Review Detail

"The comfort of knowing"

The truth is, as interpreted in the poetic musings and documentations in David Levithan's verse novel, The Realm Of Possibility, the experience of comfort can never be actualized, but will be eternally desired and driven by the agonizing discomfort of the unknown; for there will always be discomfort in the infinite mass of the unknown as well as an ever-changing world determined never to be understood.

As despairing as that may sound, there is consolation in these revelations. Where Mr. Levithan truly shines is in how he beautifully articulates the uniform search within young people for a defining sense of self, identity and purpose. Yet, what is revealed through this collection of twenty disparate voices is not how small and insignificant each and every life is, but how far our very presence, just by our mere existence, will reach and inevitably deliver impact on others. Through the poetry, journal entries, songs and haiku of twenty individuals with several unifying themes, topics and emotions, the author discloses to the reader that even as we feel like we are completely alone and that no one notices, our words, our images, our actions and even inactions are endlessly consumed by those around us and will imminently have penetrating impact on the lives of others.

David Levithan has wholly captivated me emotionally, intellectually and creatively in this genre-bending novel that is, all at once, beautifully lyrical, stunningly engrossing, devastatingly haunting, eternally poignant and deeply resonate.