The Impossible Fortress

Great story about learning to be an adult with some well done relationships and more depth than expected wrapped in 80’s culture.

*3.5 stars. Fun and nostalgic. An entertaining read.

Full disclosure: I attended high school in the 80's and I know a little programming.

Nonetheless, this book tackles the ‘coming-of-age' experience with subtly carved characters and a formula-free plot.

Thank you, Mr. Relulak, for this surprise gem!

None of the characters have any redeeming qualities. I hate them all and they all deserve a lot worse than they got. The writings mediocre and the plot is basically nonexistent. Rekulak tries to kindle the nostalgia of adolescence in the 80's, but the kindle turns into an all consuming fire that destroys any other values of the book. Hard pass.

This is a spoiler-free review
Read on In The Sheets

The Impossible Fortress is a book I'd seen around online and decided to pick up on a whim while at Chapters. All I knew going in was that this was a love story to the 80's and, while at 27 I just missed the 80's, I was still really into the idea.

The book is a super cute coming of age story about a couple of young high school nerds (I could relate) that gets complicated real fast. Jason manages to capture the vibe and nostalgia of the decade, without shoving references down your throat for the sake of it and interrupting the narrative, in the way I felt Ready Player One did. While there are plenty of references throughout, they all feel exactly relevant to the story.

I loved every single character in this book and every turn the story took. After the first couple of chapters I figured I knew what I was in for, I was totally wrong and pleasantly surprised. The Impossible Fortress takes multiple turns that I didn't see coming and each one added an unexpected depth to the narrative. 

Overall, I highly recommend The Impossible Fortress. Jason has done a phenomenal job for his first novel, it's an incredibly fun ride and a super quick read at just under 300 pages. 

Do recommend. Would read again.

Look, I'll be completely honest with you straight off the bat. I went into this book not sure if I was going to make it the whole way through. Billy, Alf and Clark started out as this misfit group of boys that, despite the fact that I'm sure teenage boys actually do act exactly as they did, drove me to the brink of madness. I honestly wasn't certain I was going to be able to follow them through the entirety of the story.

Then, something magical happened. Video games came into play! 80's nostalgia blossomed, and suddenly Billy was more than just a typical teenage boy to me. He was a video game obsessed, extremely talented, passionate young man. He was a character who wasn't afraid to put his heart, soul, and ample amounts of his time into doing something that he really loved. After that, I felt so much more connected to this story. I wanted Billy to succeed, and I so hoped he'd learn how amazing he really was.

Things picked up from there. Mary was introduced, and I instantly fell in love with her character. I adored that she was intelligent, unafraid to show her passion for coding, and full of the kind of wit that I can only wish for. She screamed “future girl boss” to me, and I ate it up. Her banter with Billy was perfection, her no nonsense look at the world was intoxicating, and I was hooked. If this book had simply revolved around Mary, I would have been smitten from the beginning. As it stands though, Mary was the part of this story that made Billy whole. Their little romance, even the rough parts of it, gave me life.

Jason Rekulak showed me that I really shouldn't give up on characters after the first few pages. Billy, Alf, and Clark turned into boys that I actually fell head over heels for. I didn't always agree with their thoughts, or their actions, but it didn't change the fact that they were realistically flawed human beings. They were just teenage boys, obsessed with Vanna White, intent on getting girls, and learning to navigate this crazy world we all live in. We'd all love to pretend that our teenage years weren't peppered with bad decisions, and mistakes. That's just life though, and Rekulak shows that in a way that is equal parts funny and honest.

Reads more like a YA book, except for the 80s nostalgia porn designed to appeal to Gen Xers. It's a light, fun coming of age story, that didn't feel like it had to name drop every song, movie, and video game from the time period like Ready Player One did.

Billy Marvin and his buddies decide to steal a copy of Playboy with a photo spread of Vanna White, and to do so, Billy must convince a store owner's daughter, Mary, to give him the security code for the shop. Unexpectedly, Billy and Mary discover a common love for computer coding and they fall for each other.

The details of the 80's, of early computers, of first video games...this is an absolutely wonderful trip back in time. One little plot point annoyed me a bit, but in view of all the other delightfulnesses of this book, I think I can let it go. I loved Billy and I loved Mary and I even loved Mary's gruff father and Billy's wildly irritating friends.