Book Review: Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Things that might make me partial to Impossible by Nancy Werlin:

1. Nancy Werlin herself took time to comment on my last post even though she is clearly a busy writer, with an average of one published book every two years for the last 14 years and a few really nice honors to boot.

2. According to the acknowledgment section at the end of the book, Ms. Werlin wrote most of it while sitting in Panera. Not only does this sound incredibly fun and relaxing, but also delicious? After spending 12 carb-free days, the idea that this book was composed near a warm hunk of bread slathered in butter with a creamy soup on the side made my mouth water.

3. Robert got this book for me for Christmas and if you know Robert, you know he does his research. The thought of the time and effort he spent to get me Impossible for Christmas made me love it even before I started it.

Things that made Impossible by Nancy Werlin great:

1. I love great characters and this book is full of them. There is compassion and love and devotion. Then there is evil. The bad guy. The "impossible" to defeat threat who seems to be in total control. I like a bad guy that makes me worry a little, and the Elfen Knight really stressed me out.

2. There are some tense moments in Impossible that could have been written in a more graphic way but were not. Lack of description in these instances does not result in a murky story. In fact, Werlin is able to make it perfectly clear what is happening, creating all the right emotions, without having, how should I say it...TMI. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Lucy, the main character, is having a heart to heart with her best friend. There is a sweet moment, again, not overburdened with all the details, where her friend offers some much needed advice at an important time. Sometimes it's nice to not have everything spelled out...to leave room for imagination.

3. Impossible's surprise message, for me, was that no matter how strong and capable you are, sometimes you need the help of friends and family to overcome your challenges. I don't want to give away too much of the story, which I do recommend you read, but the evil Elfen Knight's biggest strategy in keeping Lucy's ancestors from completing their "impossible" tasks and breaking the curse was to isolate them. They were isolated in birth and in life. They were isolated socially and mentally and even sometimes physically.

After reading a lot of "girl power" books, where girls can do anything and everything with out any help (and I don't mind that kind of book at all) Impossible was a refreshing change.

4. The story is completely engaging. I read the book straight through on Saturday. I couldn't wait to find out how everything ended. And the ending is perfect.