The Impossible Fortress

The Impossible Fortress has been generating a lot of buzz since last summer when the review copies came out, and rightfully so. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel, because it’s smoothly designed and hugely original. It’s written with a deftly woven plot that never misses a step; engaging characters that are nearly corporeal, they are so well sculpted; and an utterly captivating voice that unspools the narrative. Best of all, it’s hilarious! I thank Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for my DRC, which I received in exchange for an honest review. This title comes out February 7, 2017.

When this reviewer retired from teaching, I buried myself in books I had long wanted to read, and I promised myself that I would never have to read another young adult novel. That promise to myself still holds true, but now and again I see a premise so tantalizing that I know I want to read it anyway; this was one of those times. It’s a book you can read in a weekend, and once you have it, you won’t want to put it down.

First I’d like to reassure readers that are most comfortable in the liberal arts realm that the programming jokes here are very shallow, and you can easily read this without missing anything even if you aren’t a tech type. I wrinkled my brow at the chapter headings and called my spouse, a network engineer, in to see them. He told me it’s just the chapter numbers written in code. So for those of you that hyperventilate around complicated math and science, it’s okay. Breathe.

Moving on to the story itself, here’s the set-up: it’s 1987, and Vanna White, America’s girl next door who’s seen every weeknight on television’s Wheel of Fortune, has posed nude for Playboy, and no one under the age of 18 can buy that magazine. The only place it’s even for sale in our depressed rustbelt neighborhood is in Zelinsky’s shop, and the man is unhinged when it comes to kids in his store. He’s had problems with crime, and on top of that, he’s grieving his wife’s death, and right at this moment, he’s in the anger, anger, anger stage.

Our 15 year old protagonist is Billy, a ninth grader whose mother works long hours and can’t supervise him effectively. His two longtime friends are Alf and Clark. The threesome is determined to get that Playboy from Zelinsky’s store. Since they can’t buy it from him, and since it’s kept behind the counter which the owner watches feverishly during all store hours, they’re going to have to steal a copy when the store is closed. Sort of steal it. They’ll sneak in; leave money on the counter; then leave with their magazines. They’ll want three, of course, so that each can have his personal copy.

When his hormones aren’t in overdrive, Billy loves computers more than anything. He sneaks a programming manual inside his textbook during class time, because it’s what he wants to learn about. His mother is beside herself when she sees his grades—“You’re failing Rocks and Streams!”—but she has no idea what to do about it. The only thing she can take away that Billy really cares about is his computer, and she does it, telling him he can have it back once his grades are up.

As it happens, our store owner has a daughter that’s about the same age as Billy, and she has a computer too. Billy is better with computers than any of his public school classmates, but Mary, a student at St. Agatha, is brilliant. He talks to her initially as part of the scheme to get into the store at night and filch the magazine, but once he sees what she can do online, he is transfixed, and he spends more and more time in the back of Zelinsky’s store watching what Mary can do on her computer. He notes that his own technical finesse next to Mary’s is “like finger painting next to Picasso.” As the friendship between them develops, Billy is torn between Mary and computers, versus Alf, Clark, and the magazine. He tries to back out of the plan they’ve agreed upon because he doesn’t want to hurt Mary’s feelings, but complications emerge.

Although Rekulak does a fine job developing Billy, the best developed character in this story is unquestionably Mr. Zelinsky. As to setting, I am impressed with how much minutiae is absolutely accurate here. But it’s not the character development, setting, or plot that drives this novel; it’s the voice, which is as authentic in adolescent reasoning , planning, and oh dear heaven, in its impulsiveness as anything I have ever seen.

Whether you are a teen, a parent, a teacher, or a reader that’s just looking for a good laugh, you’ll find it here. Highly recommended.

It all began with the 1987 Playboy edition featuring Vanna White. Billy, Alf, and Clark are desperate to get their hands on a copy but, unfortunately, they aren’t old enough to purchase it themselves. They hatch scheme after scheme to get the magazine, all of which fail spectacularly. In desperation, they develop a very complex plan to steal it. Unfortunately, the plan includes getting the security code to Zelinsky’s, the only nearby store selling this much coveted article. But they may have a solution - Billy will seduce Mary Zelinsky and get her to give him the code.

However, things don’t go quite as planned. Billy, who is a computer geek and has already designed several of his own games, discovers that Mary is not only also into computers and coding, she is leaps and bounds beyond him. Not only that but she tells him that one of the biggest names in computer games is offering a brand new super-expensive computer as a prize for the best original game designed by a young coder. And it just so happens Billy has been working on such a game, The Impossible Fortress, if only he could find a way to make it run faster. Maybe with Mary’s help, the game could be made to work. So now he has to make his own impossible choice: betray his friends and forget about getting the security code so he can win the contest or forget about the contest and go ahead with the plan to seduce Mary. Trouble is, the more he works with Mary, the more he likes her, maybe even loves her.

The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak is a charming YA novel about friendship, first love, and the confusing emotions that accompany puberty especially for boys. It is also a fun look back to the days when the Commodore 64 was king and gaming was still in its infancy. For those who are interested, Rekulak has included, at the beginning of each chapter, coding for a more modern version of The Impossible Fortress.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

In the year 1987 Playboy released a copy with scandalous photos of the famous Vanna White which became somewhat of a Holy Grail to young teenage boys. Fourteen year old Billy Marvin and his friends were no exception and the three boys vowed to do anything to get their hands on a copy of the magazine.

When their first attempts fail miserably Billy comes up with a plan to get close to Mary Zelinsky, the daughter of the owner of the store selling the coveted Playboy that the boys are desperate to get a copy of. But Billy didn't plan on slowing falling for Mary as the two work together on a computer program that will hopefully win them a prize.

The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak was an incredibly fun read that takes place in the 80's. All throughout the book the author did a wonderful job of reminding readers of the current events and happenings during that decade which is always a favorite of mine. That alone makes it very hard for me to dislike a story when it's bringing smiles of remembrance while reading.

I will say with the characters in this book I really enjoyed Billy and Mary and watching their relationship grow as they worked together. Billy's other friends though seemed a bit more trouble than you would think this shy teen would have in his life. There was also one flaw with the whole plan that does eventually get mentioned but it had me questioning things for a while so that brought my rating down a bit.

Overall, a fun read set in the 80's with plenty of reminders of that decade.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS by Jason Rekulak is a coming of age story of Billy Marvin, who starts out trying to steal a Playboy with his buddies, hijinks, mistakes, and lies ensue and in the end, Billy's secret love of computer programming opens up doors for him he never thought possible. Oh, and he falls in love.
The story is set in 1987, a simpler time, where three young boys, Billy, Alf, and Clark, devise a way to obtain the ultimate male puberty prize, the Playboy with Vanna White in it. Quickly, the plan morphs into stealing it, making copies, and turning it into a business of selling those copies at school. Billy's job is to help the theft from the inside out, by getting to know the owner of the store and his daughter, Mary. Billy is quickly pulled in several directions at once, his friends, this new girl, and a computer programming contest that is he is beyond excited to enter. The story is fun, light and entertaining the whole way through. Maybe some would say its not a very deep or emotionally challenging story, but that's why I liked it, I didn't have to gear myself up to read some, I just found myself getting lost on the book whenever I could and finished it in a couple of days. Funny, great 1980's references, and a little lesson in 1980's computer programming to boot.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Jason Rekulak, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of "The Impossible Fortress" by Jason Rekulak. I enjoyed this delightful coming of age book and would highly recommend this. The plot revolves around three 14 year old male friends who would do anything to get the latest issue of Playboy with pictures of Vanna White .One of the main characters has difficulty in school, but is extremely savvy with the earliest computer and writing games. He meets a girl that is into computers and computer language,more than he is. She works at the store where Playboy magazines are being sold, but not to 14 year olds. His friends want him to get the alarm code from this girl so they can get into the store and get the magazine.The boy and girl who are interested in gaming on computers are working together to win a contest. The boys have all kinds of plans to get Playboy, that turn into quite an adventure. There are many quirky characters, and some unexpected twists. The author discusses friendship,loyalty,secrets,first love and betrayal. This is the beginning of an era when a Commodore 64 is the coolest thing., and computer games are catching on. This author has me reminiscing about the first Commodore 64 we had, and how expensive and slow it was. I remember my son playing simple games on the computer, This is a charming coming of age novel and an easy read

The 1980s setting of this book initially is what caught my eye. When the ARC arrived, the amount of pre-pre-published praise really surprised me – especially for a debut novel! I mean, it sounds like a fun coming-of-age novel, but I really did not expect so many promotional blurbs! Until I discovered that that the author is actually a publisher! Which I admit, made me nervous – the last book that I read that was written by a publisher with a similar amount of praise was so ridiculous and awful that I couldn’t even finish it! And the video game aspect of the description was already making me hesitant…

But, wow, am I glad that I cracked this one open!! It is wonderful! It’s surprisingly funny and feels totally authentic. It’s a great book and the plot includes more surprises than I expected, too! I can’t believe how much I really loved this book that starts out as a quest between three friends to get Vanna White’s pictures in Playboy and ends in such an unexpected way! The 1987 setting works perfectly and there are times throughout the narration that clearly originate from a more modern perspective which really adds to the satisfaction at the end. I really love this book – though I wish that we had gotten to see a bit more of all of the characters by the end… I just don’t want to say goodbye to them! Such a fun and fast read! I can’t wait to see what he follows this one up with!

If Commodore 64, Vanna White, Phil Collins, and early computer games make your heart beat just a little faster, this is the book for you. If you're mid-40s and yearn to recapture some of the freedom and foolishness of your youth, The Impossible Fortress may speak to you. I'm not the perfect demographic for it, but I got most of the references. I liked the author's capture of the misdirectedness of a 14-year-old Jersey boy with too much time on his hands and all the wrong influences. I was pulled in by the single-minded passions of Billy Marvin. I was often charmed by the confidence and creativity of Mary Zelinsky. Billy's sidekicks, Alf and Clark, were refreshingly unique, unlike any boys I've read about before. The shenanigans the teens engage in are often amusing. But sometimes I was put off by what were all-too-obvious cons that the boys just couldn't see. Were 14-year-olds that gullible in 1987? I don't think so. On the other hand, maybe I'm wrong and my adult consciousness has closed off those memories of utter foolishness. Whatever my criticisms of the book, it grew on me as I read and I found it harder and harder to put down. I do recommend reading it in as few sessions as possible. The adventures gallop along most satisfyingly if you stick with it. In the end, I liked it very much.

The Impossible Fortress was like taking a trip back to 1987 and my teen years with Billy Marvin and his friends.

Billy and his friends have one goal: to obtain a copy of the Playboy issue with Vanna White on the cover. They concoct a variety of schemes to accomplish this, but as each attempt fails, their plans become a little more impossible and each attempt is unsuccessful.

As they are plotting, Billy is struggling with his own issues. He is nearly failing all his subjects in school and would rather spend time writing code than anything else. When he meets Mary, the daugher of Mr. Zelinsky who owns the grocery store (and is the key to the Playboy magazine they all long for), and discovers she can write code the two develop a friendship.

And then everything goes wrong.

I loved the cultural references and feeling as though I could place myself right in this novel. I loved Billy and his dreams. I loved his friends who remind me a little of what my husband and his friends would have been like. I loved that I couldn't stop reading this book because I wanted to know if Billy and his friends eventually managed to obtain a Playboy magazine of their own.

I am so hoping that Rekulak's has more writing coming soon so I can enjoy another afternoon with him and the characters he creates.

Actual rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

MacGyver, MTV, Wheel of Fortune and Video City; Walkman, cassette tapes, floppy disk and Commodore 64.

The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak was a coming-of-age mixtape story that plays a relationship torn between a crush and your best friends, with a taste of heisty delight, computer geekiness and winsome dreams — taking you in a trip down memory lane while listening to old classical music and waking a vibe of your fourteen year old self living in the 80's — simple, standard yet adventurous.

A timeline when writing with your fingers or sending lots of text messages was once performed using your own feet to walk over to a friend's house and ask if they could come out and play with you; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were nothing compared to your platform of personally getting to know someone, making friends with them without hitting the 'like' or 'follow' button; Spotify was less appealing because everyone listen to the radio, waiting for their favorite songs to be played and record them using cassette tapes; and Video games (played at Arcades) were way cooler than those game apps that can be downloaded anytime straight to your mobile phones without even seeing your opponent.

This book was nostalgia at its best with throwback songs, some I personally love I even made a playlist of my own. I was born in the 90's, a millennial but I grew up listening to this kind of music, from Phil Collins to Whitney Houston and U2, playing Pacman and Super Mario games on our family computer with a glimpse of early technology and an everyday life without internet or Wi-fi was never been a problem. But this story made me see a whole different side of life my parents usually talked about. It was refreshing for a pair of eyes to read something that was out of my year genre. I admit, it was a bit challenging because I really worked hard digesting, absorbing it. I did my homework and made some research from all the tv shows, movies, personas, music and technology of the 80's for me to grasp the significance, entirety and setting of the story.

I would also like to compliment the cover of this amazing book, totally catchy and matches the story pretty well giving me a bit of a clarity how the game, Radical Planet's The Impossible Fortress really looked like and how every chapter was introduced and patterned in BASIC codes or machine language.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Schuster, and Jason Rekulak for providing me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

The premise of this book looked interesting to me. Nostalgia, computers, and whatever made this a book I thought I'd read along with knowing the author's previous work.

This book was a fun read that was actually quite engaging. It is well-written and a funny premise that appealed to me on a number of levels, including that fact that it put me in the mood of the '80's, much like another similar novel did a few years ago (Ready Player One).

I think the title is perfect because it describes about three different impossible fortresses that the protagonist has to try and breach. Although I was somewhat disappointed by the end of the book, I think this was more due to the fact that the main characters were interesting and I wanted to know more about what would happen to them more than the book being an actual disappointment. It is certainly not.

Overall, I ended up reading through this book in a day because I was quite entertained. Well worth reading, especially for computer nerds, and those nerds who were around during the '80'sand remember computers, coding and similar technology.

Fun read. Recommend.

The Impossible Fortress is absolutely adorable in all its geek-romance glory. Billy and his best friends, Alf and Clark, are obsessed with Vanna White. It’s 1987, and they need to get their hands on the new issue of Playboy magazine because it has naked pictures of America’s sweetheart. They hatch a plan that involves buttering up the store owner’s daughter, Mary. Billy is selected for that job, but maybe he doesn’t want to use Mary.

Mary is the only other person who’s interested in programming computer games like Billy is. And when she tells him about a computer game competition for students, run by Billy’s idol, he cannot resist teaming up with her to create a killer game, The Impossible Fortress. Under the cover of getting the alarm code from Mary, Billy begins spending all of his time with her.

The story is told from Billy’s point of view. I loved him instantly. I have a sort spot for geeks. Mary is smart and kind and dealing with an overprotective father. Her mother died a few years back, and her dad cannot help but continuing playing her mix tape every day in the store. I liked Mary and her dad right away as well.

This book was just plain cute. I read it very quickly. I wanted to see what would happen between Billy and Mary. Things didn’t quite go as planned. People were hurt. But ultimately it was a great book. Immediately after finishing the eARC, I reserved the audiobook from Overdrive, so my husband could read it as well. (He only listens to books.) It should be coming in soon, and I will listen to it again as well since it’s been a couple of months now since I read it.

If you’re into geeky romances, check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

Blog: Opinionated Book Lover

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Although THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS is targeted at young adult readers, anyone who, like me, grew up in the 1980s will find this book a trip down memory lane.

Jason Rekulak may be a debut author, but it is obvious that his years working as an editor for Quark Books embued him with an excellent sense of the proper balance between the plot and character development.

Will Marvin and his two best friends are the ultimate underdogs. It's 1986 and Vanna White is the ultimate girl next door. When the boys learn that she is featured in Playboy magazine, they are determined to get copies.

Will is a nerd. I can relate. I remember taking classes in Basic Code and doing anything on a computer took hours and hours of entering programming code. But, Will loves it. Hos ultimate life goal is to design video games for a living.

Then he meets Mary Zelinsky. She is a computer nerd too. Will is stunned. He had no idea that there were girls who liked computers. Remember - this was the 80s and women were still battling the secretary stereotype.

Can Will get the girl, perfect his video game called The Impossible Fortress, and get his hands on the dirty pictures of Vanna White?

This novel will have adult readers waxing nostalgic for the less complicated days of their youth and both adults and young adults alike will be able to relate to the terror and elation of discovering the opposite sex for the first time.

THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS is liberally sprinkled with pop culture references and readers will find themselves digging out their old mixed-tapes.

I absolutely loved this book and I will be recommending it to all my friends. I doubt this is the last we have heard from debut author Jason Rekulak and I, for one, can't wait to read whatever he comes up with next.

I rate this book with an enthusiastic 5 STARS ?????

Now, I'm off to my basement to try to find my old Atari system. I can't wait to play Space Invaders - old school style.

THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS

In the late 1980's, Vanna White appeared in PLAYBOY. Three best friends, Billy, Alf, and Clark, are too young to legally purchase this magazine, and like all other young boys, are determined to get their hands on a copy to see the queen of WHEEL OF FORTUNE in the buff for themselves. So, they devise a plan --

These three guys are true geeks from the 80's and are so much fun. Their daily escapades both at school and around the neighborhood ring so true and brought back fond memories to this reader. They decide to break into the local office supply store, leave money for the copies they take, and get out quickly. What could go wrong?

Well, of course, everything that could go wrong does go wrong and very comically. This is a neat little book set to the musical soundtrack of the 80's. The boys have a variety of adventures and misadventures. This book covers it all - young love, theft, good guys, bad guys, computers, gaming, and a strong sense of family and friendship. It also delves into the difference between right and wrong, the ups and downs of happenings at school, emotions, and loss.

I kept picturing our narrator, Billy, as the young and gifted actor Sean Giambrone who plays Adam Goldberg on THE GOLDBERGS and does the voice of Jeff on the cartoon CLARENCE. Maybe because of the 1980-something theme, I just naturally put Sean in the title role in my head, but for me this worked.

If you enjoy a fun, feel-good walk down memory lane, this is a book for you. Or, if the 80's are not a memory for you or are a total blur, reading this book is a great way to get acquainted with the 1980's. I discovered this book in the adult section at the library, but feel it could also naturally be in the young adult category. This 65 year old girl really enjoyed this book and I will look forward to more books by author Jason Rekulak; he did a fabulous job!

THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS was also an the store BEST BOOK OF FEBRUARY 2017 pick and after reading this fun and enjoyable book, I can understand why. I will be recommending this zany little wonder to family and friends.

THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS

In the late 1980's, Vanna White appeared in PLAYBOY. Three best friends, Billy, Alf, and Clark, are too young to legally purchase this magazine, and like all other young boys, are determined to get their hands on a copy to see the queen of WHEEL OF FORTUNE in the buff for themselves. So, they devise a plan --

These three guys are true geeks from the 80's and are so much fun. Their daily escapades both at school and around the neighborhood ring so true and brought back fond memories to this reader. They decide to break into the local office supply store, leave money for the copies they take, and get out quickly. What could go wrong?

Well, of course, everything that could go wrong does go wrong and very comically. This is a neat little book set to the musical soundtrack of the 80's. The boys have a variety of adventures and misadventures. This book covers it all - young love, theft, good guys, bad guys, computers, gaming, and a strong sense of family and friendship. It also delves into the difference between right and wrong, the ups and downs of happenings at school, emotions, and loss.

I kept picturing our narrator, Billy, as the young and gifted actor Sean Giambrone who plays Adam Goldberg on THE GOLDBERGS and does the voice of Jeff on the cartoon CLARENCE. Maybe because of the 1980-something theme, I just naturally put Sean in the title role in my head, but for me this worked.

If you enjoy a fun, feel-good walk down memory lane, this is a book for you. Or, if the 80's are not a memory for you or are a total blur, reading this book is a great way to get acquainted with the 1980's. I discovered this book in the adult section at the library, but feel it could also naturally be in the young adult category. This 65 year old girl really enjoyed this book and I will look forward to more books by author Jason Rekulak; he did a fabulous job!

THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS was also an the store BEST BOOK OF FEBRUARY 2017 pick and after reading this fun and enjoyable book, I can understand why. I will be recommending this zany little wonder to family and friends.

Source/Version: Netgalley copy - free for honest review

Score: 9/10

When you’re 14, the world seems enormous and choking all at once, the big “one day” plans far more interesting than your current maths class or boring neighbourhood. For Billy, school is a time to be thinking over his next bit of computer programming script, not work, and time at home means programming a strip poker game and hanging out with his best friends Clark and Alf. The guys decide to steal a Playboy magazine from a local shop, and the tale from there is epic – double crosses, castles, single mothers, evil principals, furious guard dogs, princesses in various requirements of saving, and a determined band of thieving heroes.

I cannot remember the last time a book tackled me back to my teens, threw off the years, dug up memories and rode off on its bike laughing. The Impossible Fortress absolutely delighted me, sucked me in from the first page and didn’t let go until I was breathless and checking my face for zits I was so firmly feeling in the 1980s. It’s an incredible ride; clever, honest, unflinching and emotive, perfectly capturing the frets and frisson of being a teen still at home and hungry for the world.

This was the second book I read in 2017, and I can tell that there’ll have to be an astonishingly brilliant story to knock The Impossible Fortress from my “Best of 2017” lists this year.
Rated: PG-13 – discussion of sex, physical intimacy, violence and themes of personal responsibility, real-life repercussions, peer pressure, friendships and developing relationships.

Literary/wordcraft discussion: The dialogue was whip fast, witty and a delight to read. The characters were well-developed, with human frailties and no stereotypical short cuts (the principal could be seen as overblown, but I’ve known principals like that so I call it believable and move on). The use of hand-drawn maps at points during the story was excellent, as was the programming code at the beginning of each chapter – I didn’t understand it but it added sinews and sweat to the shape and movement of the story. Dialogue and development was organic, deftly woven into the story so that exposition wasn’t necessary, as you felt you knew the guys, their in-jokes and nuances – which then meant that when they were surprised, you were too. The surprises were absolutely unexpected – I’d have to reread the book to identify any foreshadowing, but there was nothing heavy handed about the twists (I certainly didn’t see them coming, and they packed a punch when they landed).

Recommended to:
• Anyone who hopes their mother never knew everything they were getting up to as a 14-year-old
• Those who would like to remember their teens again, zits, crushes, frustrations and all
• Teenagers (all those I'm related to will get this book as a gift from me asap!)

Not recommended for:
• Anyone allergic to laughter
• Those still mortified by previous embarrassments
• Readers who think teens don’t think about sex (hint: you're 179008% wrong)

If you like the sound of this book, I also recommend Please Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock (Matthew Quick), The Sun is Also A Star (Nicola Yoon), Illuminae (Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff), The Serpent King (Jeff Zentner) and Exo (Steven Gould).

When Vanna White graces the cover of Playboy in 1987, all of Billy's dreams come true. He considers her the perfect woman, so Billy and his two best friends, Alf and Clark, decide that they have to get copies of the magazine. At 14, they're too young to make the purchase on their own, so they enlist the help of a senior boy with a bad reputation. But instead of walking in and getting a magazine, he helps them set up the ultimate magazine heist. The first step: one of the boys has to flirt with the store owner's daughter until she gives up the alarm code. Billy volunteers for this job, but not only to get the code. He also wants knows that this girl is the only one who can help him design a computer game that might one day get him out of his dumpy little town so he can pursue his goal of being a game designer. All of the teenage boys in this novel are idiots. Which is perfect, because most teenage boys are idiots, so they're all believable. The adults are portrayed as competent, caring, and overworked, and the cops actually do their jobs. It's a young adult novel that breaks the tropes of "the kids are too smart for their own good, and the parents don't know anything," and I am here for it. The setting was described in a way that made me feel I was a true computer nerd in the late 1980s, even though I actually know almost nothing about computers, and I wasn't born until the 90s. I loved almost everything about The Impossible Fortress. Almost everything. There is a big surprise plot point that I absolutely did not see coming, because there was exactly one sentence in the 200 pages preceding that might have provided the most subtle hint in the history of literature. Rekulak then spends about five pages hinting at the consequences of this plot twist, and then it's never mentioned again for the remaining 50 pages. That annoyed me, as I believe if you're going to include something that important, you need to give it a little more attention. Other than that, I really enjoyed this novel, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for gifting me with a copy of The Impossible Fortress in exchange for an honest review!

I read this in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon and it was quite lovely.  It's one of those books that you can relax with a smile at without worrying that you'll start to cry in public or things will get too angsty or heavy for a nice day which I appreciated.  While this is an asset, it also limited my reaction of the book to just that: a nice book.  Let me explain what I mean:

1.  The plot.  I've never read a book that focused so much on computer programming, especially back in the days when computers were just becoming available for public use.  This I found especially fascinating.  Consequently, I found the plot very interesting: following Billy and Mary's efforts to perfect their game as well as Billy's friends effort to steal a Playboy magazine.  It was quite the combination of storylines and I found it was a good mix of silly and serious.  While watching the boys try to get a hold of a copy of the magazine, I was reminded of the time period and how different things were.  It's quite fascinating to think about how much and how little has changed since the 1980s.  Getting back to the plot, I enjoyed it and the pace was perfect.  I never felt like moving from my chair and picking it back up later.  I also immensely enjoyed how things turned out in the end.  It left a smile on my face.

2.  The characters.  The characters are also quite lovely and I enjoyed getting to know them.  You really start to feel for them but like I said in the beginning, I was never worried that it would turn more towards the sad side.  It was more of a coming-of-age story which helped give the characters a lift.  I truly appreciate the fact that the author incorporated a female programmer as a main character and didn't make a big deal out of it.  I also loved how he had said character point out that programming is not an exclusive men's field.  It's such a stigma (that's lessening with the years but it still very present) and I hope by making it more normal in popular culture, things will change.  I also liked how the author maneuvered the characters so they told half truths and everything that came out of their mouths was tainted with their perspective.  I think that's so important to realize that everyone has a different perspective.

3.  The atmosphere/time period.  This is another large element of the book.  The time period plays such a role in the plot and how the characters interact with each other.  I wasn't alive and noticing things in the 1980s so I don't have an intimate knowledge with the time period (other than the music) but I got a very comprehensive look with this book.

4.  The 'niceness'.  I want to address this in it's own section because it requires a bit of explaining.  Like I was saying at the top, I didn't rate this more in the 5 star range because of it's niceness.  I think we all know those books that are great and you enjoyed them but ultimately, they didn't challenge you in any way or change you.  I'm trying to be more honest with myself when it comes to ratings and honestly, this book didn't do those things which is what I want to get out of a 5 star book.  That's not to say it couldn't be a 5 star for someone else.  It's just not mine.

The Final Verdict:
This is quite a fascinating flashback novel looking at the dawn of computer programming that's wonderfully blended with a coming-of-age journey.
4 stars

3.5 Stars
As a female software programmer with a love of 1980s culture, I was very intrigued when I heard about this novel. Even though the basic synopsis sounded somewhat superficial, I knew needed to read the novel immediately!

Essentially, the story revolves around a group of teenage boys on a quest to acquire a highly desired porno magazine. Yet, the novel manages to hit on a deeper emotional level while still providing a fun reading experience. The plot was, admittedly, fairly simplistic and predictable. I was able to correctly predict the majority of the plot developments, although the author did manage to take a few turns that I was not expecting.

Despite the ages of the characters, I would classify this as adult fiction rather than young adult. The story is told through reflective narration, with the main character recounting his childhood experiences from a present day perspective. The 1980s references will be most meaningful to the readers who actually experienced that decade, although the author keeps the technology and media accessible for younger generations. This story would appeal to a wide audience, including teenage readers who typically read young adult fiction.

The characters felt genuine and fairly well developed. At times, the boys were stupid and insensitive. In other words, they read like realistic fourteen-year-old boys, with all the adolescent immaturity of those teenage years. I really loved the lead female character, who was smart and capable, yet still vulnerable. The plot does heavily feature a budding romance, so readers must be okay with reading a story about young love.

Other reviewers have compared book has been compared to both Ready Player One, Eleanor & Park and Stranger Things.These comparisons are primarily due to the 1980s references in all these stories. Other than the nostalgic factor, this novel is quite different and should not be unfairly compared to other 1980s media. Personally, I loved the infusion of pop culture and coding references, which added a level of nerdy fan-girling to my reading experience.

While not exactly ground-breaking, I still really enjoyed reading this sweet coming-of-age novel. The writing was very accessible so I flew through the chapters quickly. I would recommend this novel to readers looking for a entertaining, funny romance story with some fantastic, nostalgic 1980s vibes.

I received an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review from Simon & Schuster via Netgalley. As always, my opinions are my own.

This book was fun and kooky and nostalgic. Though I’ll admit that the often crude and horny teenage boys occasionally rubbed me the wrong way (this book definitely wasn’t trying to be PC), I do think that Rekulak captured the essence of these characters well and that they’re probably pretty more realistic than I’d like them to be. And I loved that, in the end, loyalty and friendship won out and Billy’s best friends rallied around him in ways I wasn’t expecting. I loved all of the nods to the 80s—from the references to TV shows and video games to the details about the “cutting edge” technology of the times. I think that will appear to those of us who remember and to younger readers who will be in awe of how we survived such primitive circumstances (I know that my kids get a kick out of hearing old recordings of the boing-boing-boinging of the modems we used way back then!).

The romance that develops between Mary and Billy as they’re creating their video game is sweet, but it’s nice that it’s also based on mutual respect and understanding. But since the characters are only fourteen, they make a lot of mistakes along the way—Billy definitely isn’t sure how to handle his feelings of attraction (and rejection) and he responds in some pretty immature ways. I also appreciated Billy’s relationship with his beleaguered mom. Better yet, just when we think the story is going to be completely predictable, there’s a twist thrown in that changes things quite a bit and we learn that everything is not as it first appeared. Overall, this is an entertaining book that explores pursuing your hopes and dreams, learning to stand up for what you want and making a lot of crazy mistakes along the way. I give it 4/5 Stars.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

This book was truly hilarious! It's a poignant look at the awkward teen years set in 1987. And really, who doesn't love the '80's? For anyone who remembers his first love and the angst and heartbreak involved in establishing relationships, this is the book to read! Will and his two friends are determined to get their fourteen-year-old hands on the latest issue of Playboy which features Vanna White. What ensues is a rollicking roller-coaster ride of mishaps until one huge mistake changes Will's life. Filled with computer geekiness and nostalgic references, it is a lovely tribute to nerds everywhere! I loved it!

I feel really mixed about this book and would give it 3.5 stars if I could.

Impossible Fortress is about a 14-yo (male) computer programmer who meets another (female) programmer, falls in love, and creates an awesome game in the 80s. Along the way are hijinks with his friends in an attempt to get a copy of the Vanna White Playboy.

On the one hand, it's near compulsive reading. The plot zips along and it's genuinely fun. The hero feels legitimately 14 (unlike many YA novels where the protagonists feel...not very teenaged). Almost from the first few words, I was hooked.

But there are some plot twists that feel...very implausible to put it mildly about 3/4 of the way through the book. (Which make it hard to sympathize with the characters as well as seem kind of bonkers.) I'm not sure why they weren't cut by the editor...

What a fun book! The publisher was kind enough to send me a fun package filled with Nerds, Pixie Stix, a coloring page, and a gorgeous ARC of the book! The fun book mail really got me in the 80s mood and I immediately started the book. The Impossible Fortress follows a group of young boys on their mission to steal a coveted copy of Playboy, but the lead character Billy becomes wrapped up in a mission of his own.

I absolutely adored this book. The characters were fun, the writing was engaging, and the plot kept me on my toes from start to finish. The three teenage boys remind me of the gang in Stranger Things, and I loved their fun banter back and forth. Their hysterical and incredibly detailed plans to steal a copy of Playboy had me laughing for hours. The novel takes a slight turn when Billy has a plan of his own and begins to fall in love. He realizes he has feelings for Mary and questions whether or not he should steal the code for his friends. I don't want to spoil anything for you guys, so you'll just have to read the story to find out the rest!

The Impossible Fortress is filled with humor, romance, and drama, and is such a fun book that I couldn't put it down. One minute I was rolling off the sofa laughing and the next I was biting my fingernails. The Impossible Fortress is an incredibly fun read and I would highly recommend it to all of my friends. Now, run out and buy yourself a copy!

Billy, Alf and Clark are fourteen year old boys living in the late ‘80’s. Vanna White from the gameshow “The Wheel of Fortune” has just graced the cover of Playboy magazine. It is now available at the local convenience store and they will do anything to obtain a copy of it.

When their first attempt at buying the magazine fails, they come up with a plan to steal it. They have extra incentive after collecting money from classmates seeking to view Vanna naked. The plan involves breaking into the convenience store after hours. The success of the mission relies on Billy becoming romantically involved with the store owner’s daughter, Mary.

While carrying out the plan, Billy finds that he and Mary share the love of computer programming. Mary likes a game he has created and encourages him to enter it in a contest from a prestigious gaming company. She offers to assist him on the project together at the store. It is during this time that Billy finds himself at a crossroads and has to choose between Mary and Vanna White.

I enjoyed the flashback dialogue along with the ‘80’s nostalgia. I was brought back to the days of floppy disks and life without social media. The writer does a realistic job portraying the interaction between the teenagers while learning life’s lessons.

This is a love story, nerd style. Taking place in a small New Jersey town in the ’80’s, the reader is taken back to the world of floppy disks, joysticks, pop culture…and Vanna White.

14-year old Billy and friends Alf and Clark are obsessed to get their hands on the latest Playboy featuring Vanna. Funny the harebrained ideas they come up with. How can they make such a simple task so complicated? One instance has them dressing up like businessmen trying to fool the store owner Mr. Zelinsky into selling them the magazine. Strike one…. In the midst of all-consuming plotting, Billy meets Zelinsky’s daughter Mary and the two learn they share a love of computer programming. They join forces and enter a contest for young programmers, developing a game called The Impossible Fortress, spending lots of time together. Billy now finds himself between a rock and a hard place. He made a commitment to his friends but now has this personal connection with the Zelinsky’s. He has earned their trust and he right thing to do is quash the snowballing crazy Vannah snatch and run plan. But is it too late?

This is a young adult story but adults will more appreciate the nostalgia. The one negative I wish hadn’t been included by the writer involved a scene of destruction. It was completely unnecessary and put a damper on this light-hearted book.

I love finding a book that is completely different from my usual reading fare - quirky, funny, heartwarming and just fun to read. The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak is one of those finds.

I think it was nostalgia that sold me on reading The Impossible Fortress. Set in the late 1980's in New Jersey, we meet a trio of fourteen year olds determined to get their hands on the latest Playboy - featuring Vanna White. That's the premise but there is so much more to the tale.

It's a story of friendship, growing up, first love, dreams, discoveries and yes - disappointments. And who doesn't remember those years - good and bad?

Rekulak's trio - Billy, Alf and Clark - are wonderful characters - they're a misfit bunch, but eminently likeable. As adults, we can easily see that their schemes are likely to fail, but their hopes and enthusiasm are contagious.

Computer programming is in it's infancy in the 1980's. Billy and Mary (yes, there's a girl involved) are fascinated by this new technology. Remember the Commodore 64? There's coding at the beginning of every chapter - take the time to read it - Rekulak cleverly ties the coding to the story.

Engaging, entertaining and oh so eighties.

The Impossible Fortress is a computer game designed by a young lad in New Jersey in 1987, and it's also a metaphor for the quest in the book as a whole. Like his character climbing an Escher-like set of stairs, Billy Marvin has to meet a series of challenges on three levels of real life game play.

To begin with I didn't really get into the tale as I don't relate to adolescent boys leering over women in Playboy. Persevere and you will see Billy working away on his Commodore 64, and taking an interest in the newsagents' shop in order to steal a copy of said Playboy so the boys can sell photocopies. But a girl who works here, not particularly pretty, is definitely gifted in the programming department. Now the story takes off as Billy has to deceive his new pal while also needing her help with his game.

Enjoy! Young people will learn some valuable life lessons and see what it may mean to be using someone. They will also learn that there are different levels of success in every endeavour.

I downloaded a copy from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

The Impossible Fortress is such an entertaining and fun read. I smiled and chuckled and laughed out loud all the way through. The story of three boys looking to steal a copy of Playboy magazine with Vanna White gracing the cover so they could make copies of said pictures to sell to their buddies, the world of computer programming and games and a very, very sweet love story. This book had it all in terms of a feel-good tale.

Big thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC of this great novel in return for my honest opinion.

This book captures the enthusiasm, the focus, the camaraderie, and the goofiness of 14-year-old boys…especially 14-year-old boys in the 1980s. “The Impossible Fortress” has plenty of pop culture references from Van Halen to “Dallas” to all the great video games to bring 1987 back to life.

Billy and his two best friends take time out of their busy video gaming schedule to conjure up an elaborate scheme to buy a copy of the latest Playboy magazine that has Vanna White’s rear end on the cover. What could possibly go wrong?

And then there is a smart girl thrown into the mix which brings more complications…and opportunities.

If you liked “Ready Player One” or you liked the camaraderie of the TV show “Stranger Things” you might like “The Impossible Fortress.” It will put a smile on your face.

LOVED this book. Mr. Rekulak please bring us more!

I really like middle grade novels, and I think The Impossible Fortress helped me figure out why.

It’s inevitable that the protagonist of any novel is going to do something stupid. It’s inevitable I’m going to sit there asking why, why, why are you such an idiot?! Billy, the hero of The Impossible Fortress, is no exception. But I can forgive him more than I forgive the protagonists of YA and especially adult novels.

I sit there and remind myself, “Oh yeah. You’re fourteen.”

It’s 1987. Billy, Alf, and Clark are your average fourteen-year-old boys. They’ve just discovered Vanna White—yes, the Vanna White of Wheel of Fortune—has graced the pages of Playboy. Their mission? Get that magazine. The problem? They’re not old enough. Their plan? A heist to end all heists.

This, at least, is what the back of the book leads you to believe. This is not, in fact, what the book is mostly about. But it’s one of the rare instances where it didn’t actually bother me.

The book is mostly about Billy, Mary, and coding his video game, The Impossible Fortress. As someone who learned how to code in basic (I had a teacher who was a hundred years old and for some reason thought this would be useful), so it was fun to see all the throws to basic coding. Each chapter begins with lines of code from the game’s code, which was super cool because I understood most of it.

Billy and his gang, which includes his friends Clark and Alf, reminded me a lot of the Stranger Things team, which was super fun. They’ve got a great and realistic dynamic, which does involve them goofing on each other and giving each other a hard time. But hey, what fourteen-year-old boys don’t do this?

Clark has a condition called syndactyly, where two or more fingers (or toes) are fused together. So, despite being attractive, Clark doesn’t like to talk to girls and sticks his hand in his pocket as often as possible. Billy and Alf give him crap for “the Claw” as they call it, but I can’t imagine any fourteen-year-old boy in 1987 (or now) wouldn’t. I know people will call this out as ableism, and Billy and Alf don’t exactly realize the error of their ways. But at the end of the novel, a pretty girl tells Clark that no one cares about his hand. Sort of the reverse of the classic YA trope, “Oh, hey, a guy told me I’m pretty, and now I believe it.” And so, this little fact of his friends making fun of him didn’t bother me.

Mary is also described as being a little heftier, and yes, the boys make fun of her for it. She makes comments about it herself, and there is a part where Billy gets so angry at her that he uses this against her. Again, I can’t imagine fourteen-year-old boys not making fun of a girl for her weight, which is not a good thing. So I wish they’d been called out for this, even though they are not.

“I knew the flak from Alf and Clark would be ridiculous. All the little piggy baby jokes. All the she’s-so-fat put-downs.”

There are some topics that are a little mature, so I almost have a hard time calling it middle grade. It’s sort of a cross between middle grade and YA. The throws to 80s culture were fun if you like that kind of thing, and this really is a sweet and fun novel that reminds us all of how hard we thought life was when we were fourteen.

Despite these issues, I still really enjoyed this book. It was quirky, nerdy, funny, and ridiculous to boot. I know this book won’t be for everyone. But if you like middle grade (or younger YA) and enjoy some nerdy (and I mean nerdy) 80s culture, I definitely recommend it.

And a little bonus! If you check out the author’s website, you can play The Impossible Fortress. Just click “play the game” at the top of the page.

A fun snapshot of a high school computer geek experiencing first love while being pulled in multiple directions by friends, family, authority, responsibility and self-discovery. Takes place in the 80s as personal computers are entering the market and only embraced by perplexed adults and hobbyists. Rekulak's story is easy to get into, and will remind many 80's kids of the era without overdoing it like Ready Player One did. The high schooler romance reminds me of a less intense Eleanor and Park. He deftly captures the quirky rationale and decision-making of a teenager. I'd recommend this to anyone who was in jr.high/high school in the 80s, young computer enthusiasts. Although it focuseson a boy and his male friends, it should appeal equally to men & women.

NetGalley ARC.

This was a mostly fun book! Similar to Ernest Cline's books, Ready Player One and Armada for 1980s nostalgia. Billy, Alf, and Clark are definitely doing the wrong thing and the wrong way but it's kind of innocent at first. They're just kids but when they involve and older kid, it's not so innocent anymore. I liked Billy and Mary together, making computer games. I did not like what Mary did to Tyler Bell. That was cruel. I, like other reviewers, did not like the lack of consequences and the lack of character development. After all that Mary goes through, she's static, nothing changed. There should have been more of an impact because some of the subject matter was pretty heavy. But it's just a book and it wasn't bad.

This one has a similar vibe to 'Stranger Things,' albeit a tad lighter as its missing the sci-fi horror elements but still contains hearty portions of 80's nostalgia blended with the everyday shenanigans of pre-teens blown up into grand adventures of sorts. This is a debut novel from Jason Rekulak and is effortlessly readable with its snappy pace and straight forward narrative that gently ramps up the complexity of its characters so that near the end the story takes some drastic turns from where you initially thought it was going but ultimately makes for a richer experience. While this novel is not categorized as a YA work it is certainly appropriate for that audience as well as adults who were children of the 80's.

Billy wants to be a video game programmer, but is failing school. Alf, who resembles the TV character of the same name, is a master schemer. Clark is so good looking, but is self conscious of a congenital deformity. The three have been best friends since early childhood, and do everything together. It’s the 1980s, they’re fourteen years old and obsessed with getting hold of a copy of the latest issue of Playboy featuring Vanna White on its cover.
I really, really, really liked this one. It’s a highly readable and entertaining book that takes you back to the time when home PCs were a rarity and the video game industry was in its infancy. It’s a funny and smart novel about friendship, first love and following your dreams.

I greatly enjoyed this throw-back coming of age / adventure tale about a young man whose triumphs programming games for the Commodore 64. When he meets a local girl who shares his programming interests who introduces him to a local programming contest, the game is on. Fun for computer nerds like me who remember what it was like getting your hands on an Apple II for the first time, typing commands in DOS, and enjoying that pre-internet life.

In 1987, Billy shares a passion with his two friends, Vanna White. She is on the cover of Playboy. Their first attempt to obtain copies results in losing all their money. Now he meets Mary, who may be the key to getting ahold of the magazine. He is stunned when he finds out she is also into programming computers. He has a chance to win a $4,000 PS/2 with twenty megabytes if he can program the winner for the Game of the Year Contest for High School Computer Programmers. His world comes crashing down when he makes a series of mistakes. Readers, especially teenager boys, will enjoy the antics and means Billy, Clark, and Alf will go through to make their point and what a surprise they get.

What is more tantalizing than a centerfold of Vanna White in PLAYBOY? In 1987, not much to 14-year-old Billy Marvin and his friends. That is until Billy meets a geeky girl who can computer code.

Operation Vanna is a scheme Billy, Alf and Clark have concocted to steal a PLAYBOY from Zelinsky's store in New Jersey so they can color copy the images of a nude Vanna and sell them to their friends. Zelinky's daughter Mary works at the store. Billy strikes up a friendship with her, and soon discovers she can help him code a video game to enter a contest. Vanna is a distant memory to Billy when he's around Mary, but not to his friends who pressure him to use his friendship with Mary to get the security code to Zelinsky's so they can break in one night and steal the PLAYBOY.

The charm of this story is seeing how a relationship built upon a friendship between motherless Mary and fatherless Billy, and their passion for computers, can overcome obstacles as they try to meet a deadline to enter a contest which will win them a new computer and meet the best game designer in the country.

The obstacles seem insurmountable. Will their friendship be strong enough to overcomes the forces which try to keep them apart? And will these two adolescents, who have had more sorrow in their young lives than children should have, get a bit of joy in winning the contest, the computer and meeting the coolest game designer? That's what keeps you reading.

While reading I wasn't sure if this book was intended for adults or teens? It does have some sexual content and vocabulary if that's an issue for a reader. However, it is handled pretty gracefully. The story is humorous and upbeat which is difficult to find in novels. You care about the characters, and it is an engaging read. I enjoyed it. It might be a fun choice for a book club read.

The Impossible Fortress is a great debut novel. It's well-written, with characters who are very believable- unlike the plot. As I read the novel today, I knew that I liked it, but the preposterous plot kept nagging at me. So, I have finally concluded that if the author had concocted a more believable, or serious, plot, then the light-heartedness, the innocence- of the novel wouldn't have gelled as well as it did. So we are being told to sit back, relax, and just enjoy. Okay, sure. It worked for me. A world without smartphones in every hand, without spam, without trolls...I like it!

I absolutely loved this book. If you're looking for a fast-paced, fun-filled, laugh-out-loud funny and also emotional ride, then I highly recommend this book to you! The boys in the story took me back to my childhood. And if you want a strong female character, you can't do better than Mary Zelinski, computer programmer with spunk. This is the kind of book I'll read again because I can't imagine any other book being as fun as this one.

Successfully walking in the footsteps of bestselling novel Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is the 1980's computer gaming induced The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak. The plot introduces a fourteen year old boy swimming in adolescence attempting to not only win the grand prize of a game programming contest, but to also heist the most recent news stand copy of Playboy featuring Vanna White with his buddies. With Operation Vanna and Zork's programming type adventure in full swing, author Jason Rekulak keeps the reader knee deep in an enjoyable nostalgic 80's jargon experience.

I loved what Jason Rekulak did with THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS. The writing in this book is excellent. The storyline took me back to a time when computers were simple and Commodore 64 machines. It is a great coming of age story which I enjoyed reading cover to cover. Admittedly I do not read a lot of fiction—mostly nonfiction—but this book held my attention until the last page. I recommend it for a fun light read.

What a pleasant surprise this novel was! It has wonderful characters, an unusual story, and a great sense of time and place. The descriptions are so vivid, I could see each scene unfolding like a movie in my mind. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, some oh-no!-hold-your-breath moments, some sadness, some surprises, and an overall sweet story.

A delight to read! I'll never see Vanna White the same again!!

I bought this book because tbhe author's last name sounded similar to the Conehead planet Remulak.
It turned out to be a terific snapshot of the late 80's and a great slice-of-life book about being 14.
Enjoyed it immensely , it was very real.

As a computer nerd child of the 80s, I completely fell in love with this book. I taught myself code as a youngster as well, so identifying with the main character was easy (I didn't make any really cool video games though). The book was fun, nostalgic, and flowed nicely. I read it in a day-- a real page turner.

—laughing aloud, despite being by myself

—nodding in admiration at the finely-drawn characters and excellent plot

—stopping to gaze off in the distance (and getting chills) during the book's brilliant closing chapters

I really can't recommend this novel more highly.

Fun, warm, and dripping with teen angst, The Impossible Fortress opens an '80s time capsule that is full of people you want to do well. There are the nerdy freshmen with more hormones than sense; the overwhelmed single parents; and the bad boys lurking just around that dark suburban corner. Rekulak writes with sympathy for (almost) all, and he creates a story that feels surprisingly real. A light read highly recommended.

Really enjoyed the first 80-90% of the book. Felt the author did an excellent job capturing the people, personalities and computer situations, challenges and capabilities of the day. Was really disappointed with the ending and that significantly dampened my enthusiasm.

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through NetGalley. This review contains spoilers.)

The nostalgia factor is strong with this one, and the cheeky caper premise channels ’80s movies like whoah (think: THE GOONIES meets CAN’T BUY ME LOVE). Unfortunately, Rekulak doesn’t do right by his kick*ss female lead, Mary – and, by extension, girls and women everywhere.

Mary is a little chubby, you see, and so courting her to gain the code to Zelinsky’s alarm system is not a job for the faint of heart. Cue the fat jokes: “She’s so fat, she shows up on radar.” “For real […] She’s so fat, her blood type is Ragu!”; etc., etc., etc. x infinity. They’re so prolific, in fact, that I came to expect an epic comeuppance for the main offenders, Billy’s BFFs Alf and Clark. But the plot twist robs us of this: Mary’s not fat, she’s just hiding her secret teen pregnancy! Once she’s given birth (and lost the baby weight, natch), it’s a-okay for Billy to date her. The fat shaming wasn’t wrong, just misplaced. Yuck.

While misogyny and fat shaming abound, homophobia and ableism also make appearances. Thanks to “a freakish birth defect,” the fingers of Clark’s left hand are fused together to form a “pincer” that’s affectionately (?) known as “The Claw.” While the guys just can’t seem to let it go, by story’s end Clark has found love in the form of Video City clerk Lynn Scott, which kinda-sorta challenges at least some of the prejudice he was forced to deal with throughout the book. In stark contrast to Mary, I should add.

As for the gay slurs, I guess we’re supposed to let those slide since they come straight from the mouth of the story’s baddie? Yet the language feels so randomly harsh that it seems to demand a stronger condemnation than it receives.

Idk, I really wanted to like THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS, but there was just so much about it that rubbed me the wrong way.

Wish someone had told me this book objectified women to the extreme and was misogynistic. Very depressing book for a woman to read. Won't be finishing it. Using the excuse of this is how the 90's was (cough, cough, bs) or this is how teenage boys act is not acceptable. So...per Melanie Trump, sexual assault promotion is just 'locker room talk'? NO, not acceptable to me. You ought to be ashamed.

Loved the 80s references and culture as well as the (to me) authentic portrayal of mystified adolescents trying to find their place in the world. This is a quick and fun read. My daughter (11) also loved it.