Impossible

Nancy Werlin. 2008. New York: Penguin Group. 384 pages. ISBN 978-0-8037-3002-1

Plot Summary: Lucy Scarborough has been raped on her prom night and is now pregnant. But that isn’t really the problem. She finds out from her mother’s diary that there is a curse on the women of her family: she has only until her child’s birth to break the curse, or doom herself to insanity. The curse is found in the lyrics to the folksong, “Scarborough Fair” and outlines three tasks that must be completed to break the curse. How can Nancy achieve these impossible tasks when her ancestors have all failed? Lucy struggles with the help of her foster parents and her boyfriend to fufill the tasks that break the curse.

Critical evaluation: I personally did not like this book and thought the plot was contrived. However, it received very good reviews and is popular among teens. Real world situations (teen pregnancy, date rape, family mental illness) are combined with fantasy, suspense and romance. Although a positive outcome seems assured to the reader, how it comes about will keep the reader on the edge of her seat.

Reader’s Annotation: Will Lucy be cursed to madness as has mothers and forbearers have been?


About the author: Nancy Werlin is the author of eight novels for young adults. She has been nominated for the National Book Award and the Edgar award, and has also won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult novel. Werlin was born in Salem, Massachusetts and received her B.A. from Yale University. She has worked as a technical writer for software firms before beginning her career as an author. She states that, "I actually think of myself more as writing about teenagers than for them. Teens and adults are on similar reading levels and the only difference between most books for teens and most books for adults is that the protagonists in a teen novel are themselves teenagers. Perhaps I'm so intrigued with this time of life because it was such an uncomfortable one for me. My characters all tend to be uneasy in their teenager skins, just as I was." (http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1700/Werlin-Nancy-1961.html). Visit her website at http://www.nancywerlin.com/

Genre: fantasy

Curriculum ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: Can a magical spell still be true in today's world?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12 and above.

Challenge Issues: N/A

Why chosen: This book received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist. It was also a favorite with my 15 year-old daughter.