Extraordinary (Impossible, #2)

by Nancy Werlin

Phoebe, a member of the wealthy Rothschilds family, befriends Mallory, an awkward new girl in school, and the two become as close as sisters, but Phoebe does not know that Mallory is a faerie, sent to the human world to trap the ordinary human girl into fulfilling a promise made by her ancestor Mayer to the queen of the faeries.

• ISBN10: 0142419745
• ISBN13: 9780142419748
• Publish Date: 6 September 2011 (first published 7 September 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Speak
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

I'm not exactly sure how to explain Extraordinary without giving anything away. Things slowly unfold in this story, but I'll do my best. Mallory and Phoebe meet when they're 12. Mallory is an odd girl, and her classmates avoid her and laugh behind her back. Phoebe decides that she doesn't need friends like that, and approaches the strange girl wearing a fairy costume, starting a strong friendship. Four years later, things start changing. The girls are still best friends, but Mallory's brother enters the picture to ruin everything. It turns out that they're fae and need Phoebe for something, but first they must get her ready.

Extraordinary was so weird in the beginning. We learn right away that Mallory is fae and was sent by their queen to befriend Phoebe, but we don't know why. It quickly becomes clear that something isn't right with their land, and Phoebe is the one who can fix it. Again, we don't know why or how, just that she is the one. Phoebe comes from a rich family, but she feels like a regular girl, and maybe a bit of an outcast actually, so how is she suppose to save an entire race? Well, that all comes out much later. I really loved the beginning, getting to know Mallory in all her weirdness. Then things start to drag in the middle as we learn more about her mission, and ultimately her brother takes that over. It's a very weird story, and I enjoyed it for the most part, even when it got slow.

The ending of Extraordinary was a bit silly to me though. I figured there would be some twist, since we probably all know that the fae are tricky. They can manipulate like nobody's business, so there had to be something more to what was going on. Well, there was, and it came out, and I laughed a bit. The fae queen has this little speech that was so cheesy and after school special, and it just felt out of place. I mean, the twist and her revelation does make sense in what was happening, but the way she said it was kind of ridiculous.

In the end, I did really enjoy Extraordinary. It's all about an ordinary girl who ends up doing something extraordinary (of course). I also just really love stories about the fae, and I loved how they were represented here. They weren't completely horrible, but they are mean and manipulative, but not without some redemption. I just wish the middle portion had been a bit more condensed, and the ending had been stronger.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[e_rodz_leb]

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is beautiful and the plot was not bad, although is was a little predictable. The way the fairies played with Phoebe mind was bad and the characters was not very likeable, including Phoebe herself. The story felt repetitive and Phoebe came across and a weak and needy person, until almost the end, when she gained confidence in herself almost like a miracle.

[lizarodz]

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is beautiful and the plot was not bad, although is was a little predictable. The way the fairies played with Phoebe mind was bad and the characters was not very likeable, including Phoebe herself. The story felt repetitive and Phoebe came across and a weak and needy person, until almost the end, when she gained confidence in herself almost like a miracle.

[ladygrey]

I don't know what to say about Extraordinary.

I liked it, generally. The characters are all well developed, the plot moves along quite nicely. It's much more in fairie than [b:Impossible|3188580|Impossible|Nancy Werlin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267844831s/3188580.jpg|3221515]. Even when it's in the real world you get a sense of fairy influence and manipulation.

Like all good fairy stories there are turns that make good people seem bad and bad people seem good, with one exception. But I think I never really loved the main character, Phoebe. Even when she was 18 she felt immature and petulant and maybe that's how some 18-year-olds are but, true or not, it kept me from rooting for her. and I didn't love her romantic interest - either of them. So, the only person I really connected with were her best friend, Mallory, and her mother a little. which is not to say I didn't like the other characters or get into the story. This just isn't an emotional or especially romantic book.

I guess I think this is a good book; a fun, light, easy read and a very decent fairy story. but not especially engaging or wonderful. maybe a great summer, beach read.