Do yourself a favour: read this book. The Impossible Fairytale was among my first few reads of 2021, and I took a long time to wrap my head around what I felt while and after reading it. I'd read no reviews before starting it, and its synopsis isn’t very telling either.

The book is divided into 2 parts. The first part is about 2 utterly unremarkable kids. The second part is from the perspective of a school teacher. Any further details will probably dampen your reading experience

It’s such an amazing and original concept. The translator, too, has done a tremendous job putting this story forward without taking anything away from the ingenuity of the narrative. There’s also a note explaining the limitations of translating Korean to English at the end of the book. It’s super insightful and I highly recommend you read it before starting the book.

The first part of the story dives deep into the minds of children who are exposed to violence or brutality without any guidance. What they’re capable of thinking and doing in such circumstances is inconceivable and haunting. While the story runs the risk of sounding downright unbelievable, the well-detailed characters balance out the bizarreness. So, even though the idea of young children harbouring disturbing levels of cruelty within isn't quite comprehensible, the innocence that springs from the life-like characters makes everything about the story believable.

The writing is dramatic, atmospheric, and evocative. The focus on actions and thoughts rather than feelings compliments the violence bubbling throughout the book. There’s a deliberate lack of any adult figures, specially in the first part, perhaps to instil a sense of dread in the reader. Every sentence I read increased my hopes of an adult intervening and setting things right.