This book is an awful lot of fun. I happened upon an excerpt from The Impossible Us a few years back, and on the strength of the preview, pre-ordered it.
Naturally, I forgot all about the matter, but was delighted to eventually receive the book in the mail.
Okay, the conceptāthis is not really a spoiler since itās right on the back cover, but if youād prefer to know nothing, stop reading here and just get yourself a copy.
*
*
*
*
*
If youāre still reading, hereās the setup: a misdirected email ends up introducing Bee (a young woman, a bit of a workaholic with a successful small business) and Nick (struggling with a failing marriage and an unsuccessful writing career). They hit it off immediately, beginning a long correspondence, and eventually falling in love. Their efforts to meet in person go incredibly awry, and for good reasonāafter some misunderstandings and hurt feelings, they realize that they are actually living in parallel universes, connected by some kind of cosmic glitch.
Once they understand their predicament, things get really interestingā¦since they canāt be together, the next best thing is to find, and pursue, their counterparts in each otherās worlds. Dishonest? Manipulative? Messy? Unfair? Potentially dangerous? Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes, but also, perfectly understandable. After all, true love doesnāt come along too often, in this world, or any other.
Unsurprisingly, things get very complicated. Sarah Lotz does a masterful job with the main characters, their corresponding selves, and a variety of assorted friends and relatives (times two). Itās complex, but not at all confusing. I was mostly intrigued by Nickās timeline (considerably better than the one that Bee, and we, live in). In his version of planet Earth, they use green energy, have universal basic income, had a past U.S. President Gore, passed privacy legislation, and had no 9/11, Iraq War, ISIS, Brexit, or Star Wars prequels. The pandemic? Weāll get to that.
Bee and Nick are flawed but extremely likable characters, and the reader (or this reader, anyway) is rooting for them all along, despite some of their ill-considered decisions. I wonāt tell you whether theyāll get to their happy ending or what any such ending might even look likeāpick up this clever, funny, and big-hearted novel and find out for yourself.
HOW TO PURCHASE: AMAZON
Laura LaVelle is Wonder Shuffle's Culture Editor. A fan of the great indoors, you can find her in her native NYC, her home in Connecticut, or at a concert, play, library, bookstore, or museum just about anywhere in the world.
England, UK
NOVEL: The Impossible Us
AUTHOR: Sara Lotz
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2022
LEAD-IN IMAGE
Book cover - Penguin Random House
Be in the Know.
Built for expats and global travellers, Wonder Shuffle is the ultimate travel and lifestyle platform to help its cultured and curious members uncover hidden gems, organize their discoveries, and recall them effortlessly.
DJK Universal Holdings Limited
Latest News
š Hamptons Hidden Gems - Issue 2
šļø The Hamptons Debut Pack
š£ Springās Finally HereāJust in Time for Easter
Our Story
About Us
Premium Accounts
Points & Loyalty
FAQs
The Wonder Shuffle Pledge
Useful Links
Privacy
Terms & Conditions
Site Map
Contact Us
Get the Newsletter