This Impossible Light

From the YouTube slam poetry star of “Shrinking Women” (more than 5 million views!) comes a novel in verse about body image, eating disorders, self-worth, mothers and daughters, and the psychological scars we inherit from our parents.

Fifteen-year-old Ivy’s world is in flux. Her dad has moved out, her mother is withdrawn, her brother is off at college, and her best friend, Anna, has grown distant. Worst of all, Ivy’s body won’t stop expanding. She’s getting taller and curvier, with no end in sight. Even her beloved math class offers no clear solution to the imbalanced equation that has become Ivy’s life.
 
Everything feels off-kilter until a skipped meal leads to a boost in confidence and reminds Ivy that her life is her own. If Ivy can just limit what she eats—the way her mother seems to—she can stop herself from growing, focus on the upcoming math competition, and reclaim control of her life. But when her disordered eating leads to missed opportunities and a devastating health scare, Ivy realizes that she must weigh her mother’s issues against her own, and discover what it means to be a part of—and apart from—her family.
 
This Impossible Light explores the powerful reality that identity and self-worth must be taught before they are learned. Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson and Ellen Hopkins.

Praise for This Impossible Light:

★ ”In an exceptional novel in verse, slam poet Myers debuts with a powerful commentary on maternal inheritance and eating disorders….striking use of the flexibility of free verse…absorbing and evocative.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review 

“Every YA library needs this book.” —VOYA

“Written in evocative verse, with notes of wonder and despair, the cadence flows across and down the pages with grace. Lifted beyond the confines of the problem novel with its lyricism and resonance.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This verse novel’s form perfectly mirrors its content as readers move from poem to poem, from thought to thought, following Ivy through the false logic that triggers and sustains her disordered eating—and into the beginning of the much more difficult steps of grief and recovery.” —Horn Book

“The undeniable teen appeal makes it a first purchase for any YA collection.” —School Library Journal

“More than a touching debut, this is a surefire coping companion, too.” —Booklist