Book Review: The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman

 

Name: The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman
Date Published: July 31, 2018
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads Rating: 4.53/5 Stars
How I acquired it: I received an ARC from the author via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion below.

Goodreads 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.

Beautifully written, utterly compelling, and ultimately hopeful, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US asks—how brave can you be when your relationship is questioned by everyone you love?

Writing: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★★★★
Reading Level: ★★★★★
Ending: ★★★★★

My Overall Rating: ★★★★★

My Review:

Katy Upperman has taken a very heated topic of racism and instead of throwing it in your face and forcing you to think one way or another, she’s put it all into perspective. Elise is an American and lives in California. Her brother died in Afghanistan and her mother and sister-in-law have decided to move away so they can try and find a way to move on. Mati’s family is from Afghanistan and has moved to the US for the summer for Mati’s father to undergo medical treatment. Elise and Mati start to build a relationship and when Elise finds out where he’s from she runs away. It’s a story of learning not to judge people on where they come from or who their family is/believes. And finding a way to follow your heart despite what everyone around you is saying.

I LOVE Elise and Mati’s relationship! It starts out as the typical summer romance and it feels so carefree and easy, until Elise learns of Mati’s heritage. Then things become rocky but Elise learns to accept Mati and knows he isn’t the reason for her brother’s death. They continue to grow closer and then Elise’s family learns who/what he is and is completely against them being together. If that wasn’t hard enough on their relationship, Elise learns Mati is hiding something and the damage it can cause might mean the end of their relationship. I don’t want to spoil anything so you’ll have to read it yourself to find out if they survive.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s one I will definitely reread and I never reread books. With a very heated topic Upperman was able to make it an easy read and I consider it a feel good book even with the conflicts Elise and Mati face. With racism and discrimination still prevalent in our world it would be easy for this book to come off preachy or in your face but Upperman is able to make the reader step back and think about what happens every day.

While I consider this a very happy ending and I loved how it turned out, Upperman didn’t just tie everything up and make it all rainbows and sunshine. Elise and Mati face extreme difficulties respectfully and they have to decide if their happiness is more important than their families beliefs. It’s not an easy decision for anyone and no matter what someone is left hurting. So, what do they decide? You’ll have to read it and find out!

Buy it here!

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About the Author

Katy Upperman is a graduate of Washington State University, a former elementary school teacher, and an insatiable reader. When not writing for young adults, Katy can be found whipping up batches of chocolate chip cookies or exploring the country with her husband and daughter. KISSING MAX HOLDEN is her debut novel; her sophomore novel, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US, will be available summer, 2018.

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