Reviews for The realm of possibility
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Gr. 9-12. In this hugely ambitious novel in verse, Levithan ( Boy Meets Boy, 2003) again writes of both gay and straight young love with integrity and insight. But this time, Levithan asks a lot of patience from his readers. The novel is separated into five parts; at the start of each, a title page lists four names. Although nothing in the book design makes it clear, readers will eventually figure out that Daniel is the author of the first poem, and he and the others all attend the same school. At first, the poems seem largely unconnected (Daniel writes of approaching his one-year anniversary with his boyfriend, Jed, for instance; Clara of buying pot for her cancer-stricken mother), but readers who pay close attention (and don't mind frequently flipping back to see who's writing what and who wrote what about whom four poems ago) will be rewarded; a kind of narrative emerges around Jed, who is a charming and well-liked kid. Many readers, even good ones, will be off put by the challenging, often confusing structure. But the distinct voices and plethora of poetic styles make for interesting reading, and some teens will return to this again and again, seeking to uncover the subtle connections between the characters within the poems. --John Green Copyright 2004 Booklist
Publishers Weekly
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Through a series of poems, Levithan (Boy Meets Boy) introduces readers to a group of friends and acquaintances, including a gay couple celebrating their one-year anniversary, a girl whose mother is dying and an outsider who fills his notebook with "ink explosions of thought." His characters represent a diverse range of sexuality, race and social standing, and most struggle with love relationships, from a boy who wants to help his anorexic girlfriend, to a girl with an unrequited crush on a straight friend. The author experiments with different voices and styles (one series unfolds in song lyrics); some of these poems work better than others. An energetic verse, "Gospel," from a black choir girl who feels bullies "[push her]/ to a kindness they would never/ understand" to help the aforementioned white outsider, reads as authentic and thought-provoking, while an alphabetical poem about a break-up, constrained by its form, grows tedious. Readers may have trouble tracking all of the characters and the various connections between them, but they will find clever lines and inspiring ideas in many of the poems here ("Most of the limits/ are of our own world's devising"). Ultimately, that is what makes this ambitious project a realm worth exploring. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
"One school. Twenty voices. Endless possibilities." This collection of linked poems, set in a suburban New Jersey high school, begins and ends with boyfriends Daniel and Jed sharing a smoke in the first poem and celebrating their one-year anniversary in the last. Between the two events, we meet 18 of their friends and acquaintances. For fans of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, 2008). While it may be a cop-out to compare one book by David Levithan to a movie made from another (written with Rachel Cohn. ISBN 978-0-375-83533-9. 2006), no author writes love and longing, gay and straight, quite the way he does. Why It Is for Us: Beginning with the breakout Boy Meets Boy (ISBN 978-0-375-83299-4. pap. 2003), Levithan has made a career baring the tender hearts of teens in love. Here he tries his hand at many poetic forms, each specially linked to the subject of the poem. [The hardcover was published in 2004.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Editor and author Levithan winningly joins the ranks of talented authors exploring the novel-in-verse and kicks it up a notch. Though there is a progression of events in these mostly blank verse poems, it's less a story than an examination of teenage relationships—with family, friends, self, and lovers—from every angle. Twenty distinct voices chime in with their own poem, series of poems, or cycle of songs; and several relationships and incidents are described by more than one character. No synopsis could do justice to the complexities of the interconnectedness of these characters. If high school is a dim memory for you, you might need a scorecard to keep track of who knows who and how well. However, all teenagers will find themselves, their relationships, and their attitudes toward life, love, and the pursuit of happiness somewhere in these poems. A must for YA collections used by those unafraid of poetry, strongly suggested for all others. (Fiction. YA) Copyright ŠKirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
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Through a series of poems, readers meet a group of friends and acquaintances, reflecting a diverse range of sexuality, race and social standing. PW called it "a realm worth exploring." Ages 12-up. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Gr 9 Up-Most readers will find someone they can relate to in this enchanting collection of linked poems that delve deep and go far beyond the original stereotypes. Twenty teenagers-sensitive outsiders, cruel popular girls, body-obsessed jocks, gay teens in the throes of first love-take turns pouring their hearts onto the pages, detailing their loneliness, heartaches, hopes, and joys. All attend the same high school, and as the book progresses their stories slowly weave together to form a larger view of the school community. In the first selection, for instance, Daniel talks about his relationship with Jed; Jed's view of their romance closes the book. Though friendships and romantic relationships grow and change, character is much more the focus here than plot. Each chapter contains four points of view, and it will take patient readers to determine who's who and exactly how they are linked. Effort is rewarded, however, in selections such as "The Patron Saint of Stoners," in which a girl seeks out a drug dealer for reasons few will guess. Another standout is "Experimentation," in which a boy writes about his sexual experiences with astonishing insight and tenderness. Thoughtful teens will find much to appreciate here.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
These discrete poems are linked by their themes of love and heartbreak and by their putative authorship by high school classmates. Resolutely confessional, the poems take in all manner of love, and a range of forms helps vary the tone. Some of the poems are too long--as is the book as a whole--but Levithan has a fluent, lyrical voice, well worth hearing. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
