Several things happened to Dan at once. First, his mother inherited the use of a house. Second, his dad’s business went under (they went broke). Third, his dad came out as gay and left Dan and his mom to fend for themselves. Now Dan is living across the city and going to public school. He and his mom are readjusting to a life with less money but are having a hard time with it. His mom has started a wedding cake business, but keeps convincing her clients not to get married. The only bright spot in Dan’s life is the girl next door, Estelle.
Oh, how my heart ached for Dan and his mom! It was so hard for me to read about the difficulties that they were having getting back onto their feet. First the business is failing and then Dan is getting mildly bullied in school. That’s an issue that I have a really hard time reading about: bullying. I was never bullied in school myself, but it’s astounding to me how cruel some kids can be. I just have so much sympathy for people (and characters) who have to go through that. Life gets better everyone! High school doesn’t last forever and when you get out into the world, there will be people out there who will be nice to you. You just have to ignore the idiots and not lose hope.
Anyway…I got a little sidetracked. I’ll just step down from my soapbox now. Overall, Dan was a pretty likable guy even if I didn’t agree with all of the decisions he made. I will admit, there were times when I found myself not liking him, but I always felt sympathy for him (not pity, just sympathy). He felt a little older to me than he was written to be (he’s supposed to be 14/15) and that goes with the other characters as well. I absolutely loved both Fred and Lou–I thought they were really likable characters as well and just great friends for Dan. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Estelle at first. She seemed nice enough, but maybe a little self-absorbed (though I guess most high school girls are). I also really liked the people from the neighborhood. Oliver was great as well as Mrs. Da Silva. Actually, I take that back. Mrs. Da Silva was AWESOME.
The plot was not the focus of the book. Instead, we were focused on the characters and the growth that occurs–especially for Dan and his mom. That being said, I liked the plot. There was enough conflict without it feeling too hopeless. The relationships that the plot was able to help develop felt real. The tension between Dan and his father especially was really convincing.
Overall, I liked this book quite a bit! I haven’t read anything else by this author, but I’m definitely going to look her up. This book is a cute, light contemporary romance from a boy’s point of view (which you don’t get often). Six Impossible Things comes out August 11, so make sure to pre-order yourself a copy!
Overall Rating: 4
Language: Moderate (some brief, strong language).
Violence: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Note: I received this book free from The NOVL in exchange for an honest review.
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