I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood on August 11th 2015
Pages: 304
Goodreads
1. Kiss Estelle.
2. Get a job.
3. Cheer my mother up.
4. Try not to be a complete nerd/loser.
5. Talk to my father when he calls.
6. Figure out how to be good.Nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a whole heap of problems, including a reversal of family fortune, moving, new-school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and a massive crush on Estelle, the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things....
In this charming story of one guy's efforts to get it together when his life is falling apart, award-winning author Fiona Wood introduces an irresistible voice and a delightfully awkward character who is impossible to forget.
My Thoughts:
This book is a companion to Wildlife, which I finally read earlier this year. It takes place before Wildlife, but was published after in the US. Even though I read them out of order, I really enjoyed them both. I do wish I had read this one first. Some events of Wildlife are a bit spoilery for Six Impossible Things. Also, I would have appreciated some of the cross-over characters more. But I digress! The books are amazing, no matter which order you read them in!
In Six Impossible Things we meet Dan. His life has basically just fallen apart and he has to start at a new school. Insult to injury much? Poor guy. Still, it makes for a really interesting story! Throughout the book we see Dan adjusting to these changes and doing the best he can to get on with life. He makes a lot of mistakes but I loved seeing the ways he continues to try and be his best self.
Dan is a bit of a list maker… hence the list in the summary (which is also where we get the title!) I loved this about him. I also really loved the way the author worked the different lists into the book. Plus, the chapters are fairly short. This totally works with this story. I loved it.
The thing that really sticks out is how authentic Dan’s character is. He is a fourteen year old boy. He’s awkward and a bit geeky. He’s told to be himself but doesn’t know who his “self” is. Wood really hit his voice perfectly.
Six Impossible Things is a bit funny, a bit heartbreaking, and absolutely delightful.
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