Title: The Impossibility of Us
Author: Katy Upperman
Pages: 320
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Published: July 31, 2018
Summary:
The last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.
When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family. Over the course of the summer, their relationship begins to blossom, and what starts out as a friendship becomes so much more.
But as Elise and Mati grow closer, her family becomes more and more uncomfortable with their relationship, and their concerns all center on one fact—Mati is Afghan.
Continue reading to see my review of The Impossibility of Us
Review:
When I started reading The Impossibility of Us, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, as it turned out to be a lot less “fluff” than I was expecting, and actually touched on some more serious topics.
The Impossibility of Us touches on so many topics, like loss, grief, racism, prejudice, love, tolerance and acceptance, but it’s done in such a way that it never feels preachy or like I was being told how to feel about something.
One of the things that I disliked about the book was the insta-love between Elise and Mati, especially after they had such an uncomfortable and rocky first couple of meetings with one another. It felt as though the relationship between them was being forced upon the reader for the sake of moving the story along, and not because the characters were driving the plot that way.
This book made me feel so many emotions. Elise and Mati’s story is so heartbreaking, but I love the strength that they both find in one another, despite all of the hardships that they face. It takes so much courage to stay together despite both of their families taking issue with their relationship.
I give The Impossibility of Us 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed reading it, and it was a quick book to get through.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*