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The Beauty of Impossible Things
Foresight is not always a gift...
Natasha Rothwell leads a sheltered life with her beautiful, bohemian mother in a crumbling house by the sea. From a young age she has been beset by strange dreams that she believes predict the future.
The summer Natasha turns fifteen, strange dancing lights appear in the sky above her small seaside town, lights that she interprets as portents of doom and which lead her to reveal her gift to the small, insular community. Meanwhile, the arrival of a new lodger, the handsome Mr Bowen, threatens to upset the delicate equilibrium between mother and daughter.
As news of the lights spreads, more and more visitors arrive, creating a feverish atmosphere of anticipation and dread. Then a local teenager goes missing, and Natasha is called on to use her powers to help. But her actions over that long, hot summer will have unforeseen and ultimately tragic consequences that will cast a shadow for many years to come...
Natasha Rothwell leads a sheltered life with her beautiful, bohemian mother in a crumbling house by the sea. From a young age she has been beset by strange dreams that she believes predict the future.
The summer Natasha turns fifteen, strange dancing lights appear in the sky above her small seaside town, lights that she interprets as portents of doom and which lead her to reveal her gift to the small, insular community. Meanwhile, the arrival of a new lodger, the handsome Mr Bowen, threatens to upset the delicate equilibrium between mother and daughter.
As news of the lights spreads, more and more visitors arrive, creating a feverish atmosphere of anticipation and dread. Then a local teenager goes missing, and Natasha is called on to use her powers to help. But her actions over that long, hot summer will have unforeseen and ultimately tragic consequences that will cast a shadow for many years to come...
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2021
21 people are currently reading
674 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
January 28, 2021
This tells the story of a long, tragic summer thirty years ago in a seaside town when Natasha Rothwell, our narrator, is fifteen. Natasha has precognition, premonitions, a ‘gift’ which blights her life from teenage years. She lives with her mother, the beautiful bohemian Elizabeth, in fugal, faded grandeur in a large house on the cliff tops. That summer, strange blue lights appear in the sky and Natasha knows they foretell tragedy and death. The community is caught up in the ensuing drama and nothing is the same again ....
This is a another winner for me from Rachel Donohue. From the very start, this beautifully written, lyrical almost poetic story hooks you and keeps you in its thrall. It is so atmospheric, at times it’s eerie and spooky, a bit gothic, at others it’s chilling , puzzling, enigmatic and always fascinating. You sense the growing fear, suspicion and powerlessness in the community and the sense of impending disaster. As you progress through there’s a weird tension that hangs over the characters and you know that what is happening shapes and changes Natasha’s and Elizabeth’s lives forever. The characters are extremely well crafted and you feel their varying emotions. Some of the descriptions are incredibly vivid that you see them materialise before you eyes like a painting. The narrative is alive too and you see what Natasha sees in your minds eye, some of it is a bit spiritual, some is macabre or just inexplicable. All you know is that Natasha alters as a person, becomes evasive, relationships are fractured and changed irrevocably.
Overall, this is a compelling, thought provoking, original and very different novel by a very talented author whose work I will always want to read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Corvus for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.
This is a another winner for me from Rachel Donohue. From the very start, this beautifully written, lyrical almost poetic story hooks you and keeps you in its thrall. It is so atmospheric, at times it’s eerie and spooky, a bit gothic, at others it’s chilling , puzzling, enigmatic and always fascinating. You sense the growing fear, suspicion and powerlessness in the community and the sense of impending disaster. As you progress through there’s a weird tension that hangs over the characters and you know that what is happening shapes and changes Natasha’s and Elizabeth’s lives forever. The characters are extremely well crafted and you feel their varying emotions. Some of the descriptions are incredibly vivid that you see them materialise before you eyes like a painting. The narrative is alive too and you see what Natasha sees in your minds eye, some of it is a bit spiritual, some is macabre or just inexplicable. All you know is that Natasha alters as a person, becomes evasive, relationships are fractured and changed irrevocably.
Overall, this is a compelling, thought provoking, original and very different novel by a very talented author whose work I will always want to read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Corvus for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.
May 1, 2022
I thought I would love this book, I desperately wanted to love it, but somehow it missed the mark for me. I couldn't fault the writing, it's lyrical, beautiful, evocative and almost dreamlike. The sense of place is wonderful, I could feel the hazy summer heat and the sand between my toes, and I had no trouble inhabiting the little unnamed Irish seaside town where the story is set. I can't really put my finger on why I didn't like it. Yes, it was very slow and nothing much happened but that isn't necessarily a problem for me, it just felt like the mysterious lights and premonitions thing didn't hang together with the rest of it. Lots of other readers loved it and I'm gutted that I didn't, 3 stars for the beautiful writing.
April 9, 2021
The Beauty of Impossible Things was a melancholic and haunting novel, with some absolutely beautiful writing and a pervading sense of unease throughout.
Natasha is not like other children, her way of seeing the world is different and often disturbing. Over the course of one long and intimate summer, her inner self will affect the world around her in an enduring and life changing way.
I wouldn’t want to say much beyond that, this novel is one its best to approach with no preconceptions. Rachel Donohue has a poetic way with words and a strong sense of place and people that just sinks you into the world she creates here. It is a story that ultimately invades your unconscious mind and leaves you picking at the edges of it long after you are done.
The Beauty of Impossible Things is a literary delight, a short sharp snapshot of time, a time that affects all who live through it for the rest of their lives.
Terrific. Recommended.
Natasha is not like other children, her way of seeing the world is different and often disturbing. Over the course of one long and intimate summer, her inner self will affect the world around her in an enduring and life changing way.
I wouldn’t want to say much beyond that, this novel is one its best to approach with no preconceptions. Rachel Donohue has a poetic way with words and a strong sense of place and people that just sinks you into the world she creates here. It is a story that ultimately invades your unconscious mind and leaves you picking at the edges of it long after you are done.
The Beauty of Impossible Things is a literary delight, a short sharp snapshot of time, a time that affects all who live through it for the rest of their lives.
Terrific. Recommended.
May 2, 2021
I really didn’t enjoy this book I found it quite strange and was glad to finish it.
May 6, 2021
The Beauty of Impossible Things is a haunting, powerful and darkly beguiling story, threaded with fading seaside grandeur and simmering heat, by a Hennessy New Irish Writer award-winning author, where the actions of one teenage girl lead will lead to terrible consequences. It's very much a character-driven story following protagonist Natasha as she comes of age and a personal journey ensues. Natasha Rothwell is now in her mid-40s and attending a therapist to come to terms with her strange and unique life. She is encouraged by the doctor to recount the events of that fateful, transformational summer evening that occurred three decades ago when she was 15 years old. What is interesting is that we hear her thoughts on what actually happened, her years of rumination over it all and the regret she feels towards her past. All those years ago Natasha lived with her mother in a large, spacious house; this was part of an inheritance but their financial issues would lead them to rent out rooms to lodgers in order to make some much-needed cash. Natasha had always believed she was special and it was well known that she was a misfit and a recluse in the whimsical, unnamed coastal town. When strange blue lights appear in the sky above the Ridge, Natasha finds herself at the centre of a mystery. Where have the lights come from, and what do they mean for the town's inhabitants? Natasha wants to tell everyone what she has seen and what she believes is coming but her mother encourages her to stay silent; she dismisses the lights as portents of doom and her daughter's apparent gift of precognition with which she predicts events before they happen as nothing but mumbo jumbo.
But then how did Natasha accurately and perfectly predict certain incidents that the local community ended up having to deal with in the aftermath? Are the lights extraterrestrial in nature or, as some believe, spectral images caused by ghost activity? As she confides in friends and family about her prophetic talents this leads to life-altering moments in several of her relationships. Meanwhile, Natasha's mother, Elizabeth, a beautiful but vulnerable artist, falls in love with their lodger, Mr Bowen. Natasha is convinced that this relationship can only bring Elizabeth unhappiness, and she will do anything in her power to protect her mother. As harbingers of doom gather, unorthodox psychiatrist Dr Seymour Black arrives in the town, determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost to others. This is a slow-burn, supernatural-tinged, intensely compelling read written in first person from Natasha's perspective. It places a huge significance on the importance of finding yourself as a person and looking back at the past in a nostalgic, meaningful and thoughtful manner in order to move past regrets we may have picked up along life's unpredictable journey. It's enigmatic, poignant and truly beautiful, but every silver lining throughout is tinged with sadness about what perhaps could've been. The atmosphere is superbly crafted with an oppressive, claustrophobic intensity to the small-town life where everyone knows everyone. Steeped in melancholy, Donohue's prose is lithe and captivating and the acute observations throughout are nothing short of genius. A mystical, mysterious and evocative tale, this is one of those tender stories to immerse yourself in and enjoy.
But then how did Natasha accurately and perfectly predict certain incidents that the local community ended up having to deal with in the aftermath? Are the lights extraterrestrial in nature or, as some believe, spectral images caused by ghost activity? As she confides in friends and family about her prophetic talents this leads to life-altering moments in several of her relationships. Meanwhile, Natasha's mother, Elizabeth, a beautiful but vulnerable artist, falls in love with their lodger, Mr Bowen. Natasha is convinced that this relationship can only bring Elizabeth unhappiness, and she will do anything in her power to protect her mother. As harbingers of doom gather, unorthodox psychiatrist Dr Seymour Black arrives in the town, determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost to others. This is a slow-burn, supernatural-tinged, intensely compelling read written in first person from Natasha's perspective. It places a huge significance on the importance of finding yourself as a person and looking back at the past in a nostalgic, meaningful and thoughtful manner in order to move past regrets we may have picked up along life's unpredictable journey. It's enigmatic, poignant and truly beautiful, but every silver lining throughout is tinged with sadness about what perhaps could've been. The atmosphere is superbly crafted with an oppressive, claustrophobic intensity to the small-town life where everyone knows everyone. Steeped in melancholy, Donohue's prose is lithe and captivating and the acute observations throughout are nothing short of genius. A mystical, mysterious and evocative tale, this is one of those tender stories to immerse yourself in and enjoy.
March 2, 2021
Thirty years ago, Natasha Rothwell was fifteen. She lived a secluded life with her mother on top of the hill near the sea. Natasha has a ‘gift’ she has premonitions, and she can also see the dead. Her mother doesn’t want to talk about it. The other teenagers in the town thinks she is a freak. Except for Marcus and Lewis who has problems on his own.
One day high up on the ridge strange blue lights suddenly appear. Natasha thinks it that something is coming, which is not good, so she tells people about it and then Lewis goes missing.
Thank you for the advanced copy of The beauty of impossible things but I am afraid this wasn’t for me. Do not get me wrong this is a beautifully written book about teenagers’ angst. But nothing really happened in this book and I was expecting more and for me personally it did not deliver.
One day high up on the ridge strange blue lights suddenly appear. Natasha thinks it that something is coming, which is not good, so she tells people about it and then Lewis goes missing.
Thank you for the advanced copy of The beauty of impossible things but I am afraid this wasn’t for me. Do not get me wrong this is a beautifully written book about teenagers’ angst. But nothing really happened in this book and I was expecting more and for me personally it did not deliver.
April 28, 2021
2.5 stars.
The good: I liked the cover design. The writing style was unusual and well-crafted, this book was lyrical and poetic which made it more enjoyable than it would have been if it was straight prose. It had a sense of unease and some haunting/gothic themes. The ending reminded me somewhat of the end of The great gatsby which of course is a classic.
Not so good: very little happens in this story. This may work for some and might have worked for me had there been more character development or simply if I felt I connected more with the characters. I just couldn't engage with them which made it hard to care about anything that happened to them. I felt there was potential here to go deeper with the gothic themes and character development but for me there wasn't enough of this.
This book has received some excellent reviews so perhaps it just didn't quite work for me.
The good: I liked the cover design. The writing style was unusual and well-crafted, this book was lyrical and poetic which made it more enjoyable than it would have been if it was straight prose. It had a sense of unease and some haunting/gothic themes. The ending reminded me somewhat of the end of The great gatsby which of course is a classic.
Not so good: very little happens in this story. This may work for some and might have worked for me had there been more character development or simply if I felt I connected more with the characters. I just couldn't engage with them which made it hard to care about anything that happened to them. I felt there was potential here to go deeper with the gothic themes and character development but for me there wasn't enough of this.
This book has received some excellent reviews so perhaps it just didn't quite work for me.
April 30, 2021
The follow-up to Rachel Donohue’s assured debut novel is an atmospheric coming-of-age tale set over the course of an intense summer in the seaside town where fifteen-year-old Natasha Rothwell lives with her beautiful, bohemian mother. Living in a crumbling house on the cliff side with money in short supply the events of that summer are something that thirty years later Natasha is still trying to make sense of, perhaps because brushing everything under the carpet and ‘forgetting’ became so essential in the years that followed. At the suggestion of her therapist Natasha revisits that momentous summer, and their tragic consequences, in an attempt to understand better who she once was and the decisions she made and her first-person narrative is what follows.
Natasha and her mother are outsiders in the seaside town where they live that only comes alive in the summer. Her beautiful mother, Elizabeth, is an aloof presence and the source of much interest in town whilst Natasha is set apart by the prophetic dreams that from a young age have often played out reality, most notably a tragic accident at sea. The summer that she turns fifteen Natasha bears witness to some unexplained dancing blue lights in the sky above the Ridge, lights that she believes are portents of doom with ominous implications for the townsfolk. Whilst her close friend, Marcus, believes her and troubled older teenager, Lewis, sees them too, Elizabeth and the wider town are slow to believe. Until, that is, the lights appear again and Natasha speaks out, attracting the attention of Dr Black, an academic who has fallen into disrepute, who seizes upon her ‘gift’ and gives her a platform to bring the message to the town. As tourists, ghost hunters and reporters arrive in anticipation of what is to come a sense of disquiet and outright fear pervades and the atmosphere is feverish with expectation. When events take a darker turn with the disappearance of Lewis on the back of Natasha’s latest ominous proclamations it provides a chance to put her psychic powers to the test.
Natasha and her mother have a fraught relationship even before the appearance of the blue lights, with Natasha’s very presence a reminder of Elizabeth’s abruptly curtailed hopes of studying art and a responsibility that prevents her following in the footsteps of Natasha’s father. There is an air of eternal disappointment about Elizabeth that registers in Natasha as a clear sense of not being good enough. The presence of their new lodger, Mr Bowen, in the house over that summer also represents an obstacle to her mother’s attention and yet more proof that she alone is not enough and Donohue injects the novel with a real sense of the tension that looms large. Both Natasha and her mother are vividly drawn and their difficult relationship is conveyed well but I found Marcus harder to fathom, especially in the respect of his feelings for Natasha. The prose is a pleasure to read, achingly beautiful and somewhat hypnotic, and together with the evocative descriptions and the unsettling atmosphere make the novel hugely compelling with enough uncertainty to keep you thinking about it afterwards. A poignant and powerful story full of emotion and a novel that delivered on the promise shown in the author’s debut.
Natasha and her mother are outsiders in the seaside town where they live that only comes alive in the summer. Her beautiful mother, Elizabeth, is an aloof presence and the source of much interest in town whilst Natasha is set apart by the prophetic dreams that from a young age have often played out reality, most notably a tragic accident at sea. The summer that she turns fifteen Natasha bears witness to some unexplained dancing blue lights in the sky above the Ridge, lights that she believes are portents of doom with ominous implications for the townsfolk. Whilst her close friend, Marcus, believes her and troubled older teenager, Lewis, sees them too, Elizabeth and the wider town are slow to believe. Until, that is, the lights appear again and Natasha speaks out, attracting the attention of Dr Black, an academic who has fallen into disrepute, who seizes upon her ‘gift’ and gives her a platform to bring the message to the town. As tourists, ghost hunters and reporters arrive in anticipation of what is to come a sense of disquiet and outright fear pervades and the atmosphere is feverish with expectation. When events take a darker turn with the disappearance of Lewis on the back of Natasha’s latest ominous proclamations it provides a chance to put her psychic powers to the test.
Natasha and her mother have a fraught relationship even before the appearance of the blue lights, with Natasha’s very presence a reminder of Elizabeth’s abruptly curtailed hopes of studying art and a responsibility that prevents her following in the footsteps of Natasha’s father. There is an air of eternal disappointment about Elizabeth that registers in Natasha as a clear sense of not being good enough. The presence of their new lodger, Mr Bowen, in the house over that summer also represents an obstacle to her mother’s attention and yet more proof that she alone is not enough and Donohue injects the novel with a real sense of the tension that looms large. Both Natasha and her mother are vividly drawn and their difficult relationship is conveyed well but I found Marcus harder to fathom, especially in the respect of his feelings for Natasha. The prose is a pleasure to read, achingly beautiful and somewhat hypnotic, and together with the evocative descriptions and the unsettling atmosphere make the novel hugely compelling with enough uncertainty to keep you thinking about it afterwards. A poignant and powerful story full of emotion and a novel that delivered on the promise shown in the author’s debut.
October 2, 2021
3.5 stars
I did not love this as much as The Temple House Vanishing but then again, second books are hard. I think it's because I felt a bit disconnected from Natasha.
All the same, I did stay up late finishing this yesterday so that sure does count for something.
I did not love this as much as The Temple House Vanishing but then again, second books are hard. I think it's because I felt a bit disconnected from Natasha.
All the same, I did stay up late finishing this yesterday so that sure does count for something.
August 21, 2022
This book took me a while to get into (so only 4 stars rather than five) but very soon I found myself engrossed in the story. It was a perfect summer book, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested. The many layers of plot were intriguing and caused it to become a page-turner. All the characters were complex and confusing, making my opinions of them shift very quickly.
Natasha's mother is the textbook 'troubled woman'. She had Natasha very young and they live a bohemian lifestyle in a beautiful but crumbling house on a cliff. This beautiful setting of a seaside town and the hazy atmosphere created a feverish anticipation for the whole book. Rachel Donohue is definitely one for tense, perhaps uncomfortable situations.
Natasha's voice was so strong within the book, that I couldn't help but root for her, even though she's certainly not the most perfect protagonist. Her thoughts looking back on the events of the summer only added to this. The introspection through older Natasha (with the help of her therapist) was interesting, factual and lacking of guilt.
Overall an enjoyable read, although I don't think I'll read more by Donahue.
Books I'd recommend if you liked this one...
- The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff
- On Midnight Beach by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
Natasha's mother is the textbook 'troubled woman'. She had Natasha very young and they live a bohemian lifestyle in a beautiful but crumbling house on a cliff. This beautiful setting of a seaside town and the hazy atmosphere created a feverish anticipation for the whole book. Rachel Donohue is definitely one for tense, perhaps uncomfortable situations.
Natasha's voice was so strong within the book, that I couldn't help but root for her, even though she's certainly not the most perfect protagonist. Her thoughts looking back on the events of the summer only added to this. The introspection through older Natasha (with the help of her therapist) was interesting, factual and lacking of guilt.
Overall an enjoyable read, although I don't think I'll read more by Donahue.
Books I'd recommend if you liked this one...
- The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff
- On Midnight Beach by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
April 25, 2021
See the literary locations in this story
Ethereal and quite dark but very interesting.
There are no real or even vague locations in this novel. However, the setting is a seaside town somewhere in England. Brighton, Bognor Regis and Eastbourne are very popular and well-known seaside towns so it could be one of those or similar.
There is mention of lights in the sky and a crumbling house by the sea…so wherever you go, try and find these things!
February 1, 2025
Så vackert omslag som fick mig att köpa denna på andrahand för några år sedan 🤩
Annars var boken helt ok, blev inte så stimulerad men bitvis fin prosa och kort det blev en bra start på mitt läsår 📚
Annars var boken helt ok, blev inte så stimulerad men bitvis fin prosa och kort det blev en bra start på mitt läsår 📚
December 7, 2022
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Corvus for providing the advance review copy of this novel by Rachel Donohue.
Like most of the books I am able to get advance review copies of, this is not my usual fare. I do like to try new things, which is why I signed up with NetGalley.co.uk, and this is one of those books that is something new to me that I found enjoyable. Although I used to read lots of fantasy and still play some fantasy games (tabletop and computer games), however these days I’m kind of ‘past it’ so I never got into the recent trend of urban fantasy and all that stuff. Add in the fact this is kind of a ‘coming of age’ sort of story and it’s one I’d probably leave behind at the bookshop.
However, this one stands out as one I’d recommend to someone who doesn’t want a heavy fantasy story but just a bit, sort of… All this sounds like it’s a big fantasy epic, but it’s not, there’s elements of fantasy mystery and plenty is left unexplained (I think that adds to the story, not having every tiny detail explained) and the teen angst plot isn’t overbearing, either. Overall, I enjoyed this one.
This review has been posted to Amazon.co.uk, Netgalley.co.uk and Goodreads, as well as my own site Frankthewriter.wordpress.com
Like most of the books I am able to get advance review copies of, this is not my usual fare. I do like to try new things, which is why I signed up with NetGalley.co.uk, and this is one of those books that is something new to me that I found enjoyable. Although I used to read lots of fantasy and still play some fantasy games (tabletop and computer games), however these days I’m kind of ‘past it’ so I never got into the recent trend of urban fantasy and all that stuff. Add in the fact this is kind of a ‘coming of age’ sort of story and it’s one I’d probably leave behind at the bookshop.
However, this one stands out as one I’d recommend to someone who doesn’t want a heavy fantasy story but just a bit, sort of… All this sounds like it’s a big fantasy epic, but it’s not, there’s elements of fantasy mystery and plenty is left unexplained (I think that adds to the story, not having every tiny detail explained) and the teen angst plot isn’t overbearing, either. Overall, I enjoyed this one.
This review has been posted to Amazon.co.uk, Netgalley.co.uk and Goodreads, as well as my own site Frankthewriter.wordpress.com
May 24, 2021
Natasha Rothwell lives with her mother in the big house on the cliffs overlooking the sea. She is blessed/cursed with being able to foresee events. The main part of the story occurs over one Summer when she is fifteen, although it also takes place as Natasha is in therapy. The strange lights that appear over the town has people thronging to see if they will reappear & there are many theories but Natasha knows that they do not portend anything good.
The writing style of this book is very good & paints a clear picture of the town & in particular Natasha's home. I'm struggling to explain to myself why I didn't enjoy it more. I think it was because I didn't really have any feelings for any of the characters; either positive or negative. I think I need that to really enjoy a book. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
The writing style of this book is very good & paints a clear picture of the town & in particular Natasha's home. I'm struggling to explain to myself why I didn't enjoy it more. I think it was because I didn't really have any feelings for any of the characters; either positive or negative. I think I need that to really enjoy a book. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
April 9, 2021
I seem drawn to books set by the sea of late, probably because I can't get to the beach during the lockdown, and so reading about it is my next best option. I also love books that feature characters who find themselves outside of societal norms.
This book is no exception as we follow the story of Natasha. Natasha has the ability to sense future events and premonitions and, after seeing strange blue lights at the Ridge, she decides to speak up about what she believes is coming. The town receives a level of notoriety due to the lights and attracts the media and Dr Black, who has come to investigate further. Natasha finds herself pulled into this world, yet it also isolates her from others who are frightened by her predictions or find it weird. It also puts a wedge in a long-standing friendship she has with Marcus.
Although the plot centres around the lights and a missing teenager, this is also a coming of age story. One in which Natasha has to deal with her feelings for Marcus, her mother falling in love and the impact of this, and it's also about her discovering her voice and coming to understand who she is.
The writing is beautiful yet melancholic. There's so much possibility, yet Natasha's decisions sabotage this and impact her own happiness and others' happiness. I loved how the seaside town and its faded glory are described and the depiction of the house and bohemian lifestyle that Natasha's mother chooses to live. It's not often that I'd like a separate novel about a secondary character in a book, but I'd love to read more of Elizabeth.
This book has really stayed with me, and it left me with lots of questions and what-ifs, and I consider that to be a real positive. It's like I'm not ready to let go of Natasha and what becomes of her just yet.
I also rushed out and bought Rachel Donohue's other book and can't wait to read more of her writing.
This book is no exception as we follow the story of Natasha. Natasha has the ability to sense future events and premonitions and, after seeing strange blue lights at the Ridge, she decides to speak up about what she believes is coming. The town receives a level of notoriety due to the lights and attracts the media and Dr Black, who has come to investigate further. Natasha finds herself pulled into this world, yet it also isolates her from others who are frightened by her predictions or find it weird. It also puts a wedge in a long-standing friendship she has with Marcus.
Although the plot centres around the lights and a missing teenager, this is also a coming of age story. One in which Natasha has to deal with her feelings for Marcus, her mother falling in love and the impact of this, and it's also about her discovering her voice and coming to understand who she is.
The writing is beautiful yet melancholic. There's so much possibility, yet Natasha's decisions sabotage this and impact her own happiness and others' happiness. I loved how the seaside town and its faded glory are described and the depiction of the house and bohemian lifestyle that Natasha's mother chooses to live. It's not often that I'd like a separate novel about a secondary character in a book, but I'd love to read more of Elizabeth.
This book has really stayed with me, and it left me with lots of questions and what-ifs, and I consider that to be a real positive. It's like I'm not ready to let go of Natasha and what becomes of her just yet.
I also rushed out and bought Rachel Donohue's other book and can't wait to read more of her writing.
April 29, 2021
This is a really captivating book which has a haunting, dream-like quality to the writing that I found beautiful to read and perfect for the story being told.
Fifteen year old Natasha lives with her mother in a coastal town where holiday-makers stay for the summer. Natasha has psychic abilities which give her visions and intuitions of people and future events. Over the summer when this book is set, there is the arrival of Mr Bowen, a man who rents a room from her mother and proceeds to start a relationship with her, and the arrival of some mysterious lights above the town which Natasha feels are a dark and supernatural warning. This feeling is realised when a teenager in the town goes missing after becoming entranced by the lights.
The plot of this book is slow and focuses predominantly on the characters and atmosphere of the town in response to the lights and missing teenager. Natasha is an outcast among her peers due to her gift which is feared and ridiculed in equal measure and we see her journey of working out how best to use her abilities and becoming more aware of its impact on others. I loved how this progression was handled and combined with her close relationship with her mother, I found her to be a brilliantly developed character.
The pacing of the book won't be to everyone's taste but I found that the writing really drew me in and the narrative structure continuously builds the sense of mystery as we get hints at things to come throughout. A wonderful escapist read.
Thank you to Readers First and Corvus Books for the copy of this book.
Fifteen year old Natasha lives with her mother in a coastal town where holiday-makers stay for the summer. Natasha has psychic abilities which give her visions and intuitions of people and future events. Over the summer when this book is set, there is the arrival of Mr Bowen, a man who rents a room from her mother and proceeds to start a relationship with her, and the arrival of some mysterious lights above the town which Natasha feels are a dark and supernatural warning. This feeling is realised when a teenager in the town goes missing after becoming entranced by the lights.
The plot of this book is slow and focuses predominantly on the characters and atmosphere of the town in response to the lights and missing teenager. Natasha is an outcast among her peers due to her gift which is feared and ridiculed in equal measure and we see her journey of working out how best to use her abilities and becoming more aware of its impact on others. I loved how this progression was handled and combined with her close relationship with her mother, I found her to be a brilliantly developed character.
The pacing of the book won't be to everyone's taste but I found that the writing really drew me in and the narrative structure continuously builds the sense of mystery as we get hints at things to come throughout. A wonderful escapist read.
Thank you to Readers First and Corvus Books for the copy of this book.
May 11, 2021
‘Foresight is not always a gift’.
My thanks to Atlantic Books/Corvus for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Beauty of Impossible Things’ by Rachel Donohue.
The narrator of this atmospheric coming-of-age story is Natasha Rothwell, who leads a sheltered life with her beautiful, bohemian mother in a crumbling house by the sea. From a young age Natasha has had strange dreams that she believes predict the future.
During the summer that Natasha turns fifteen, strange dancing lights appear in the sky above her small seaside town. She interprets these as portents of doom. In addition, the arrival of Mr. Bowen, a handsome new lodger, threatens the delicate relationship between mother and daughter.
News of the lights quickly spreads attracting both visitors and the media to the town. When one of her friends goes missing, Natasha seeks to locate them using her powers.
I found this quite a melancholic tale that takes place thirty years before Natasha’s present, though we do receive an occasional glimpse of her life in the intervening years.
I found Rachel Donohue’s writing elegant and lyrical as she chronicles Natasha’s transition into womanhood with both the normal insecurities as well as those associated with her unique gift of prescience.
The mystery of the lights coupled with the ever present power of the restless sea resulted in a haunting tale that was a pleasure to read.
I felt that this was a strong second novel and look forward to her future projects.
My thanks to Atlantic Books/Corvus for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Beauty of Impossible Things’ by Rachel Donohue.
The narrator of this atmospheric coming-of-age story is Natasha Rothwell, who leads a sheltered life with her beautiful, bohemian mother in a crumbling house by the sea. From a young age Natasha has had strange dreams that she believes predict the future.
During the summer that Natasha turns fifteen, strange dancing lights appear in the sky above her small seaside town. She interprets these as portents of doom. In addition, the arrival of Mr. Bowen, a handsome new lodger, threatens the delicate relationship between mother and daughter.
News of the lights quickly spreads attracting both visitors and the media to the town. When one of her friends goes missing, Natasha seeks to locate them using her powers.
I found this quite a melancholic tale that takes place thirty years before Natasha’s present, though we do receive an occasional glimpse of her life in the intervening years.
I found Rachel Donohue’s writing elegant and lyrical as she chronicles Natasha’s transition into womanhood with both the normal insecurities as well as those associated with her unique gift of prescience.
The mystery of the lights coupled with the ever present power of the restless sea resulted in a haunting tale that was a pleasure to read.
I felt that this was a strong second novel and look forward to her future projects.
April 25, 2021
The beauty of a good read...
The Beauty of Impossible Things is quite an unusual and haunting tale, which lingered with me long after finishing reading.
Natasha is 15 and sees events before they happen. Her foresight is coupled with a hot summer where strange lights appear in the town where she lives; lights which are also a warning sign of bad things to come.
I was captivated by this story and at times rather unsettled too. As a fan of TV shows such as The X-files, this spooky story was an interesting read which would have been right up Mulder and Scully's street!
Rachel Donohue writes some beautiful prose and her descriptions are as haunting as her tale. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Natasha, as she seems quite lost amidst those around her, and singled out by her differences.
I would highly recommend this if you are after a quick but unusual read, as long as you are not easily spooked!
Thanks to Readers First for providing an ARC.
The Beauty of Impossible Things is quite an unusual and haunting tale, which lingered with me long after finishing reading.
Natasha is 15 and sees events before they happen. Her foresight is coupled with a hot summer where strange lights appear in the town where she lives; lights which are also a warning sign of bad things to come.
I was captivated by this story and at times rather unsettled too. As a fan of TV shows such as The X-files, this spooky story was an interesting read which would have been right up Mulder and Scully's street!
Rachel Donohue writes some beautiful prose and her descriptions are as haunting as her tale. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Natasha, as she seems quite lost amidst those around her, and singled out by her differences.
I would highly recommend this if you are after a quick but unusual read, as long as you are not easily spooked!
Thanks to Readers First for providing an ARC.
March 1, 2021
Not a lot happens in this book.
That's not a criticism because it is so beautifully written. The narrative pulls you through, keeps you reading.
In a small seaside town,a woman and her teenager daughter live in a big house on the hill. The mother is beautiful but ethereal. Her daughter has dreams that sometimes come true and feelings about what is going to happen in the future, both of which her mother encourages her not to talk about. But when she sees blue lights hovering over a hill, she feels compelled to tell people.
The book is told from the perspective of the girl herself, many years later, talking to a therapist.
This book is about relationships and events that happen in a small town. It's an engaging read, and I enjoyed it.
That's not a criticism because it is so beautifully written. The narrative pulls you through, keeps you reading.
In a small seaside town,a woman and her teenager daughter live in a big house on the hill. The mother is beautiful but ethereal. Her daughter has dreams that sometimes come true and feelings about what is going to happen in the future, both of which her mother encourages her not to talk about. But when she sees blue lights hovering over a hill, she feels compelled to tell people.
The book is told from the perspective of the girl herself, many years later, talking to a therapist.
This book is about relationships and events that happen in a small town. It's an engaging read, and I enjoyed it.
November 11, 2023
I'm leaning more to 4 than 3, so I will be that guy with a 3.5 but rounded up! Was a good read with a little bit more mystery with Nats ability.
I loved Nat, strong and lonely all in one, and not really sure where she wanted to be or go. I feel her and Marc would've been a good couple, but i think Marc started to doubt himself and inturn blamed Nat for everything, causing his nonsense near the end. The kiss probably would've fixed it all 🤣💋
Vic can fuck off, I generally give everyone 3 chances if they fuck up and she quickly got on my shitlist 🤣🤬
Would recommend but now I need a romance/smut book to sink my teeth into 😏 after having romance CB in my last few read thanks to miscom 🤦🫠
I loved Nat, strong and lonely all in one, and not really sure where she wanted to be or go. I feel her and Marc would've been a good couple, but i think Marc started to doubt himself and inturn blamed Nat for everything, causing his nonsense near the end. The kiss probably would've fixed it all 🤣💋
Vic can fuck off, I generally give everyone 3 chances if they fuck up and she quickly got on my shitlist 🤣🤬
Would recommend but now I need a romance/smut book to sink my teeth into 😏 after having romance CB in my last few read thanks to miscom 🤦🫠
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2024
The prose style is very nice, but I just don’t think it’s a good story, and the introspection doesn’t make up for it! Maybe I’m just pigheaded and don’t want to believe in the mystic but having that as the surrealism and magic just wasn’t doing it if the story was trying to be fantastic. I want to be sympathetic to teenagers being teenagers (see also: stupid) but the narrator just wasn’t likeable at all.
April 15, 2021
A really interesting read. Great story. Ethereal, with a dreamlike quality . I enjoyed this and would recommend.
January 20, 2022
First buddy read with Emily, really great title to start our monthly reads together. Beautifully written, lyrical and evocative.
April 4, 2022
Natasha, 15, has lived a somewhat bohemian and reclusive life in a small seaside town with her mother. She often has visions of the future, but her mother never allows her to speak of them.
One night, Natasha sees strange blue lights in the sky above The Ridge, which she interprets as impending doom. And then a local teenager goes missing. Perhaps wanting the attention, Natasha throws herself headfirst into the strange happenings.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s been on my want to read list for a long time, so I was thrilled when I got on the tour for it.
I loved the atmosphere the story brought; I could feel the oppressive heat of the summer. There’s a simmering sense of unrest throughout.
I liked that the author would add little snippets about the setting, the noises through a window; for example, it made everything feel whole and real and not two-dimensional.
A beautifully written, character-driven coming-of-age story with a slow-burn plot. I really enjoyed it.
One night, Natasha sees strange blue lights in the sky above The Ridge, which she interprets as impending doom. And then a local teenager goes missing. Perhaps wanting the attention, Natasha throws herself headfirst into the strange happenings.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s been on my want to read list for a long time, so I was thrilled when I got on the tour for it.
I loved the atmosphere the story brought; I could feel the oppressive heat of the summer. There’s a simmering sense of unrest throughout.
I liked that the author would add little snippets about the setting, the noises through a window; for example, it made everything feel whole and real and not two-dimensional.
A beautifully written, character-driven coming-of-age story with a slow-burn plot. I really enjoyed it.
June 7, 2022
It's very well written & I wanted to love it but there was something missing.
June 14, 2022
3.5 stars
I flew through this book but found it very sad..
I flew through this book but found it very sad..
January 14, 2021
This book just wasn't for me. I'm not a fan of 1st person narrative. It was eloquently written, almost lyrical but lacking in something else.
April 21, 2021
With this novel, Rachel Donohue has solidified her status in my mind as a truly exceptional writer. I just love reading her words. The Temple House Vanishing was excellent and The Beauty of Impossible Things is no different.
This story hinges on the beliefs and mysteries of the paranormal in an unnamed, small coastal town in Ireland. The atmosphere of the novel is palpable and the depiction of the narrator, Natasha's, sense of the world, her empathic and supernatural abilities, is hauntingly beautiful.
The intrigues, the obsessions and the heightened stakes of a tight knit community build to a crescendo in a perfectly paced narrative. The foreshadowing throughout the novel really builds the suspense whilst making the reader feel like they don't want to look. I believed Natasha, I didn't want to look, and yet I couldn't look away.
I also particularly enjoyed the depiction of 'academics' that have an interest in the paranormal and unexplained. You can feel how much it means to Natasha that someone validates her experiences, but as the novel progresses she is being used more and more for prestige. The narration works in such a way that you can see the affects of this period in her life have haunted her and it is both interesting and painful to watch.
This story hinges on the beliefs and mysteries of the paranormal in an unnamed, small coastal town in Ireland. The atmosphere of the novel is palpable and the depiction of the narrator, Natasha's, sense of the world, her empathic and supernatural abilities, is hauntingly beautiful.
The intrigues, the obsessions and the heightened stakes of a tight knit community build to a crescendo in a perfectly paced narrative. The foreshadowing throughout the novel really builds the suspense whilst making the reader feel like they don't want to look. I believed Natasha, I didn't want to look, and yet I couldn't look away.
I also particularly enjoyed the depiction of 'academics' that have an interest in the paranormal and unexplained. You can feel how much it means to Natasha that someone validates her experiences, but as the novel progresses she is being used more and more for prestige. The narration works in such a way that you can see the affects of this period in her life have haunted her and it is both interesting and painful to watch.
May 7, 2021
This is a beautiful novel written from the view point of fifteen year old Natasha, who is looking back thirty years to the summer when she was fifteen years old. It explores whether her foresight is a gift or a curse but is also a coming of age story for Natasha, as we see her navigate her relationship with childhood friend Marcus, and also the way she views her mother’s relationship with their new lodger.
It is a slow burn, suspenseful and character driven story with many fascinating characters. I was particularly interested in Natasha’s mother who is artistic and bohemian and although she has the whole town captivated by her beauty, she remains distant and mysterious.
There’s such a distinctive quality to Rachel Donohue’s writing. It’s lyrical, evocative and atmospheric, you can really feel the stifling heat and angst.
The story was full of suspense and with a creepy undertone I was really intrigued to see how it would all end. It was a pleasure to read!
It is a slow burn, suspenseful and character driven story with many fascinating characters. I was particularly interested in Natasha’s mother who is artistic and bohemian and although she has the whole town captivated by her beauty, she remains distant and mysterious.
There’s such a distinctive quality to Rachel Donohue’s writing. It’s lyrical, evocative and atmospheric, you can really feel the stifling heat and angst.
The story was full of suspense and with a creepy undertone I was really intrigued to see how it would all end. It was a pleasure to read!
April 12, 2022
Today is my stop on the blog tour for 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 by Rachel Donohue. Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Corvus books for having me along, and for sending me a copy of this beautiful and atmospheric book.
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𝗜 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 - 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝗴é𝗻𝘂𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵.
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The Beauty of Impossible Things is one of the most beautiful and cinematic novels I've read. Donohue is a fantastic writer.
The story itself is part Sci-Fi, part literary fiction, and part coming-of-age, and it follows Natasha who is reliving a summer of her youth and relaying the story to her therapist.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 - 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿.
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During that fateful summer of her youth, Natasha sees strange, floating blue lights above the Ridge near the sea.
Natasha believes she has a special gift, 'precognition'; that she knows what will happen to people, and what has happened to people before she met them. So when she believes she knows what these lights mean - death, and the end of things - some people listen and believe her, while others scoff at and deride her.
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'𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆,' 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱.
'𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻,' 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆.
𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴.
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Family and belonging are important themes woven through Donohue's story, with Natasha and her two childhood friends (Marcus and Lewis) having lost their fathers, and feeling somewhat unseen by their mothers.
As they live in a seaside town, they are visited by holiday makers and other teens, as is the case every summer, but this year feels markedly different for Natasha.
Having grown up with Marcus it is clear that Natasha feels some sort of ownership over him, but he is not hers to claim. I felt she loved the idea of him more than the boy himself, and with new, fleeting friends for the summer they all get to try out new personas of who they want to be.
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𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅, 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵. 𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.
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Natasha's stability also feels threatened that summer by the introduction of Mr Bowen into her familial home. Although her mother, Elizabeth, regularly lets out rooms for the season in their grand though aging and sun-bleached house, this time feels different. There is energy pulsating through the earth, and a charged current in the air, that seems to permeate everything.
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𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻. 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 - 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
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Natasha grew up in the shadow of her mother's beauty, and never felt fully 'seen', or at least not truly acknowledged, by her mother.
It is clear at times that she wants to inflict some emotional pain on her mother, in response to the pain she herself feels, and in this way the story felt very realistic in its portrayal of teen angst.
The waters are somewhat muddied for the reader in trying to understand whether Natasha does have any real 'powers' or special abilities, or whether it is all a coincidence, at a time in a young girl's life when she desires to stand out from the crowd.
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𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁. 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻. 𝗛𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁. 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝘆.
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Compounding the sense of strangeness and unrealiability is the visiting character of Dr Black.
The town is divided into those who have witnessed the lights, and those who haven't; into those who believe in Natasha, and those who don't.
Dr Black's influence does encourage Natasha, and Elizabeth, to buy into her 'gift', but at such an impressionable age where she wants to feel special and unique, and trusts in authority figures without too much question, can Dr Black really be viewed as a genuine authority at all?
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'𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀...' 𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱 ... 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲.
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Elizabeth is an interesting character, and the mother-daughter relationship between her and Natasha is expertly and beautifully portrayed by Donohue.
As with all young girls, and really all adult children, Natasha equally judges and criticises her mother, yet wants to be loved and accepted by her.
As an older woman recounting this tale of her youth, Natasha is a somewhat unreliable narrator - after all, it's unlikely that at 15 she had many witty respostes about her life with her mother, and as Natasha tells us, her therapist believes she should try to see people as they are, rather than as who she wanted them to be.
Natasha perhaps needs to take her own advice when she reflects on truth and ignorance, and whether it is easier to stay rooted to a place that exists only in memory.
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𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁.
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(Cont'd in comments)
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𝗜 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 - 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝗴é𝗻𝘂𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵.
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The Beauty of Impossible Things is one of the most beautiful and cinematic novels I've read. Donohue is a fantastic writer.
The story itself is part Sci-Fi, part literary fiction, and part coming-of-age, and it follows Natasha who is reliving a summer of her youth and relaying the story to her therapist.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 - 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿.
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During that fateful summer of her youth, Natasha sees strange, floating blue lights above the Ridge near the sea.
Natasha believes she has a special gift, 'precognition'; that she knows what will happen to people, and what has happened to people before she met them. So when she believes she knows what these lights mean - death, and the end of things - some people listen and believe her, while others scoff at and deride her.
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'𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆,' 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱.
'𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻,' 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆.
𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴.
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Family and belonging are important themes woven through Donohue's story, with Natasha and her two childhood friends (Marcus and Lewis) having lost their fathers, and feeling somewhat unseen by their mothers.
As they live in a seaside town, they are visited by holiday makers and other teens, as is the case every summer, but this year feels markedly different for Natasha.
Having grown up with Marcus it is clear that Natasha feels some sort of ownership over him, but he is not hers to claim. I felt she loved the idea of him more than the boy himself, and with new, fleeting friends for the summer they all get to try out new personas of who they want to be.
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𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅, 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵. 𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.
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Natasha's stability also feels threatened that summer by the introduction of Mr Bowen into her familial home. Although her mother, Elizabeth, regularly lets out rooms for the season in their grand though aging and sun-bleached house, this time feels different. There is energy pulsating through the earth, and a charged current in the air, that seems to permeate everything.
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𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻. 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 - 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
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Natasha grew up in the shadow of her mother's beauty, and never felt fully 'seen', or at least not truly acknowledged, by her mother.
It is clear at times that she wants to inflict some emotional pain on her mother, in response to the pain she herself feels, and in this way the story felt very realistic in its portrayal of teen angst.
The waters are somewhat muddied for the reader in trying to understand whether Natasha does have any real 'powers' or special abilities, or whether it is all a coincidence, at a time in a young girl's life when she desires to stand out from the crowd.
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𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁. 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻. 𝗛𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁. 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝘆.
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Compounding the sense of strangeness and unrealiability is the visiting character of Dr Black.
The town is divided into those who have witnessed the lights, and those who haven't; into those who believe in Natasha, and those who don't.
Dr Black's influence does encourage Natasha, and Elizabeth, to buy into her 'gift', but at such an impressionable age where she wants to feel special and unique, and trusts in authority figures without too much question, can Dr Black really be viewed as a genuine authority at all?
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'𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀...' 𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱 ... 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲.
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Elizabeth is an interesting character, and the mother-daughter relationship between her and Natasha is expertly and beautifully portrayed by Donohue.
As with all young girls, and really all adult children, Natasha equally judges and criticises her mother, yet wants to be loved and accepted by her.
As an older woman recounting this tale of her youth, Natasha is a somewhat unreliable narrator - after all, it's unlikely that at 15 she had many witty respostes about her life with her mother, and as Natasha tells us, her therapist believes she should try to see people as they are, rather than as who she wanted them to be.
Natasha perhaps needs to take her own advice when she reflects on truth and ignorance, and whether it is easier to stay rooted to a place that exists only in memory.
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𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁.
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(Cont'd in comments)
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