The Way to Impossible Island

by Sophie Kirtley

Born with a serious heart condition, Dara has been waiting for his Big Operation forever, and this summer it's finally going to happen. The moment his heart is fixed he'll row out to the island in the bay all by himself just like he's always dreamed. But when his op is postponed, Dara snaps. When will he get to live his real life? Maybe the adventures he dreams of are just silly fantasies.

And then he finds a girl hiding in the boat shed. She wears animal skins. She has a real live pet wolf. She is, simply, impossible. Could Mothgirl really be from the Stone Age? And what is she seeking on Lathrin Island? As Dara and Mothgirl set out on a wild, windswept sea journey Dara begins to realise that when you stop worrying about what's impossible, you can do anything.

A brave, life-affirming middle-grade timeslip adventure about finding your family and finding yourself, from the author of The Wild Way Home.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical, Magical Realism, Childrens, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2021

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my daughter. We loved it. We laughed and cried and enjoyed every minute. We talked about the storyline, and we talked about the choice of language used. We want to read it again!

[Georgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun & exciting read. The story switches between Dara, a modern boy, and Mothgirl, a Stone Age girl. Both live with the belief that certain things are impossible for them. Both long for adventure. And when Mothgirl finds herself in Dara's time, the two meet and so an impossible adventure begins....

Nicely drawn characters, and some good messages for kids. Also: a pet wolf!

[Anne Wetherall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had enjoyed The Wild Way Home and almost couldn't believe this would be so good. I loved the second half of this book so much!

[beckys_book_blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a captivating adventure story with a fascinating setting. I literally couldn't put this book down and was gripped from the first page!

The book has a dual timeline and has two great main characters who both face difficult challenges.

It is the second in the series by the author but the younger siblings are now the central characters, making this a stand alone story.

Mothgirl lives in the Stone Age and since her brother Hart has disappeared her ageing father agrees to hand her over to the terrifying Vulture tribe to keep her safe. They believe she needs to be tamed of her wild ways however so Moth girl takes her chances in the wild and quickly runs away with her pet wolf ByMySide offering some protection.

Dara is a twelve year old boy who desperately needs a heart operation as he gets easily out of breath. Unfortunately it has been delayed yet again so whilst on holiday a disappointed and disheartened Dara goes off to seek his own adventure.
What will happen when the two worlds collide and Mothgirl and Dara meet? Can they help each other?

Both of the two main characters are so strong, independent and determined and I was willing them on through the story. I loved the Stone Age setting and the descriptions of life at the time. This would be the perfect book to read aloud to a junior class to bring this topic to life.

I equally enjoyed reading about Dara and really emphasised with his desperation to get better and go on adventures. The friendship and understanding that develops between them in the face of danger is very special and some often harrowing situations were dealt with very sensitively by this author, making it suitable for younger readers.

I would whole heartedly recommend this book to readers aged 8/9+. I'm definitely going to order 'The Wild Way Home' by Sophie Kirtley to read next.

[MrsD271015 D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure about this book to start. It isn’t my usual choice of book - I’m more detective and real life kind of person. So a crossing of time and myths was out of my comfort zone. However, I have heard many good things about it and I wanted to read the book before it went into the school library. I believe it’s important to know the books we are recommending to our children. The book starts as two separate stories running side by side following Dara and Mothgirl. Dara is a boy with health issues who is desperate to be ‘normal’ and have his adventure to Lathrin Island following his big op. Mothgirl is from the stone age and is determined to find her brother so that her family can be free from Vulture and she can be herself. Their stories are very similar but on one cold, dark night their worlds collide and the adventure truly begins. Both Dara and Mothgirl realise that being ‘norm-ill’ is not all that it’s made out to be and that being big and strong is not all about size and physical strength. Two strangers who despite their fear learn to trust and protect each other as they overcome obstacles and great peril. This book reminded me of a modern day ‘Stig of the Dump’ (a book I remember fondly being read as a child) The descriptions are so vivid that you can really build the pictures in your mind. I could sense the fear and closing presence in the tunnel, the crashing waves against the boat and rocks and the grasping breath of the characters. The pace of the story builds to a dramatic climax and the end is equally surprising and satisfying. I will definitely be recommending this book to our KS2 children (age 9+) It would make a brilliant class read also.

[Denise Forrest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dara is frustrated, waiting for his big operation to repair his damaged heart. All his life he has read stories about Lathrin Island and the magical creatures who live there.

Mothgirl wants her older brother to return to their little family clan in order to protect them all from the evil Vulture. She sets off to Lathrin in order to search for him.

This is a follow up to The Wild Way Home. The first story focused on Charlie and Hart, but now it is the turn of their younger siblings. The other difference is that this time they meet in the present, which doesn’t work nearly as well. It is not clear how Mothgirl travels to the future, nor how she returns to the Stone Age. I love the way Mothgirl uses language to describe things, such as the sky high hut and food deerskins, referring to something familiar to describe something new when she doesn’t have the right word. I also liked the message about being yourself and not striving or longing to be someone different.

I was really looking forward to reading this sequel as I absolutely loved The Wild Way Home, but I found it disappointing.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

#TheWayToImpossibleIsland by #SophieKirtley follows on from #TheWildWayHome which I unfortunately had not read. This lead to me being a little unsure in the early stages of this book. For those that have read the original story I believe this book tracks the story of the younger siblings. Dara, has significant health issues and just wants to be normal. An interesting perspective that many of our young people have no experience of, or have nothing in terms of reference if they have ongoing health issues. Mothgirl is from the Stone Age and the story follow as their worlds collide. This is a well written story with wonderful imagery to build mental pictures. The drama and fear builds with a surprising and unexpected end. This story is perfect for children in Key Stage 2 (9 years+). The narrator in this audio book was the author and she has a local accent (Northern Irish), so unusual to hear in audio books.
Many thanks to #Netgalley for gifting me an #Arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristina Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first third of the story had me confused. The chapter headings made the story and characters seem far mors complicated than they are. Once I got into the story I found it really enjoyable and I liked getting to know Daramurrum and mothga as they form a friendship and visit Lathrin Island together.

[Jen Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my two boys and we all loved it! Their joy at one part of the book in particular was just so wonderful and a true sign of the magic of books. This was a really special book, my only hesitance at giving it 5 🌟 is that it was a little slow in the middle but really is a great, engaging story.

[Eve McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ve done it again, @KirtleySophie! Your unique waymarker is firmly stamped on every bit if this mind-ticklingly wondrous Stone Age adventure! Mothgirl rocks! A PERFECT get-away-from-it-all read 8+
BTW, you had me on at ByMySide 💛

[Lauren Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent tale from Sophie Kirtley. Full of determination and spirit, sharing the good and the bad sides of real life and how to muddle through. I enjoyed that some things are mirrored from Wild Way Home linking the 2 books together.

[Norah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my mum and we laughed and cried for what felt like hours. We talked about the storyline and why the author used that vocabulary This book is truly heart- warming and shows that we all have to face challenges sometimes even when we don't want to. A definite re-read!

[Vonprice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful MG novel, my review and an interview with the author is here: https://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home...

[Lio · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars 🥲

[Marius Cosmin Ene]

Good

[Heather Lee-Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story, I couldn't put it down or fault it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as its predecessor, The Wild Way Home, but still an enjoyable read.