The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

So *stretches fingers and applies badass expression to face* let's review!

Over the weekend I had my nose stuck in this book The Impossible Knife of Memory which I was able to grab at the Reading Matters excursion in Melbourne. I was lucky enough to meet the fabulous Laurie Halse Anderson in the flesh and she was one of the nicest ladies I had ever met. From reading her book I could tell that she had put a lot of herself in it and it was a very personal experience which made it all the more enjoyable to read.

Center in on our main character, Hayley Kincain as she struggles with a highly traumatized post-war veteran father. Sounds tragic right? Throw in a love story and it starts to give you the fuzzies in the tummy.

Hayley meets adorkably sweet Finnegan Ramos, nicknamed Finn, who eventually falls for her (after being a obstinate jerk at the beginning) and she for him. After her dad threatens to sabotage the relationship with his constant requirement of being looked after, Hayley realises that there is only one thing she can do to ensure that Finn sticks around: let him in.

What I particularly liked about this book was the layers to it. Each character, no matter how small, is dealing with something major and that's what makes it an enjoyable (?) slap in the face by reality. Hayley's dad's substance and alcohol abuse remind us that even those strongest can also be affected by trauma. The book had a lovely, real feel to it and that's what made it enjoyable to read.

Finn's sarcastic and witty nature made me wish that guys were like those in books and I ended up falling in love with him every time I turned a page.

Anderson's strength is definitely in the layers of her story. The shortness of her chapters were really the strength of the chronology of the story as it tended to mix between length of time jumps which was interesting in the fact that it kept me going. At some points the story was even written from the nightmarish point of view of the father's flashbacks and that made for an extra flavour.

I also found it surprisingly easy to relate to Hayley. Her struggles with school are realistic as is her attitude towards it. I could imagine myself in her position just as easily as one might slip into a different pair of trousers.

All in all, a pleasant read. The theme behind it was heavy but the romance just made for two conflicting worlds that co-exist in a really interesting way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to all young readers.