Last year, FCHS was given a plethora of books by some students and parents. Among those books was an undiscovered gem, waiting to enthrall its readers with its fascinating plot: Fans of the Impossible Life. Written by aspiring author Kate Scelsa, it is the realistic tale of three teenagers and the strenuous problems that they face in their sophomore year of high school.

Each chapter of the book switches perspectives between three main characters. Mira, the main female protagonist, is re-entering school after being away for awhile. Sebby, her homosexual best friend and sidekick, remains loyally by her side and pushes for her to befriend the third main character, Jeremy, a boy who has been outcasted by his peers.

In addition to switching characters, Scelsa also chooses to switch the point of view for each chapter, a style that I have never seen an author use. However, Scelsa manages to pull it off wonderfully. By continually changing the points of view, she allows her readers to see each character in a different way. For example, Sebby’s chapters are all told in 2nd person, which is used to make the reader feel like they are entirely in Sebby’s shoes. In contrast, Mira’s chapters are told from 3rd person point of view, which, in my opinion, creates a barrier between Mira and the reader, not letting us connect with her as much as we can with Sebby and Jeremy, who tell their tales in 1st person.

Despite the distance Mira’s point of view creates between us, she and the two boys are still very compelling characters, as they are very flawed individuals, a fact which gives them lifelike qualities. Each of the characters is given an obstacle to overcome in the book, including Mira’s attempt to recover from her depression, Jeremy’s quest to overcome his anxiety, and Sebby’s need to be accepted by his friends and foster family. Scelsa’s use of the problems that modern-day teenagers face such as depression, the stress of school, and being alienated or unaccepted, makes the book exceptionally relatable. However, unlike many books which broach the same topics, Scelsa doesn’t romanticize them and is very realistic in the way that she treats them.

This book isn’t completely flawless. While I found it outstanding overall,  it seemed like Scelsa left a few things open-ended. First, while Mira starts out the book with chronic fatigue, it seems that halfway through the book this serious problem has disappeared without any explanation. Also, the ending, which I won’t spoil, was fairly open-ended, although that could be an opening for Scelsa to make a sequel that could tie up all loose ends. Still, the ending felt kind of rushed and thrown together, a fact which I must acknowledge, while admitting that I still bawled like a baby when I read it.

Overall, Fans of the Impossible Life is a must-read book. Scelsa is able to truly show the authentic feelings of many teenagers, and create a romance that is unexpected and captivating. Each chapter had me hanging off the edge of my seat and reading into the dead of the night.