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Reviewed by:
  • Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Moskowitz, Hannah. Marco Impossible. Roaring Brook, 2013. [256p]. ISBN 978-1-59643-721-0 $15.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 6–9.

Despite their many differences, Stephen and Marco have been best pals all through middle school. In fact, last year they headed up an amateur sleuthing operation, which provided harmless fun—until one of their investigations uncovered Stephen’s father’s adultery. Now it’s the last day of eighth grade, and Stephen reluctantly agrees to get back to business, looking into not one, but two epic mysteries: does Benji, the super-hot exchange student and Marco’s longtime crush, return Marco’s feelings, and secondly, who is leaving threatening homophobic notes in Marco’s locker? It seems like a simple, straightforward premise, but Moskowitz (Zombie Tag, BCCB 1/12; Teeth, BCCB 2/13) has a unique way of mapping the emotional lives of boys, and here she offers a complex and layered examination of a peculiar but deeply entrenched friendship. The boys initially appear to be utter opposites: the quiet kid from an oversized family, Stephen is quick to fall into only-child Marco’s larger-than-life shadow, and at first glance, Stephen’s narration makes the relationship seem terribly one-sided. As the story goes on, however, readers hear more from Marco and begin to realize that Stephen’s perceptions are often colored by his own insecurities and frustrations. A climactic confrontation between the two is honest and raw without being overly dramatic, and Moskowitz lays bare the pitfalls of being vulnerable in relationships even as she tacitly applauds it. Supporting characters are delightfully funny, and touches of humor in the plot serve to lighten up the book’s more serious elements.

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