The Realm of Possibility - David Levithan

Young Adult
Pages: 224
Publisher: Ember
Release Date: May 9, 2006

One school. Twenty voices.
Endless possibilities.

There's the girl who is in love with Holden Caulfield. The boy who wants to be strong who falls for the girl who's convinced she needs to be weak. The girl who writes love songs for a girl she can't have. The two boys teetering on the brink of their first anniversary. And everyone in between.
As he did in the highly acclaimed Boy Meets Boy, David Levithan gives us a world of unforgettable voices that readers will want to visit again and again. It's the realm of possibility open to us all - where love, joy, and the stories we tell will linger.

This feels like it should be measured in a completely different scale. I will admit that I have put David Levithan in some sort of pedestal that can not be reached but... can you blame me? Not only is this one of the most astonishing verse novels I have read, but it also achieve what few authors dare to attempt. This story has 20 different narrators. 20! How on earth did Levithan manage to not mix them up while writing and to actually make them each sound unique is well, bow-worthy.Every story interconnects with another or with several others in some cases in unexpected ways. It was fascinating to explore so many stories in one book.

Levithan's has an enchanting ability to savor language and make words bloom and rearrange into gorgeous prose. This novel bursts with emotions and beauty, and as always, love. The story achieves in its few poetry-filled pages, what very few books ever can. It gives the reader hope, understanding and courage aimed for readers that lack that the most.

I honestly cannot praise this loud enough. It's beautiful in every way, and I wish it would find its way into the hands of every teenager out there.

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Top Ten Books to Read in a Day (Verse novels)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish.

Since it's poetry month, I will make a list of books that I know I ALWAYS finish in a day: VERSE novels. Obviously, Ellen Hopkins should appear but since her books are so dark I always have to put them down a bit. Anyhow, some I've read, some I'm excited to read:

1. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

2. Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

3. The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan

4. The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder (Okay, also, every book by Lisa!)

5. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (MG)

6. Crossing Stones by Helen Frost

7. Audition by Stacia Kehoe


8. Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams

9. Forget Me Not by Carolee Dean (I'm really excited to read this one!)

10. Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder (I CANNOT WAIT!) ** I was informed this is actually not in verse (see Lisa's comment on this post). Forgive my assumption. Although, this doesn't change my excitement at all.

Love and Leftovers - Sarah Tregay

Young Adult
Pages: 448
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: December 27, 2011

Marcie has been dragged away from home for the summer--from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She's left behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.
By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "summer vacation" has become permanent. She has to start at a new school, and there she leaves behind her Leftover status when a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you've lost it?

Love & Leftovers is a delightfully poetic, written-in-verse novel that follows a girl's path through understanding her parents and ultimately understanding herself. It is not a very deep story through it does touch some strong subjects like homosexuality and depression.

I love the fusion of poetry and plot that verse novels provide. There's just so much weight and careful selection in each word, and such an elegant rhythm to the story, that they end up being almost a different category of books for me. I loved Marcie's voice and her journey through these tough times she's been forced into. The book is more like her poetry journal which made it even more special.

The characters were not fully developed, but it felt right in the short space that verse ends up providing. I really enjoyed the bits and pieces of her dad's new relationship, and her relationship with Danny. The ending left my heart full, and my head filled with gorgeous words. So, this one is a short sweet read that contemporary fans will enjoy. I can't wait to read more from Sarah Tregay.

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Audition - Stasia Ward Kehoe

Young Adult
Pages: 458
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: October 13, 2011

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

Audition is one of those magically poetic book where the writing and verse is so delightful it doesn't even matter what it's about. But seeing as it was about ballet-- a theme I can admittedly say I have not read about before, but that I love nonetheless-- it becomes even more appealing. Ever since I watched Center Stage and fell completely in love with it, I've been wanting to read about ballet. That movie is exactly what I had in mind while reading this.

Stasia's amazing verse writing is as dreamy as it gets. While the theme is a bit more dull than what my verse-reading has been until now, and the boy was admittedly a bastard and I hated his guts during the whole book and I just wanted to slap Sara until she realized it, I could still feel the drastic realness of it all. An honest and true story about having to live through something until you can realize what you really want. And Sara was an amazing character, very well done.

Audition was overflowing with beautiful imagery, and it made me wish and long for more YA verse authors to come join the scene. It must be incredibly hard and so much more rewarding picking the right word to make every sentence a perfect one. I will definitely be in the lookout for whatever Stasia writes next!

If you enjoy verse novels you must read this, and if you're undecided this might change your mind. Ballet lovers should also make this a must.

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