was a hint of romance in the book but it was in no way a romance book. I did totally ship Sebby and Jeremy tho! YAS! But towards the end I wasn’t even egging on a romance I was just egging on their friendships!
There is one infamous scene in this book I has heard about previously in both a negative and positive light. It seems that your response to what happens is based completely on your personal opinion on the subject. To me, I didn’t mind it at all. I thought people had blown in way out of the context, cause I was half going into this scene expecting like pages and pages of graphic detail when it’s like half a page long and it’s all done in euphemism anyways.
Overall, this book is actually crazy good! I love when an author’s debut novel is flipping amazing! It makes me an automatic fan! I love contemporary’s like this, with wacky unique characters. If you’ve been on the fence about this book, JUST READ IT! TRUST ME IT’S SO GOOD!!
March 21, 2016
A copy of this novel was provided by HarperCollins for review via Edelweiss.
Yeah, let me just clear that the fuck up for you, and say that Fans of the Impossible Life is NOT about a boy who falls in love with two best friends. That boy is not bisexual. He’s gay, and he’s only romantically interested in the gay best friend. SO yeah. Thanks a bunch for that misleading synopsis opening.
If I was going to write a one liner review (should I do those? Summarise my reviews in one line? Lemme know if you like the idea down in the comments!) it would be: an attempt at writing a 21st century The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Which it was. It really was. Awkward boy with no friends? Check. A girl and a guy (who is gay) are already best friends and completely “unique”? Check. Girl and guy befriend awkward boy? Check. Awkward boy is infatuated with one of the friends? Check. Like for crying out loud, the parallels were a little ridiculous, and unfortunately Fans of the Impossible Life did not live up to its predecessor.
To be honest, I was quite liking this book. I thought Jeremy was an awkward little turtle, which I am always fond of, and I liked Sebby, and even Mira. And then everything went and hit the fan at about 80%, and everything got so freaking weird and messed up and 100% unexpected, and I lost all interest.
I said in one of my updates that I would actually call this novel a fantasy contemporary, because it is so freaking unrealistic. No one is as witty and unique and wonderfully “out there” as Sebby and Mira are. They’re just not. And as sad as it is, awkward turtles tend to stay awkward turtles, without somehow finding amazing best friends to survive high school with.
I did like the diversity, both sexually and racially. I think we need more books where an LGBTQIA+ character actually has other friends who identify in the spectrum, and I like that this was included in Fans of the Impossible Life. Probably the only realistic aspect of the whole thing.
I also liked the way that Mira’s depression was explained, and how she identified it, and what she said helped her (buying clothes). I think it was handled really well, and in an understandable, relatable, and respectful way.
The points of view were pretty jarring sometimes. Fans of the Impossible Life was told from the perspectives of all three characters, except that Jeremy was first person, Mira was third person, and Sebby was second person. I was like: okay, we get that you can handle all of the “persons”, but I would have probably preferred some consistency, to be honest.
All in all, I was pretty disappointed in Fans of the Impossible Life, especially in that last 20%. It probably would have been a three star read, if not for that.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.
Yeah, let me just clear that the fuck up for you, and say that Fans of the Impossible Life is NOT about a boy who falls in love with two best friends. That boy is not bisexual. He’s gay, and he’s only romantically interested in the gay best friend. SO yeah. Thanks a bunch for that misleading synopsis opening.
If I was going to write a one liner review (should I do those? Summarise my reviews in one line? Lemme know if you like the idea down in the comments!) it would be: an attempt at writing a 21st century The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Which it was. It really was. Awkward boy with no friends? Check. A girl and a guy (who is gay) are already best friends and completely “unique”? Check. Girl and guy befriend awkward boy? Check. Awkward boy is infatuated with one of the friends? Check. Like for crying out loud, the parallels were a little ridiculous, and unfortunately Fans of the Impossible Life did not live up to its predecessor.
To be honest, I was quite liking this book. I thought Jeremy was an awkward little turtle, which I am always fond of, and I liked Sebby, and even Mira. And then everything went and hit the fan at about 80%, and everything got so freaking weird and messed up and 100% unexpected, and I lost all interest.
I said in one of my updates that I would actually call this novel a fantasy contemporary, because it is so freaking unrealistic. No one is as witty and unique and wonderfully “out there” as Sebby and Mira are. They’re just not. And as sad as it is, awkward turtles tend to stay awkward turtles, without somehow finding amazing best friends to survive high school with.
I did like the diversity, both sexually and racially. I think we need more books where an LGBTQIA+ character actually has other friends who identify in the spectrum, and I like that this was included in Fans of the Impossible Life. Probably the only realistic aspect of the whole thing.
I also liked the way that Mira’s depression was explained, and how she identified it, and what she said helped her (buying clothes). I think it was handled really well, and in an understandable, relatable, and respectful way.
The points of view were pretty jarring sometimes. Fans of the Impossible Life was told from the perspectives of all three characters, except that Jeremy was first person, Mira was third person, and Sebby was second person. I was like: okay, we get that you can handle all of the “persons”, but I would have probably preferred some consistency, to be honest.
All in all, I was pretty disappointed in Fans of the Impossible Life, especially in that last 20%. It probably would have been a three star read, if not for that.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
September 24, 2015
I received this Advanced Reader's Edition copy from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
I just read another book that talks about diversity. Although I cringed on some parts, I did enjoy reading this book especially when it was reaching to the end. The end was too soon though, but it ended really well. And there are a lot of things to talk about in this book, but I'll probably end up saying few things. That is just me. Deal with it.
First things first, the writing style was a big wow to me. This book contains first, second and third person point-of-view, like who the heck has the time to that? I applaud Kate Scelsa for the uniqueness in writing this wonderfully crafted book. Jeremy has the first person point-of-view. Sebby has the second person POV which is really, really confusing because I'm not too familiar and comfortable with the speaker talking with the word "you". And Mira has the third person POV.
The characters in this book are too cute. Jeremy is an artist who was bullied before and became really unsociable. Then he met Mira (Miranda) and Sebby (Sebastian) who turned to be his friends as he approached them for his to-come Art Club. In spite of everything that happened to him, there was this person who was always there for him and his name is Peter, a teacher in his school.
I had a problem in the start because it was too boring, and I keep on reading and just waiting for that spark that will pique my interest. Soon, I found myself not stopping on reading this amazing book because their trio friendship is literally everything you will wish for. Jeremy as the will-do-anything and quiet friend. Sebby as the happy and funny friend. Mira as the nice and caring friend.
This book exemplifies equality to all people, gender-wise. Jeremy's father is divorced and has married a boy which technically is his other father (or stepfather?). In this book, they are the first couple who were married with the same gender. This book teaches us to stand up for ourselves even though we are tormented by people around us, teasing us with insulting words.
*Every part where Sebby and Jeremy have this intimacy, I just laugh and cringe at the same time. I don't know why, but I just felt like wincing at some moments. I know I should not, but I just couldn't imagine them together. I do not ship them. I will sink their ship in any means possible. Sebby deserves someone else. Jeremy deserves someone else.
Not to mention that this large book has a really cute cover. And this book was recommended to me by a friend. Without this person, I would have no plan on reading this beautiful book.
I just read another book that talks about diversity. Although I cringed on some parts, I did enjoy reading this book especially when it was reaching to the end. The end was too soon though, but it ended really well. And there are a lot of things to talk about in this book, but I'll probably end up saying few things. That is just me. Deal with it.
First things first, the writing style was a big wow to me. This book contains first, second and third person point-of-view, like who the heck has the time to that? I applaud Kate Scelsa for the uniqueness in writing this wonderfully crafted book. Jeremy has the first person point-of-view. Sebby has the second person POV which is really, really confusing because I'm not too familiar and comfortable with the speaker talking with the word "you". And Mira has the third person POV.
"May we live impossibly against all odds. May people look at us and wonder how such jewels can sparkle in the sad desert of the world. May we live the impossible life."
The characters in this book are too cute. Jeremy is an artist who was bullied before and became really unsociable. Then he met Mira (Miranda) and Sebby (Sebastian) who turned to be his friends as he approached them for his to-come Art Club. In spite of everything that happened to him, there was this person who was always there for him and his name is Peter, a teacher in his school.
I had a problem in the start because it was too boring, and I keep on reading and just waiting for that spark that will pique my interest. Soon, I found myself not stopping on reading this amazing book because their trio friendship is literally everything you will wish for. Jeremy as the will-do-anything and quiet friend. Sebby as the happy and funny friend. Mira as the nice and caring friend.
This book exemplifies equality to all people, gender-wise. Jeremy's father is divorced and has married a boy which technically is his other father (or stepfather?). In this book, they are the first couple who were married with the same gender. This book teaches us to stand up for ourselves even though we are tormented by people around us, teasing us with insulting words.
"In a really good thrift store you feel like you're in a room with all of these stories, and it's up to you to go and find the stories that you want to bring home with you."
*Every part where Sebby and Jeremy have this intimacy, I just laugh and cringe at the same time. I don't know why, but I just felt like wincing at some moments. I know I should not, but I just couldn't imagine them together. I do not ship them. I will sink their ship in any means possible. Sebby deserves someone else. Jeremy deserves someone else.
Not to mention that this large book has a really cute cover. And this book was recommended to me by a friend. Without this person, I would have no plan on reading this beautiful book.
June 8, 2015
We’re all just trying to survive however we can.
If you want to read this because you think there'll be a bisexual love triangle well... you are not going to find it.
I don't read contemporary at all but this one managed to pique my interest and truly captivate me.
Jeremy is shy artist who had a incident in school last year, Mira is the fashion lover with strange rituals to cope with life and Sebby is her gay best friend, who also has lots of issues.
Is there any romance at all? I'm hesitant to call romance. There is a lot of frienship and self-discovery.
To me the book is a great tribute to the teenage years; the time when you felt insecure, alone, different, sad, you tried to discover who you were and what you wanted.
This is what is about; discovering yourself, dealing with life, growing up and the most important of all, friendship.
January 27, 2016
Het onmogelijke leven, een emotioneel verhaal, maar had iets te veel problemen naar mijn idee. Lees hier mijn recensie!
http://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/...
http://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/...
December 17, 2015
I feel like the black sheep on this one. I was somewhat disappointed in Fans of the Impossible Life. I read it, yes, but I just feel kind of meh about it, I guess. I think one of the main issues I had was that it is really not at all about what you think it’s about. The very first line of the description made it out to be a bisexual love triangle between the three main characters (“This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them”). It is not that. At all. It had some things I liked and that you don’t usually see in YA books, like the the switching of the different tenses for each point of view: Jeremy (1st person), Mira (3rd person), Sebby (2nd person).
However, there were some things that rubbed me the wrong way: mental illness was somewhat romanticized, there was some lack of consent, and several destructive relationships and friendships. Also, for a story SO about mental health issues, they aren’t really ever addressed. They’re more brought up in a “Oh, I have this issue. I’m so damaged. We can bond over this.” kind of way, but that’s it. It was strange.
I felt like nothing in the end was resolved. The characters pretty much felt the same (or worse) than they did in the beginning, and no one really grew or changed. It almost felt pointless, like why did I read this? I kind of want to do a reread at some point to see if I feel the same way later, because I did really like some of the characters (Sebby, especially) and the idea behind it. I’m not sure though.
The bottom line: I really don’t know how I feel about this one.
However, there were some things that rubbed me the wrong way: mental illness was somewhat romanticized, there was some lack of consent, and several destructive relationships and friendships. Also, for a story SO about mental health issues, they aren’t really ever addressed. They’re more brought up in a “Oh, I have this issue. I’m so damaged. We can bond over this.” kind of way, but that’s it. It was strange.
I felt like nothing in the end was resolved. The characters pretty much felt the same (or worse) than they did in the beginning, and no one really grew or changed. It almost felt pointless, like why did I read this? I kind of want to do a reread at some point to see if I feel the same way later, because I did really like some of the characters (Sebby, especially) and the idea behind it. I’m not sure though.
The bottom line: I really don’t know how I feel about this one.
February 6, 2017
São livros como esse que me passam a ideia de que YAs só vieram para desgraçar nosso coração.
Estou feliz por esse livro existir e por ter a oportunidade de me apaixonar tão forte pelos personagens que construíram essa história. Desde os dramas que foram apresentados, até a forma como eles foram trabalhados.
Nem preciso dizer que a Mira foi minha personagem favorita, não precisei viver algum dia na pele o que ela viveu para sentir sua dor, suas dificuldades e inseguranças. Ela foi capaz de me mostrar tudo e ainda ter vontade de abraçá-la em todas as ocasiões. Jeremy por sua vez se mostrou um personagem ingenuo, e as vezes isso era até difícil de compreender, mas ainda assim é inegável a vontade de colocá-lo num pote e deixar do ladinho da cama.
Confesso que não consegui sentir nenhuma forma de afeto pelo Sebby e do meio para o final, esse personagem começou a me desgastar. Talvez o problema tenha sido a forma como a autora escreve suas cenas (segunda pessoa), mas infelizmente não funcionou comigo.
Esse livro é com certeza uma das minhas novas paixões literárias.
Estou feliz por esse livro existir e por ter a oportunidade de me apaixonar tão forte pelos personagens que construíram essa história. Desde os dramas que foram apresentados, até a forma como eles foram trabalhados.
Nem preciso dizer que a Mira foi minha personagem favorita, não precisei viver algum dia na pele o que ela viveu para sentir sua dor, suas dificuldades e inseguranças. Ela foi capaz de me mostrar tudo e ainda ter vontade de abraçá-la em todas as ocasiões. Jeremy por sua vez se mostrou um personagem ingenuo, e as vezes isso era até difícil de compreender, mas ainda assim é inegável a vontade de colocá-lo num pote e deixar do ladinho da cama.
Confesso que não consegui sentir nenhuma forma de afeto pelo Sebby e do meio para o final, esse personagem começou a me desgastar. Talvez o problema tenha sido a forma como a autora escreve suas cenas (segunda pessoa), mas infelizmente não funcionou comigo.
Esse livro é com certeza uma das minhas novas paixões literárias.
December 16, 2016
A gorgeous, sad book so achingly real about friendships and love and everything in between and overlapping. I've never read a YA book that reminded me so powerfully of being a teenager myself. Kate Scelsa remembers.The audiobook was beautifully done, with different narrators for Mira, Sebby, and Jeremy. Lots of queer characters of multiple stripes and lots to say about mental illness and the foster care system. I loved it and it made me cry.
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