by Fiona Wood
Pan Macmillan. Australian, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $16.99
Reviewed by Barbara Brown
Six Impossible Things is a modern day version of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾. A hilarious view of the “geeky” boy come good… well trying to come good.
Dan Cereill (pronounced ‘surreal’ not ‘cereal’) is a soon to be fifteen year old with a number of problems. His father’s business has gone bankrupt and Dan has had to leave his private school to start life at a State school where any brain will stand out. But that’s ok – Dan has a chance at starting afresh. No-one knows him. He can be whoever he wants to be. But as with his home life, everything at school very quickly goes belly up.Not only has he had to change schools but Dan and his mother move into a dead aunt’s house. His father doesn’t come with them because he has just announced he is gay. To top it all off the girl next door, Estelle, is the perfect girl for Dan, only she doesn’t know Dan even exists. What more could go wrong? Plenty it seems.
Dan has made a list … six impossible things … and number one is to kiss Estelle. As if that will ever happen!
Between being picked on by the school’s bully – some things never change from school to school, and trying to rescue his mother from ruining her new wedding cake business, Dan tries to impress Estelle, come to grips with his new life and defeat the bully. It all culminates around the school dance. Dan Cereill is an anagram of Cinderella and like Cinderella, Dan might just manage to dress for the ball and land the princess. But then… expect the unexpected!
I thoroughly loved this book. And if like me, you loved Adrian Mole, I guarantee you will feel the same way about Dan Cereill.
Six Impossible Things was awarded the Varuna Eleanor Dark Fellowship in 2008 and a Readings Foundation Glenfern Fellowship in 2009.
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