- Library Binding: 210 pages
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf (Aug 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0375928456
- ISBN-13: 978-0375928451
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14.5 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,948,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Realm of Possibility
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Product Description
Product Description
Here’s what I know about the realm of possibility—
it is always expanding, it is never what you think
it is. Everything around us was once deemed
impossible. From the airplane overhead to
the phones in our pockets to the choir girl
putting her arm around the metalhead.
As hard as it is for us to see sometimes, we all exist
within the realm of possibility. Most of the limits
are of our own world’s devising. And yet,
every day we each do so many things
that were once impossible to us.
Enter The Realm of Possibility and meet a boy whose girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield; a girl who loves the boy who wears all black; a boy with the perfect body; and a girl who writes love songs for a girl she can’t have.
These are just a few of the captivating characters readers will get to know in this intensely heartfelt new novel about those ever-changing moments of love and heartbreak that go hand-in-hand with high school. David Levithan plumbs the depths of teenage emotion to create an amazing array of voices that readers won’t forget. So, enter their lives and prepare to welcome the realm of possibility open to us all. Love, joy, and these stories will linger.
From the Hardcover edition.
it is always expanding, it is never what you think
it is. Everything around us was once deemed
impossible. From the airplane overhead to
the phones in our pockets to the choir girl
putting her arm around the metalhead.
As hard as it is for us to see sometimes, we all exist
within the realm of possibility. Most of the limits
are of our own world’s devising. And yet,
every day we each do so many things
that were once impossible to us.
Enter The Realm of Possibility and meet a boy whose girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield; a girl who loves the boy who wears all black; a boy with the perfect body; and a girl who writes love songs for a girl she can’t have.
These are just a few of the captivating characters readers will get to know in this intensely heartfelt new novel about those ever-changing moments of love and heartbreak that go hand-in-hand with high school. David Levithan plumbs the depths of teenage emotion to create an amazing array of voices that readers won’t forget. So, enter their lives and prepare to welcome the realm of possibility open to us all. Love, joy, and these stories will linger.
From the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
i've never smoked a cigarette with anyone but jed. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
i've never smoked a cigarette with anyone but jed. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
I'm not sure what it is about these books in verse that really does it for me but I'm yet to be disappointed by one. I've read some of those by Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder and I found that writing in verse only added to the emotions I felt as a reader. Maybe it's because it hones in on the point and it's all laid out within a few stanzas instead of meandering about.
Whatever the reason, The Realm of Possibility was no exception and I was constantly pulled through a rollercoaster of emotions - even though I admittedly didn't always get what was going on :)
This is definitely the kind of book that you either love or hate, both for the fact that it's in verse and because David Levithan has a very unique writing style (that I happen to love the more I encounter it).
Whatever the reason, The Realm of Possibility was no exception and I was constantly pulled through a rollercoaster of emotions - even though I admittedly didn't always get what was going on :)
This is definitely the kind of book that you either love or hate, both for the fact that it's in verse and because David Levithan has a very unique writing style (that I happen to love the more I encounter it).
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
23 reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Poems about love, identity and interconnectedness as humans
7 Sep 2004
Format:Hardcover
David Levithan's THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY is a collection of interrelated monologues written in free verse. Each poem is a glimpse into the private world of one of twenty different characters, all attending the same high school. While each person may be separated in school by the usual social boundaries, they privately share many of the same desires, fears and longings.
The poems range from the humorous, "My girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield" or the darkly hilarious, "Suburban myths," to more serious subjects such as "The Patron Saint of Stoners," about an honor society student buying marijuana for her terminally ill mother. One of the book's highlights is a poem called "Gospel," about what happens when Gail, a deeply Christian choir singer, shares her music with Anton, the school's resident outcast.
As one gets further into the book, the interconnectedness between the poems and the characters becomes apparent. The book begins and ends with poems about the same relationship, from two different points of view. While many of the characters feel isolated and alone, they are in fact part of a vibrant, interrelated community.
David Levithan is also the author of BOY MEETS BOY, set in a comparably tolerant community. Like THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY, it focuses on the similarities between characters instead of their differences. Both books treat sex preference as a normal expression rather than as a problem or source of trauma. This approach is a relatively new development in young adult literature; Levithan's books are a marvelous example of how homosexual themes are being integrated into mainstream young adult literature.
THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY contains many possibilities: in the events occurring to the characters in the book, in the lives of its readers, and in its promise for the future of YA literature. The use of free verse to convey plot, character and meaning is a brilliant and intuitive choice. The poems read like they are written by young adults, and Levithan clearly delineates characters using different styles and tones. While there are a number of novels in free verse written for younger readers, THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY may be the first in this form intended for young adults. This book is likely to be the source of inspiration for many budding poets.
THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY is about love, identity and our interconnectedness as humans. Each poem is about discovering oneself through love, and speaks to the idea that as long as our hearts are open, we are never truly alone. As Levithan writes in the title poem, "As hard as it is for us to see sometimes, we all exist/ within the realm of possibility. Most of the limits/ are of our own world's devising. And yet,/ every day we each do so many things that were once impossible to us."
--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood
The poems range from the humorous, "My girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield" or the darkly hilarious, "Suburban myths," to more serious subjects such as "The Patron Saint of Stoners," about an honor society student buying marijuana for her terminally ill mother. One of the book's highlights is a poem called "Gospel," about what happens when Gail, a deeply Christian choir singer, shares her music with Anton, the school's resident outcast.
As one gets further into the book, the interconnectedness between the poems and the characters becomes apparent. The book begins and ends with poems about the same relationship, from two different points of view. While many of the characters feel isolated and alone, they are in fact part of a vibrant, interrelated community.
David Levithan is also the author of BOY MEETS BOY, set in a comparably tolerant community. Like THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY, it focuses on the similarities between characters instead of their differences. Both books treat sex preference as a normal expression rather than as a problem or source of trauma. This approach is a relatively new development in young adult literature; Levithan's books are a marvelous example of how homosexual themes are being integrated into mainstream young adult literature.
THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY contains many possibilities: in the events occurring to the characters in the book, in the lives of its readers, and in its promise for the future of YA literature. The use of free verse to convey plot, character and meaning is a brilliant and intuitive choice. The poems read like they are written by young adults, and Levithan clearly delineates characters using different styles and tones. While there are a number of novels in free verse written for younger readers, THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY may be the first in this form intended for young adults. This book is likely to be the source of inspiration for many budding poets.
THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY is about love, identity and our interconnectedness as humans. Each poem is about discovering oneself through love, and speaks to the idea that as long as our hearts are open, we are never truly alone. As Levithan writes in the title poem, "As hard as it is for us to see sometimes, we all exist/ within the realm of possibility. Most of the limits/ are of our own world's devising. And yet,/ every day we each do so many things that were once impossible to us."
--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
the realm of amazement
1 July 2005
Format:Hardcover
I saw this book at Borders and read the first few pages. I rarely ever buy books, but I knew absolutely had to have this one. As soon as I brought it home, I couldn't put it down. I tried to read it slow so I could properly enjoy it, but it just kept me turning page after page. the realm of possibility is now tied as my favorite book of all time. It's simply amazing. It properly describes so many feelings and situations high school kids are in without trying to dramatize things or pinpoint emotions. Everyone who reads this will love it and be moved.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
The threads that tie us together...
6 May 2006
Format:Hardcover
I admit it: this book totally sucked me in. The characters are realistic, and I was able to find something about a number of them that I could relate to. And I found a number of them that I simply fell in love with, for all sorts of reasons. My favorite sections were the ones written by Anton, Charlotte, Lily, and Jed.
I found the book somewhat confusing at times, because I kept coming onto names I'd seen before. So i actually went back and made a little list of characters and their relationships, which I shall put up here for anyone that's intested. So *spoiler alert* for the next section of this review (just in case you want to pick up this book knowing NOTHING whatsoever about anything in it... I'm not giving away anything really important):
Daniel: is Jed's boyfriend and is neighbors with Pete
Mary: suffers from anorexia, is Pete's girlfriend
Diana: is in love with with Elizabeth, writes love songs for her
Megan: is in love with Diana, watches her loving another girl while she plays the part of a devoted friend
Tyler: rants about his girlfriend's love of Holden Caulfield
Anton: a seemingly troubled youth- sits in the back wearing black and earphones and writing poetry
Gael: relgion is important in her life, hates injustice, stands up for Anton
Jill: possibly Tyler's boyfriend, stole Cara's boyfriend, feels she doesn't deserve him and regrets the person she is
Anne: nice poetry about random things
Jamie: has just suffered from a breakup, is zack's brother and jed's friend
Pete: Mary's boyfriend
Clara: perfect student lacking a positive homelife, interacts with Jed and Toby
Charlotte: writes haunting messages ("you are foolish in your unhappiness") around school, mesages deeply affect some people, intrigue others (Daniel)
Elizabeth: lives in sister's shadow, tormented by people who disliked sister (Cara), Andy's girlfriend
Cara: loses respect after an incident involving Elizabeth, has fake friends (Jill)
Lia: friend's with Clara, korean, in love with delivery boy
Zack: Anne's boyrfriend, Megan's friend
Karen: no obvious hints as to her relationships
Lily: is close to Jed, although they don't spend much time together, her poetry style is unlike any of the others presented in this book
Jed: is celebrating his one year anniversery with Daniel (it's so sweet!), also- title of book comes from his poem
I found the book somewhat confusing at times, because I kept coming onto names I'd seen before. So i actually went back and made a little list of characters and their relationships, which I shall put up here for anyone that's intested. So *spoiler alert* for the next section of this review (just in case you want to pick up this book knowing NOTHING whatsoever about anything in it... I'm not giving away anything really important):
Daniel: is Jed's boyfriend and is neighbors with Pete
Mary: suffers from anorexia, is Pete's girlfriend
Diana: is in love with with Elizabeth, writes love songs for her
Megan: is in love with Diana, watches her loving another girl while she plays the part of a devoted friend
Tyler: rants about his girlfriend's love of Holden Caulfield
Anton: a seemingly troubled youth- sits in the back wearing black and earphones and writing poetry
Gael: relgion is important in her life, hates injustice, stands up for Anton
Jill: possibly Tyler's boyfriend, stole Cara's boyfriend, feels she doesn't deserve him and regrets the person she is
Anne: nice poetry about random things
Jamie: has just suffered from a breakup, is zack's brother and jed's friend
Pete: Mary's boyfriend
Clara: perfect student lacking a positive homelife, interacts with Jed and Toby
Charlotte: writes haunting messages ("you are foolish in your unhappiness") around school, mesages deeply affect some people, intrigue others (Daniel)
Elizabeth: lives in sister's shadow, tormented by people who disliked sister (Cara), Andy's girlfriend
Cara: loses respect after an incident involving Elizabeth, has fake friends (Jill)
Lia: friend's with Clara, korean, in love with delivery boy
Zack: Anne's boyrfriend, Megan's friend
Karen: no obvious hints as to her relationships
Lily: is close to Jed, although they don't spend much time together, her poetry style is unlike any of the others presented in this book
Jed: is celebrating his one year anniversery with Daniel (it's so sweet!), also- title of book comes from his poem
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