This was my first Matt Haig book and while I can see how many enjoy his books it simply wasn’t for me. I loved the main character Grace and thought the first third of the book had a strong start. The magical elements became too much for me.

Penguin Group/Viking provided an early galley for review.

Haig was an author who hit my radar in late 2020 and early 2021. Enjoying earlier works meant this was one I would check out based on his byline alone.

The plot, as often is the case with this author, is a bit unconventional. However, he uses those fantastical elements to explore interesting aspects of human nature. His work often provokes deeper thought.

I quickly found a connection with Grace even though we have nothing in common. I chalk it up to the author's effortless presentation of the character, making her appealing and sympathetic. The fact that the narration is one of her telling/writing to someone also gives it a more personal feel as well.

The structural layout of this novel is an interesting. Rather than numbered chapters, they are instead each given a title of some sort. The lengths are also highly varied with some as short as a single paragraph. This makes for a very different reading experience and for the story to stand out.

Uplifting and life-affirming. After an adult lifetime of carrying guilt about her young son’s death and her infidelity to her husband, Grace gets a second chance to appreciate life and help others. The story delivers a positive message about our human condition and our intimate relationship to nature. It also gives the reader lots to mull over. (Math oriented minds will especially appreciate parts of this novel!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Press for the ARC to read and review.

Another wonderful read by Matt Haig. Haig manages to weave a beautiful and meaningful story out of feelings we have all had at one point or another. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

As a big fan of magical realism and Matt Haig’s previous books, I was very excited to be gifted an arc to his latest, The Life Impossible.

Overall- I enjoyed this one. It started pretty strong for me and I was engaged with the story. The chapters are very short which is always a plus for me and kept me reading. I really liked the main character and felt the author did a good job developing her character.

For me, it fell off a bit around halfway through. I wasn’t very interested in the plot and some side characters were introduced that I didn’t feel very attached to. The plot felt a bit too much “evil bad man who is ruining the earth for money” and it didn’t really work for me.

Overall, the magical realism in this book was great and it was a quick read. I think most people will enjoy it.

3.5 rounded down.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

My actual rating is probably a 3.75, but I rounded up. I enjoyed this book, mostly, but I did feel like everything wrapped up a little too cleanly at the end.

After reading and falling in love with The Midnight Library, I jumped at the chance to read an early copy of The Life Impossible. Matt seems to weave bits of magic with the ordinary to created a wonderful place to visit. This a beautiful book about love, loss, friendship and desire that will have you feeling all the feels.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the ARC.

I immediately wanted to read and review this book because I am a huge fan of Matt Haig's prior novels. He has a gift of making the reader sit back, contemplate life, with an almost chicken soup for the soul quality.
This novel again did not disappoint with his flair for empathy and character dynamics. I would definitely rate this one at his best works or his second best following The Midnight Library.

Grace Winters is a retired math teacher and recent widow who suddenly finds herself left a home on the island of Ibiza. She is surprised that her friend whom she hadn't seen in many years would have left her this but she also needs a change of scenery. Ibiza has a profound effect on Grace. At 72 she learns to scuba dive and it is in these strange and magical waters that Grace has an epiphany. She receives the gift of mind reading not only of the humans around her but animals and birds as well. This comes in handy as there is a developer who is building a resort that will destroy the environment and sacred habitat whom activists and her new friends are trying to stop. I love the way this book begins with Grace responding to a letter from a former pupil who is going through a crisis moment. Matt Haig reminds us that we are human capable of great love and even greater mistakes and all of us have the ability to change lives. He also tries to cement the message that there are wondrous places on this Earth that will not survive unless we change our behavior. A second act of courage and adventure with a dollop of magic provides the perfect mix of delightful story and a call to action. Readers of Lydia Millet and PLAYGROUND by Richard Powers will enjoy this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy of The Life Impossible in exchange for a review.
Having enjoyed The Midnight Library and watching it cling to the NYT best seller list for ages, I was excited to read this new book. Its set in Ibiza and is all of the magic and smart writing that you would expect from Matt Haig. His books unfold like a movie. I was in it right away and was enjoying the early pages of the book - the pacing, the wonder, the descriptions of Ibiza. I felt lost a bit in the middle though and found myself putting it down quite often for lack of attention. The chapters are short which I love. For future readers, hang on. I really smiled at the ending.
Enjoy!
3*

Matt Haig always take a concept out of life and creates a beautifully interwoven story. Grace Winters has lived a quiet simple life. When someone from her past passes away she's left with a unique opportunity. She had been left a house in Ibiza. Grace takes it as an opportunity to branch out and see what could be as well as the answers she seeks about how her friend died. She will have to confront her past in order to move forward.

I adore Matt Haig books. They always explore humanity and how our stories are interwoven. This book is a slow moving story of loss, friendship, and desire. You get to know the character and who they are at their core. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Even though I was not fond of The Midnight Library, different than everyone else on the planet, I thought I would give Mat Haig's The Life Impossible a try. Although it was "kind of, sort of" similar to The Midnight Library in construction, it was a completely different story--I think much better. Maybe because I identified with the aging Grace in the story and seeing what she became capable of because of a gift (both physical and metaphysical) or maybe the fact that Mr. Haig offers the reader some hope for the future, I enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down. I normally do not read fantasy (or fantastical realism), this book allowed me to almost believe the magic--at least for awhile. I think the combination of other worldly magic and scientific math in the book (I kind of skipped over the math parts as most of it was beyond me) , would entice a wide audience to enjoy it .

The Life Impossible will help you embrace a life full of possibility. With characters who inspire you to take every moment as sacred and others whom you’ll despise, but in time, understand, to others you’ll love but lose to a life beyond your imagination.
Possibly one of Matt Haig’s best book yet. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you're expecting a book that's similar to The Midnight Library, this isn't it. It's even better. It's a fantastical tale of rebirth, of love, of mistakes made and overcome. It's about being a better person and knowing, REALLY knowing, that you are a powerful, loved human being. It offers forgiveness. It offers hope. This is a book that I'll be reading over and over in times when I need comfort.
Thank you to the folks at NetGalley for the opportunity to read this before it officially drops.

A wonderfully, fantastic journey into magical realism. Grace Winters inherits a house in Ibiza from an acquaintance from her past. Dealing with decades old grief and guilt, she throws caution to the wind and goes on an unbelievable journey. Haig gives us so much in The Life Impossible - themes of ecological conservation, the power of connection and learning to forgive yourself. Absolutely beautiful!

I love Matt Haig books they just make you think about life in such a different unique way and this was no exception. It was for sure weird at times and not totally what I expected (the main character being 70 years old was different) but I throughly enjoyed it and will be recommending and adding to our library.

I love the magic mixed into the ordinary and Matt Haig is always great at walking the line between weird and normal. I think this is his best one yet.

Matt Haig is such a gifted writer that at times, in each of his books, I come across a sentence or a paragraph that stops my reading in its tracks because it is so good. The Life Impossible is no different with sentences and paragraphs like the following: "Someone once told me the way to die happy is to die complete. To live like you eat a delicious meal. To enjoy every course so that when you are finished you are full and enjoyed every mouthful, but aren't too sad there is no more." Or "If only we could always have the perspective of the future with us as we live in the present", "This is the challenge of life, isn't it? Moving forward without annihilating what has gone before. Know what to clasp onto and what to release without destroying yourself. Trying not to be the meteor and the dinosaur at once." finally, "It showed that love and kindness could sometimes be wrapped in rage and scorn."
Despite these exquisite sentences, I am not sure I loved The Life Impossible. It is good - it is just a little different at times. It is an easy, mostly enjoyable read that never quite reaches the heights of The Humands or the Midnight Library. I am sure it will be a Best Seller, it just, at least for me, falls a little short of the best Haig books.

Whenever I see a new book by Matt Haig, I pounce on it knowing I’m in for a magical adventure. I swear, this author is a genius. In The Life Impossible, readers are transported from ordinary life to an astonishing adventure in Ibiza. If what happens in this novel were really true, I’d be packing my bags and on a plane there right now.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Buckle up and get ready for a wild, human, fulfilling ride. In preparing to read this book, readers should suspend disbelief and relish in the knowledge that Matt Haig will hold you close and with care through the very end. What a book.

I've enjoyed several of his books and this one will also stick with me. The writing is astounding, so many sentences that just nail what it means to be human.

I am overwhelmed by even thinking about the author's writing process to pull a work with so many angles together. I hope this book finds its way into many many hands. A show stopper. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.