The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak -- Review

Title: The Impossible Fortress
Author: Jason Rekulak
Pages: 304
Publishing: February 7th 2017 by Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1501144413

Summary:

A dazzling debut novel—at once a charming romance and a moving coming-of-age story—about what happens when a fourteen-year old boy pretends to seduce a girl to steal a copy of Playboy but then discovers she is his computer-loving soulmate.

Billy Marvin’s first love was a computer. Then he met Mary Zelinsky.

Do you remember your first love?

The Impossible Fortress begins with a magazine…The year is 1987 and Playboy has just published scandalous photographs of Vanna White, from the popular TV game show Wheel of Fortune. For three teenage boys—Billy, Alf, and Clark—who are desperately uneducated in the ways of women, the magazine is somewhat of a Holy Grail: priceless beyond measure and impossible to attain. So, they hatch a plan to steal it.

The heist will be fraught with peril: a locked building, intrepid police officers, rusty fire escapes, leaps across rooftops, electronic alarm systems, and a hyperactive Shih Tzu named Arnold Schwarzenegger. Failed attempt after failed attempt leads them to a genius master plan—they’ll swipe the security code to Zelinsky’s convenience store by seducing the owner’s daughter, Mary Zelinsky. It becomes Billy’s mission to befriend her and get the information by any means necessary. But Mary isn’t your average teenage girl. She’s a computer loving, expert coder, already strides ahead of Billy in ability, with a wry sense of humor and a hidden, big heart. But what starts as a game to win Mary’s affection leaves Billy with a gut-wrenching choice: deceive the girl who may well be his first love or break a promise to his best friends.

At its heart, The Impossible Fortress is a tender exploration of young love, true friends, and the confusing realities of male adolescence—with a dash of old school computer programming.

Bonus content: Play the "The Impossible Fortress" video game at http://www.jasonrekulak.com/game/

Review:

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! 

Rating 4/5