Six Impossible Things

Title: Six Impossible Things
Author: Fiona Wood
Genre: Contemporary, Family, Australian
Published: 2010
Rating: 4 out of 5

Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door.

His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

From Pan Macmillian

I've heard many good things about this YA debut, and although I really enjoyed Six Impossible Things, I did not love it. I think this was mainly due to the fact that I was feeling pretty old compared to Dan, who is fourteen. However, the humour was pretty good, especially the parts with the dog Howard, which I suppose is dry/sarcastic humour. I found Dan's caring nature towards his mother very honest and touching, especially since I don't get to see many male protagonists in YA. Also, it was pretty interesting to get into the mind of a fourteen year old, and what he things of girls, family life, school and his mother.

I felt that the relationship between Dan and his gay father was a unique approach, especially with Dan not opening his father's present (i.e. Dan wasn't really ready to discuss his true emotions, fears and questions regarding his father).

Reading this novel actually has me thinking about YA which is aimed at an older audience versus a younger (lets say the ages 12 to 15) audience. For example, my sister, who is Dan's age, loved the book, but I on the other hand felt that there was a bit too much idealism. Despite that (maybe I'm too cynical, ha!), I'd like a sequel and kind of see how Dan grows up. He's a unique boy with a very relateable voice.