A heartwarming novel in the magical realism genre. It is partially epistolary as the narration is a series of letters between a teacher and a former student.

The action takes place in Ibiza and revolves around the magical powers bestowed by an alien underwater presence. The powers heal not just the body, but also the soul, with the narrator overcoming the grief and lack of pleasure she had arrived with.

A magical and unique book that whisks you away to a world of unknown's. I love Matt Haig's writing and tone, this book is a really great read! I didn't enjoy it as much as The Midnight Library but I still had a great time.

The narrative is in the form of a letter, so it feels very personal. Grace is replying to a cry for help from a former pupil who needs advice, and she gives much more than that, she had been struggling herself when she travels to Ibiza to a falling down house she has been bequeathed by a distant acquaintance. What she finds on that island both confuses and enlightens, and more than a little magic draws her to the sea and some very interesting characters. If you can get past the mathematical and scientific references (which drove me slightly mad I must admit) and open your mind to possibilities of far fetched mind games it is a very enjoyable read. I loved the chatty style of writing, and the “never say die”attitude of a heroine in her seventies.

You really can’t go wrong with a Matt Haig novel.
The Life Impossible is a perfect end-of-the-summer read set on Ibiza, with his signature otherworldly themes that dovetail beautifully with the lives of the normal people who populate his stories.
This one is just as enchanting and life-affirming as his other novels. If you’re a fan you won’t be disappointed, and if you haven’t read any of his work yet, this would be a great novel to start with.
Five gorgeous stars for Mr Haig’s latest, with thanks to NetGalley and Canongate for the chance to read an ARC.

I absolutely loved The Midnight Library so I was excited to read The Life Impossible. The setting being so close to where I live, and somewhere I’ve visited sounded perfect too.

However, although I loved the storyline and lots of aspects of the story, it just didn’t grip me in the way that the Midnight Library did. There are great conservation messages in it and I applaud Matt Haig for that. As a scuba diver myself in my younger days, I loved the spirit of Grace and her willingness to step right out of her comfort zone and try diving, although the sensibility of just having a bit of verbal instruction in the boat immediately before you dive at age 72, is probably not recommended! Also up and moving to Ibiza is pretty gutsy…………mind you, if someone left me a house somewhere out of the blue, I’d definitely take a trip to see what I’d been given too!!

There’s a lot to like in the book, but for me some of the ‘powers’ that Grace acquired were a step too far into the realms of fantasy. Half way through the book, I was longing for it to end and did what I rarely do, log on to see what others thought of the book………the reviews were so overwhelmingly positive that I felt I had to continue as I was sure that the best bits must still be to come but sadly for me, they just never really came.

The writing is good, but just too far into the realm of the supernatural/fantasy for me.

My thanks as always go to the author, the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced e.reader copy of this book. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

A true thought provoking novel- quite strange in places, but a great read. Grace goes to Ibiza where she has been left a house. She meets many challenges and particular happenings.

This was a book that really drew me in. Short snappy chapters lure you in. Plenty of comedy and sadness told from the point of view of a 70 something year old lady. Slightly unbelievable at times which made the story all the more magical. I loved reading it.

Plot ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

An elderly, retired maths teacher, grieving the loss of her son from decades ago and of her husband more recently, is living a life less colourful. Emotionally shut down and numb to the joys of living, Grace is going through the motions to survive, but is most certainly not thriving. With the arrival of a letter from a long-lost acquaintance, offering an exceptional gift and a strange invitation to move abroad, Grace begrudgingly sets out on an adventure to solve a mystery, and the journey that follows is one of rediscovery, redemption, healing and protection.

Characters ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Grace Winters is a very relatable character as she has found herself stuck with unprocessed traumas. At times she’s apathetic, sometimes overwhelmed, other times making progress. Her reaction to unfolding events feels very congruent and demonstrates the incremental steps taken when working through grief. I appreciate how this transformation indirectly gives the reader permission to try new things, take chances and live in the moment when emotionally low.

As for the supporting characters, they all have well defined personalities and each influences the story in their own, meaningful way. No one feels out of place or added in as a necessity and Alberto was especially amusing at times due to his roundabout communication style.

Setting ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Ibiza, the Mediterranean island where there’s a little bit of everything you could possibly want in a holiday, was a great choice. Environments were at times beautiful and serene, then lively and atmospheric. Being a small landmass made the setting feel quite contained and helped make the idea of the strong local community even more realistic.

Writing ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Oh my goodness, what an absolutely delightful read with some really thought provoking insights. I can’t help but feel this story is an ode to the fullness of our human experience and all its complexities as it touches on so many different themes. Additionally, whilst the genre shift a third of the way through was totally unexpected, it truly enhanced this exploration from an alternative and unusual perspective.

The writing was fabulous and I felt the unpacking and processing of past traumas woven throughout the story was very authentic. I have saved so many quotes from these pages and will continue to reflect on these in days to come.

Readability ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The author’s style is very easy to read and flows well to maintain immersion. Additionally, the inclusion of shorter ‘bite-sized’ chapters was fantastic as this really helped keep momentum and pacing high throughout the story.

On the rare occasion when the action slowed and my attention waned slightly, something interesting would always happen and I’d be completely engrossed once again for several more chapters. This created a real page turner and I definitely struggled to put the book down on numerous occasions.

Overall Enjoyment = ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Wow, honestly, this is a true modern masterpiece.

Favourite quotes:

- When you grieve someone you see their message in everything. Even in the sunlight on a blade of grass. The whole world becomes their translator.

- When things are wrong, we need to reach rock bottom in order for change to happen. We sometimes need to feel trapped in order to find the way out.

- You see, if you want to visit a new world, you don’t need a spacecraft. All you need to do is change your mind.

- An element, as you no doubt know, is matter that can’t be broken down into a simpler substance. They are the primes of the cosmos. We are made of elements. We have the unbreakable and the eternal inside us.

Many thanks to Matt Haig, the publisher and NetGalley for the electronic review copy they kindly provided. In response, the above review is my critical reflection and honest opinion.

The Life Impossible is my first Matt Haig novel and I absolutely loved it. The story follows Grace, who inherits a house on a Mediterranean island from her friend. She bought a ticket and began her search for what happened to her friend. Matt Haig's writing is so easy to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book addresses difficult themes such as death and grief, but Haig handles them beautifully. There is also a little bit of magical realism that adds a different layer to the story. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I loved the feel good tone of the book and hope to read more from his books. Thanks to NetGalley and Canongate for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the mundane to magical element of this book, showing the changes to Grace and her life after going to Ibiza. It was a good story however I found myself scanning over the long descriptions of mathematics and science, and it felt like the letter format didn’t add a great deal to the storytelling. I liked the premise though and would give it a solid 3.5 stars.

A beautful, magical and thought provoking book - perfect for the end of summer. I found myself engrossed by the layered story and I loved the Ibiza setting.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

Matt Haig takes you in a beautifully written journey and captures you from the start with her unique sense of writing.

Grace Winters is a widowed retired maths teacher.

Same routine day in day out when out of the blue receives a call to say that she has been left a house in Ibiza from a work colleague from many many years ago.

Grace arrives on the Island but all is not as it seems, how did her friend die and why do inexplainable things keep happened.

As Grace starts to unravel the trusts, she realises she needs to deal with her own past.

One of the things I enjoy most about Matt Haig's writing is his beautifully British sense of humour. From saying 'Ibiza' in italics, Grace is very much the image of a British woman in her seventies. Her mathematical sensibilities make the world simple and rational, and Haig places her in a very not rational scenario. The book is emotional and well-written, with some beautiful scenes to imagine.

Like Matt Haig’s earlier book, How to Stop Time, the author seems to get inside my life and ask me several very important questions. In the case of The Life Impossible, he finds a seventy-something widow, downsized to a small but comfortable bungalow, who has lost the art of going out and making friends since the Covid lockdown.

So after this uncomfortable start, I thoroughly endorse her choice to set off to Ibiza to discover the house she’s been left by an ex-colleague who she hardly remembers.

The story unfolds through an epistolary letter to a former pupil who has emailed her for advice. This gets lost in the narrative until occasional asides by Grace to her correspondent. These can jar, but also provide an element of punctuation to her tale. And it’s a wondrous one, combining island history, ecology and local life with big money machinations, lies and intrigue. And something mysterious, or is it mystical?

I was totally engrossed in this book. It has the light and freshness of a Mediterranean island combined with dark secrets and intriguing powers. And as I write this, I realise: I really must read the Life Impossible again.

I was so excited to read this and I was not disappointed. What another wonderfully written and inspiring story from Matt Haig, His writing is beautiful and the characters are so beautifully developed and I felt immersed in their world. Loved it from start to finish and didn't want it to end!

A deftly woven tale of loss, depression, sadness and strength.
The book centres around an otherwordly energy off the coast of Ibiza and Grace, a 72 year old woman who encounters it via a very odd legacy. The book kind of bimbles along, told via Grace's perspective as an email essay to a former student but introducing the lesser known sides of Ibiza away from the club scene.
There is something magical about the way the story unfolds, the gentle pace, the wry observations and raw emotions that come to light so that although the journey inevitably ends you are satisfied that everything you need to know has been told (or foretold!)

This is only the second book I have read this year I just could not bring myself to finish.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Matt Haig's other works however this was just too unbelievable for me, a step too far. I coudl not relate to the characters in the story and there was just too much "magic" in this to give the plot any real depth.

Unfortunately I will not be recommending this book but thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Matt Haig books are always a bit hit and miss for me. They're not my usual genre as such, but many of his books just hit really hard with emotion and meaning, and that makes them 5 star reads. This was one of the ones I didn't enjoy as much, but three stars given because he is undeniably a skilled writer.

I really tried to understand this book and have come to the conclusion that I am not the target audience.
I found it confusing and annoying.
Sorry not for me.

An extremely well written and very unusual book that explores what it is to be a woman, who has made difficult choices and had to deal with difficult events, including losing a child and her husband. Grace has never thought highly of herself, and life seems to have confirmed her worthlessness. Her life changes when she is left a house in Ibiza by a woman she once helped many years before. Grace goes out there, meets various people as she searches what has happened to her friend and then goes swimming in the bay, whereupon her life changes for ever.

It requires a little suspension of belief to accept some of the events, but if you roll along the journey is well worth while. Its hard to say more without spoilers. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.