enjoyed. relationship between adopted girl and her birth mother. ( )

Reviewed by Safia Abdul for TeensReadToo.com

Sixteen-year-old Simone has always known she was adopted but has never questioned it. She's aware of her dark features in her family of blond hair and fair skin. Her "parents" have talked to her about her birth mother, a woman named Rivka, but Simone has never wanted to learn more simply because she's happy with the family she has.

Then, one day, Rivka calls and wants to get in contact with Simone. With her parents urging her along, Simone is going to face her past--her real mother, her real family, and her true cultural background.

This book was a real treat to read. I enjoyed the different scenes and elements it contained: Simone meeting Rivka and learning the story of her adoption; Simone speaking up for her beliefs (she's an atheist who supports abortion); and Simone dealing with her high school crush.

All in all, this is a book definitely worth reading. ( )

Simone has always known that she was adopted, but she was never interested in meeting her birthmother. Suddenly, when Simone is 16, her parents start pressuring her to contact her birthmother, Rivka. Simone resists at first, but eventually calls Rivka. As they get to know each other, Simone deals with important questions about love, family, friendship, and religion. Satisfying coming-of-age story. ( )

I liked this story and found it entertaining, but also found some parts of it unrealistic. For instance, Simone says at one point that she is mad at her birthmom - but then she just moves on and never "goes" there again. Although I appreciated the positive take on life that Simone has. As an adoptive mother, I found myself wondering how my children will respond/react as they get older and start thinking about their birth family in more mature ways. ( )

Richie's Picks: A BRIEF CHAPTER IN MY IMPOSSIBLE LIFE by Dana Reinhardt, Random House/Wendy Lamb, February 2006, ISBN: 0-385-74698-9; LIB. ISBN: 0-385-90940-3

"So my free period found me in the gym leafing through pamphlets and scarfing down bite-sized Charleston Chews looking for some clubs to join because Mr. McAdams told me that if I don't 'diversify my resume' I won't get into a good college. The obvious choice for me would be to join the math club, but I don't even need to go into the reasons this will never happen, do I? I wandered around for almost forty-five minutes and was no closer to joining a club than I was when I arrived, although I did consume a staggering amount of bite-sized candy. It's not like I don't have interests. I like to write. I read a lot. I know almost everything there is to know about movies. I make my own T-shirts. I've always been fascinated by penguins, yet there doesn't seem to be a penguin club offering free Tootsie Pops. I guess there just isn't anything that defines me enough that I feel the need to make it official. It's like getting a tattoo. They're cool and I'd love to get one,once I come to terms with the fact that my parents would throw me out of the house, but I just can't come up with a symbol or a word or an image that says enough about who I am that I can live with it forever."

I don't know about anybody else, but when I'm trying to read a couple of hundred books a year I have to accept that there isn't time to be sucked into viewing weekly installments of various current television shows. So I don't really pay attention to what's on, and haven't the faintest idea as to what is worth watching these days. But a decade ago I was totally hooked on the program that I expect remains the best and smartest show for adolescents to ever have graced the small screen.

In fact, a couple of years back Shari and I had big plans to utilize the script from an episode of that exceptional but short-lived show, My So-Called Life, as a vehicle for Shari's Drama III students. (At least that was our plan until the District's [thankfully] former Superintendent apparently decided that a middle school presentation with the theme of "Questioning Authority" and a plot involving active and passionate student opposition to administration censorship struck too close to his right-wing sensibilities and so we received a directive that work on the play cease immediately.)

One aspect of My So-Called Life that I consistently enjoyed was the Angela Chase internal monologues that were always insightful, entertaining, and spot on credible in terms of portraying the thoughts of a teenager. I was frequently reminded of that feeling in reading A BRIEF CHAPTER IN MY IMPOSSIBLE LIFE, one of the smartest contemporary YAs I've encountered in a while.

"It was Halloween last night. Halloween is my favorite holiday of all time. It always has been, and not just because I'm a big fan of candy, especially in bite-size form. I think Halloween brings out the very best in humanity. We open our homes and give without expecting anything in return. It's really pretty amazing when you think about it. What other night do you talk to your neighbors and your neighbors' neighbors and other people's neighbors who just drove to your neighborhood because it seemed like a nice plae to knock in the doors of complete strangers? What other night do you not mind when your doorbell rings in the middle of dinner again and again and again? On most holidays we turn inward. We gather in our homes, we light fires, we spend time with our loved ones. But Halloween sends us out into the streets, into the cold, with people we don't know, running from stranger's house to stranger's house. And in wacky costumes!"

She might not have the cleavage or the boy-related experiences of her lifelong friend Cleo, but high school student Simone Turner-Bloom is a bright young woman who has the love of the parents and younger brother who all look so different than she.

"It's not like I haven't spent hours or days or weeks or even years thinking about the fact that I'm adopted. My parents never try to hide it from me. Early on I understood that my straight dark hair, olive skin, lanky build, and left-handedness--all the things that make me different from my family, good and bad--come from my own mysterious genetic pool. A pool seems too small when you think about it. It really must be more like a sea or an ocean with an endless horizon. All that past--all the events that happened or didn't happen, all the weddings, births, deaths, secrets, triumphs, fighting and then making up or maybe not making up and then moving as far away as possible to get a new start--make us who we are. But I don't know any of these stories from my own oceanic past. I know only that all those events somehow dropped a baby at the feet of an idealistic young couple named Elsie Turner and Vince Bloom on an unseasonably snowy April day. And there I began my life as Simone Turner-Bloom.
"I've thought about this a lot, as you can see, but you might be surprised to know that I've never wanted to learn anything about my real family tree. In my mind I've cut down those branches and left a bare, solitary trunk. I know no details. Except for one, Her name: Rivka."

But now Rivka has requested that Simone get in touch with her.

The brilliant and beautiful A BRIEF CHAPTER IN MY IMPOSSIBLE LIFE explores the circumstances by which Simone came to be adopted and reveals the effects on all those involved when the young woman gets in contact with and begins to know the birth mother who suddenly falls into her life after all these years. It is through that new knowledge of her previously-unknown oceanic past that Simone is forever transformed.

" 'I love Almond Joys,' I say. And there we have it. The first notable difference between us. 'I could take or leave the Peppermint Patties.' "

A sweet debut for newbie LA author Dana Reinhardt, A BRIEF CHAPTER IN MY IMPOSSIBLE LIFE will be an early highlight of the spring YA season.

Richie Partington
http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com ( )

everything you'd hope teen fiction would NOT be

3.09

Merideth says: A teenage girl learns more about the circumstances of her adoption, when her birth mother contacts her for the first time.

Simone has a comfortable, upper-middle class liberal life. Mom is an ACLU lawyer, Dad is a political cartoonist. She has always known she is adopted, but has never wished to find her birth parents or questioned the love of her family. However, when Rivka, Simone's birth mother, initiates a contact, it sends Simone into a tailspin. She resists the urge to meet with Rivka, seeking solace in the drama of her best friend, but when an unrelated ACLU case brings the facts of her adoption to life, her curiosity wins out.

Rivka, who comes from a Hasidic background, has much to tell Simone about her family and history. She also helps Simone explore her Jewish heritage. Rivka is beautiful and talented, unfortunately, she is also dying.

This story, while enjoyable and interesting, feels a bit... shallow? Simone is grappling with huge issues of family, identity and religion, but the story never really delves much beyond the surface, and Simone never really struggles for answers. All in all, Simone is strangely underdeveloped, she seems bland next to the more vivid Rivka, or even her younger brother, James. The romance elements included here -- Simone's best friend's forays into sex, and Simone's crush -- feel grafted on, and not an organic part of the plot.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and would recommend it to teens, however, I feel as though there is an even better book lurking just beyond the surface of this one, which is frustrating. ( )

Grade: 11th and Up

Excellent book! Great for teens. Romance is sparse - nothing graphic. Plot is very well-developed. Heartbreaking ending - still hurts even though you saw it coming the whole way. Very touching book. Adopted girl meets her real mother and then at the end she dies. :( Lots of Judaism - would be very educational for teens who have never experienced any Jewish traditions. ( )

Good read. The main character is very believable--you like her from the beginning. Deals with adoption and religion--two topics that work well in this book. ( )

A teenage girl learns more about the circumstances of her adoption, when her birth mother contacts her for the first time.

Simone has a comfortable, upper-middle class liberal life. Mom is an ACLU lawyer, Dad is a political cartoonist. She has always known she is adopted, but has never wished to find her birth parents or questioned the love of her family. However, when Rivka, Simone's birth mother, initiates a contact, it sends Simone into a tailspin. She resists the urge to meet with Rivka, seeking solace in the drama of her best friend, but when an unrelated ACLU case brings the facts of her adoption to life, her curiosity wins out.

Rivka, who comes from a Hasidic background, has much to tell Simone about her family and history. She also helps Simone explore her Jewish heritage. Rivka is beautiful and talented, unfortunately, she is also dying.

This story, while enjoyable and interesting, feels a bit... shallow? Simone is grappling with huge issues of family, identity and religion, but the story never really delves much beyond the surface, and Simone never really struggles for answers. All in all, Simone is strangely underdeveloped, she seems bland next to the more vivid Rivka, or even her younger brother, James. The romance elements included here -- Simone's best friend's forays into sex, and Simone's crush -- feel grafted on, and not an organic part of the plot.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and would recommend it to teens, however, I feel as though there is an even better book lurking just beyond the surface of this one, which is frustrating. ( )

This is a must read. I am a middle school media specialist and I recommend this title to a lot of 8th graders. Samone is the real deal and she is mature for her age; however, life throws curve balls at you when your 16, 25, 32 or anytime in your life. It says a lot about someone's character in the presence of these life changing events. Samone beliefs in family, faith and friendship are challenged in this powerful novel.

Because of the language and some of the content, I would recommend this book for 8th grade and up. But remember, the maturity level of the student, not their age, should be a good for selecting books. ( )

Simone has always known that she was adopted, but didn't really think about the details. So, when during the fall of her junior year, her parents tell her that her birth mother (Rivka) wants to meet her, she kind of goes through an identity crisis. She finds out that Rivka was hiding her pregnancy as a young teenage mom in a very religious Hassdic Jewish family when she gave up Simone. Good voice in this novel. Simone goes through questioning her religious beliefs, dating, friendship and family issues in this book that would appeal to mature teen girl readers. ( )

Simone knows she's adopted and is happy with her family. Unlike other adoptive kids, she has no desire to meet her birth mother, even when her birth mother repeatedly calls hoping to get together. The two do eventually meet, and Simone finds out a lot of surprising things about herself-- including that she's stronger than she realized. Reinhardt's writing is solid and Simone's voice is both brave and full of doubt-- in other words, authentic for most teenagers. This is a Missouri Gateway Reader nominee for 2008-2009, and this is in my top 5 of the 15 nominees. ( )

This is another “issues” YA book, with a nice enough storyline that it’s not too pedantic. Sixteen year-old Simone always knew she was adopted but never had any interest in meeting her birth mother. She finally concedes to do so after her parents apply some gentle but persistent pressure. In doing so she learns all about her Jewish heritage and gains a whole knew depth to her existence. Of course, as is predictable, the reason she was pressured is because Rivka, the birth mother, has cancer and is dying – (choke, choke). But really, it’s handled modestly, almost understated, by Reinhardt. There’s also a romance element where Simone finds a nice (Jewish) boy. There’s some underage drinking and Simone’s best friend smokes and has an active sex life, but Simone is more reserved. She does drink, make out with a boy and then puke at a party, but she’s the kind of character who learns from her mistakes. Overall a nice enough learning-type story with a good, not overly dramatic reader. ( )

Engaging story because the voice is so authentic. This girl has the maturity to know that sometimes even within brief chapters of your life, there can be turns in the road that color the rest of the trip. I admired this spunky soul even as she stumbles through a lot of unfamiliar territory...like a Jewish birth mother she's never met. ( )

Excellent! A coming-of-age story. Simone has always felt different, though her life seems pretty normal. Her mom's a lawyer for the ACLU; her dad's a political cartoonist and a fabulous cook. Her little brother, Jack,is a jock who seems to have it all together. Her best friend, Clio, has a new boyfriend. And Simone has a crush on a really smart and funny guy who spends all his time with another girl. But you can tell what really makes Simone different just by looking at her: She doesn't resemble anyone in her family. She's adopted. She's always known it, but she's never wanted to know anything about where she came from. She's happy with her family just as it is, thank you very much. Then one day, she meets her Jewish birth mother, Rivka, and everything changes. ( )

Simone is adopted and, like my own adopted son, has very little (if any) desire to discover her biological parents. She has her own life and her own problems. She loves her adopted parents and sees little reason to search for parents she has never known. When Rivka, her birth mother, shows up in her life, Simone is annoyed, but soon discovers some very unexpected blessings. Rivka is Jewish and comes from a very orthodox upbringing. Reinhardt has written a book to show teens eager to write about their own faith traditions. Usually when teens write about faith, there is nothing in the writing to distinguish the student’s faith and beliefs from those of a thousand or more other students. Reinhardt incorporates writing about faith in a way that personalizes it and, consequently, makes it more powerful and universal. Read this book with a box of tissues handy. Highly recommended for middle school and high school libraries. ( )

Sixteen-year-old Simone has always known that she is adopted and that her birth mother is a woman named Rivka. But, when Simone learns that Rivka is the daughter of a Hasidic Rabbi who accidentally got pregnant as a teenager, Simone's whole life and identity is turned up-side down. As Simone gets to know Rivka, who is dying from ovarian cancer, she also learns about Judaism, celebrating Shabbat, Hanukkah, and Passover, experiences her first relationship with a boy, and comes to terms with her own spiritual identity. Reinhardt's characters are smart, sassy, realistic American teenagers and her portrayal of a warm, loving, functional adoptive family is refreshing. Highly readable, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life will be enjoyed by YA readers of all faiths. REVIEWED BY RACHEL KAMIN (TEMPLE ISRAEL LIBRARIES & MEDIA CENTER, WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI) ( )

A thoroughly enjoyable read. A young girl, who is adopted, does a lot of maturing when she discovers her birth mother and the story behind her adoption. ( )

Simone has always known that she was adopted, but never wanted to meet her birth mother. Now her birth mother wants to meet her. ( )

http://interactivereader.blogspot.com... ( )

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt - It took me a couple tries to get into this one, but once I did, I was hooked. Sixteen year old Simone is confronted with the possibility of meeting her birth mother, an introduction she does not want nor relish. Once they meet, however, their relationship becomes precious, but is ended abruptly by Rivka’s death. At first, I found Simone petulant and annoying, but she grew on me after awhile. I particularly liked her confrontations with the Evil Bitch outside the coffee shop and at the ACLU rally. What unsettled me about this story was the number of budding relationships the author was juggling –Simone and Rivka, Simone and the boyfriend, Cleo and Darius — too many to develop properly. I also thought the Orthodox family was one-dimensional, although I loved how Rivka introduced Simone to the parts of her faith and ritual that were important to her. Simone’s struggle with atheism versus faith was handled well, although I think it could have been developed more. ( )

Simone has always known that she was adopted, but she never has any interest in knowing more about her birth parents. Then one day her birth mother Rivka calls and Simone begins to learn the story behind her birth. Her birth mother was a Hasidic Jew and still keeps up Jewish tradition. Simone, who has always considered herself an atheist, begins to examine her faith and question her beliefs. The narrative voice is totally awesome. Simone is smart and funny. Although it deals with serious subject matter, the tone is not depressing. This is one of my top picks for a Printz! ( )

Booktalk: Simone's starting her junior year in high school and she really loves her life. Her parents, her little brother, her friends, and her new crush. Then her birth mother contacts her. Simone's always known she was adopted, but she never wanted to know anything about it. She's happy with her family just as it is, thank you. She learns who her birth mother was--a 16 year old girl named Rivka. Who is Rivka? Why has she contacted Simone? Why now? The answers lead Simone to deeper feelings of anguish and love than she has ever known, and to question everything she once took for granted about faith, life, the afterlife, and what it means to be a daughter.

http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/l... ( )