Reading: The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan

I first read The Realm of Possibility in high school and I liked it instantly for its relatability. When I was bored, I would go to the library to pick it off the shelf and read some of my favorite passages just to be reassured. Years later I would walk into libraries or bookstores to make sure it was in stock. So when I heard that David Levithan would be at this year's National Book Festival, I decided to give in and buy what I consider to be a hugely influential book from my high school years. I thought I would get him to sign it for me at the book festival, but it turns out that I will be out of town that weekend, but that is besides the point

 

Anyway, I do not regret this purchase at all. I picked it up immediately and read it in a less than a day (which is less impressive than I make it sound - it's only 210 pages).

 

It is written as a collection of free verse poetry from 20 different high school students, each with their own style and perspective. There's not much to spoil since there isn't much plot Instead, you jump into each character's chapter trying to figure out what they are feeling and who they are. You see how they interconnect, be it dating or just a stranger they pass in the hallway. That is what I love about this book: trying to put the whole picture together. Some people are more in the periphery, but it's hard to complain about that because it's true in life. If you grabbed 20 high schoolers, you'd find one or two that weren't as connected as the others.

 

The feelings in this book are a genuine and legitimate. I found myself relating to each character, though obviously some more than others. And unlike books with one protagonist, you see both sides of a story, making it difficult to pick a side.

 

I don't know what else I can say about how much I love this book. So I'll just write some of my favorite lines here.

 

You are happy even if you're afraid to admit it.

 

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.