The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman

The Impossibility of Us

by Katy Upperman

The last thing Elise wants is to start over in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move to a sleepy coastal village to be closer to Elise’s sister-in-law and niece.

When Elise meets Mati during a beachside walk, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town, too. 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?

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Buckets, people, I cried buckets of tears reading this one. It was emotional on so many levels. Upperman incorporated ideas of forgiveness, friendship, grief, loss, tolerance, and prejudice into a touching story of first love.

• Pro: What a beautiful and emotional story. My heart was wrecked in a bunch different ways, but also filled with so much joy.

• Pro: I must say, I was a fan of the book format. It was alternating POVs between Elise and Mati, but Mati's chapters were in verse, and they were really gorgeous.

• Pro: Mati shared so many wonderful things about his family, his religion, and who he was, and it all made me love him that much more.

• Pro: Mati's Baba was so fabulous, and I found myself hoping his treatments would work, because the world needed a leader like him out there.

• Con: I was a little disappointed, that in a book where there was this negativity associated with making generalizations, that the author did just that.

• Pro: The relationship between Elise and her niece was so heartwarming, and I got teary-eyed every time she shared those "daddy" stories. My heart --> 💔

• Pro: I was really impressed by the ending. There were parts I was overjoyed about, and others that I accepted, because it seemed, sadly, realistic.

Overall: A beautiful and touching story, which reminds us that love can transcend all barriers.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 July, 2018: Finished reading
  • 9 July, 2018: Reviewed