"From the sting of my curse she can never be free
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Unless she unravels my riddlings three
She will be a true love of mine"

Lucy Scarborough is seventeen when she is raped by her date at prom. If this wasn’t enough to deal with, Lucy soon discovers that this is all a part of a curse that has plagued the women of her family for countless generations. Now Lucy has until the birth of her firstborn to discover how to complete three seemingly impossible tasks, or else slip into madness like her mother and all her female relatives before her.
But unlike the other Scarborough women, Lucy has a life-long friend, Zach, and foster parents who support her unconditionally and will aid her in discovering how to break the curse. With their help and love, will Lucy be able to do the impossible?

Nancy Werlin’s Impossible is one of those books that you can read over and over again, even though all the mysteries have been revealed and you know the ending. Though this fantasy is set in the modern world, Nancy’s writing makes the likelyhood of a generation of women being plagued by a supernatural being seem possible. Readers will adore Lucy’s spunk and determination and will fall in love with the strong, devoted Zach right along with her. ( )

Impossible, inspired by the ballad "Scarborough Fair" (made popular by Simon & Garfunkel), carries its own tale of originality. Nancy Werlin puts together an engaging novel filled with romance, fantasy, and anticipation. It is, in essence, a story about true love and the possibility that it can, indeed, overcome anything.

We begin the journey in high school with Lucy, a 17-year old teenager, raised by loving foster parents after being abandoned as an infant by Miranda, her mentally ill mother. Along with her foster parents, there's her childhood friend and neighbor Zach, who filters in and out until he decides to spend the summer with them. But then the nightmare begins. Soon after Lucy discovers her pregnancy, she comes across a few letters from her teenage mother telling her that the women in the Scarborough family are cursed. Cursed for eternity by an Elvin Knight who was turned down true love by Lucy's great-great-great(you get the idea) grandmother. Doomed to repeat a fate like her mother and plagued by the idea of insanity; Lucy uses the song, the only gift her mother left her, and tries what no other woman in her family has ever done...she tries to break the curse.

I have to applaud Nancy Werlin for being able to create such an engaging story from an otherwise esoteric and eerie song. Bravo, Nancy! I'm not sure what made me check out this book in the first place but I'm glad I did.

What I loved about this book was the warmth and purpose with which it was written. And not only that, but the little gems of humor that popped up in all the right places. The flow between characters was easy to follow and quite refined. It never lost consistency and provided a sense of urgency where you had to know what happened next. The plot was well written, and all the secrets unraveled at the right time and place. Point in fact: it was captivating AND original.

The (somewhat-but-not-really) negative feelings:

Some parts of this book were so smothered with cheese, I didn't even know what to do with myself. But I guess it's a good thing I'm partial to cheese. ;) There were also a few times when the characters seemed a little too perfect. A flaw or two, now and then, couldn't hurt. If I was in Lucy's position, I'm pretty sure a little more freaking out would have been involved.

Also, I would have definitely liked to have delved more into the lore of the story. The fantasy element was there - enough so that it didn't overshadow the modern setting, but more information would have satisfied my curiosity.

And while I couldn't find myself totally relating to the characters, I was hoping for their well-being and cheering them on as the story progressed. My few negative feelings aside, I found this to be a pretty solid read. Even with the cheese. And for those not partial to the fantasy element of this novel, don't let it throw you off. There is still much to be enjoyed. ( )

NANCY WERLIN'S "IMPOSSIBLE" IS INTILLECTUALLY STIMULATING AS WELL AS ENTERTAINING. SHE HAS WRITTEN A STORY THAT EASILY ALLOWS THE READER TO SUSPEND DISBELIEF WITH HER REMARKABLE CHARACTERS AND THEIR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR EACH OTHER. THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, LOVE AND HATE AND HOPE AND DISPAIR WILL COMPELL THE READER TO "ROOT" FOR LUCY TO WIN THIS IMPOSSIBLE "GAME".

Lucy has her share of teenage problems. Prom is coming up, and her birth mother is an insane bag lady who can be found all over town. Fortunately, she has the love of the foster parents and best friend, Zach, to keep her going - and she's going to need their support more than ever. Lucy is raped on prom night, but all is not as it appears. The Scarborough girls bear an ancient curse - they are impregnated at seventeen, birth a daughter at eighteen, and then they are rendered insane after they fail to complete three impossible tasks set by an Elfin Knight. Lucy and her family have no intention of surrendering quietly to that fate.

Wow. This book blew me away. It was one of the fastest reads I've had this year (rivaling The Hunger Games) and had incredible tension across its 400-pages. Werlin was inspired by the song, and created something magical. I especially loved how the Elfin Knight's manipulations were portrayed to the readers. Excellent book, and I highly recommend it to those who love fairy tales or mythology recreated in a modern setting. ( )

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Nancy Werlin uses a variation of the folksong "Scarborough Fair" as the backdrop for an interesting combination of mystery, fantasy, suspense, and the paranormal.

Generations ago an angry elfin knight placed a curse on the young women of the Scarborough clan. Each girl became pregnant as a teen and upon giving birth to a daughter, each girl went insane. The only way to break the curse was to complete three tasks described in the lyrics of the song. Until now it seemed the curse would carry on forever.

Lucy Scarborough, now seventeen, has always known her birth mother was Miranda Scarborough, but luck brought her into the lives of Leo and Soledad Markowitz. They have raised her since birth and understand the complications of her life story. Through the years they have been plagued by visits from Miranda. Her insanity has been the cause of many embarrassing situations. Now, as Lucy is approaching her last year in high school, she hopes that she can avoid anymore encounters with her crazy mother and get on with her life.

Early in the story, Lucy is preparing for her prom and her date with Gray Spencer. Her adopted parents are nervous about the date since it is one of her first, and they haven't actually met Gray. As the couple is posing for pictures and is about to leave for the evening, the unthinkable happens. Miranda shows up in her baggy T-shirt and flowing skirt, pushing her rusty shopping cart full of bottles and cans. Everyone is shocked when she begins to attack, throwing glass bottles at everyone in the yard. She is finally hauled away by the police, but not before Gray makes a get-away in his new car, leaving Lucy humiliated and dateless.

Just when Lucy is ready to give up on him and attend the prom with a long-time childhood friend, Gray returns, apologizes for running off, and begs her to still be his date. She happily accepts, but it proves to be the beginning of yet another horrible experience. As the two are leaving the prom later that evening, Gray takes Lucy aside and forces himself on her. The experience is not only terrible, but also puzzling as Lucy tries to connect the gentle high school boy with the vicious act and the sinister voice she hears during that attack.

Weeks after the prom, Lucy discovers she has followed in the footsteps of the Scarborough women and become a pregnant teen. Will her fate be the same? Will she give birth to a daughter, and will she lose her mind?

Werlin creates an interesting mix of past and present. Lucy seems one moment to be a typical teen, and the next, the victim of an ancient evil. The turning of each page reveals another fact about the family curse. The lyrics of the song provide the clues necessary to break the curse, but those clues are not crystal clear and require creative solutions from Lucy and her helpful family and friends. Encouraged by hope and love, Lucy fights to change the direction of her life at the same time as she learns to accept the hand fate has dealt. Werlin fans will not be disappointed. ( )