Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

Review by Lauren

Source: copy from BEA, all opinions are my own

Official Summary: 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.

Review: Fans of the Impossible Life is actually a bit difficult to review. It follows all three perspectives of Jeremy, Mira, and Sebby but in different ways. Jeremy is told in first-person, Mira is third-person, and Sebby is second-person ("You do..." "You say..."). Sebby's is probably the hardest to get used too, but at the same time, his point of view isn't used as much as Jeremy and Mira. Personally, I liked Jeremy the best because first-person allows you to really get into the mind of the character and you feel like you know them better.

As for the actual story, this is a book about growing up in all sorts of different ways. These three characters have gone through a lot in the past year (with Sebby and Mira even meeting in the psychiatric wing of the hospital) so it's no surprise that they start to form a unique bond with one another. It's not always healthy, but it seems to work for them at the time.

I liked the various parent relationships in the book. Jeremy has two dads who really love him and are trying to do what's best for him. Mira has a mom and dad who are more confused on how to deal with her, so they aren't always saying or reacting in the best way. And Sebby lives in a foster home so he feels mostly alone, unless he's with his friends. Sebby, in a lot of ways, is a ticking time bomb. Throughout the book he starts to change and pull away from Jeremy and Mira. It's heartbreaking to read about these characters who deserve so much more than what the world throws at them.

This book is about growing up. It's also about the power of friendship and family. It's about learning to take care of yourself and not just someone else. It's about forming bonds, and loosening others. It's difficult to explain, but it's very well written. I would recommend.