Simone Turner-Bloom is your average above-average teenager. She has a mother, a father and a younger brother. She lives in an upper middle class home and is an excellent student with a gift for math. But, Simone is different from most of her peers in one significant way. She's adopted and doesn't look like her parents or her brother. This doesn't bother her much, because she's happy in her family and really feels an integral part of the Turner-Bloom home.

One day, however, Simone's parents tell her that her birth mother, Rivka, wants to meet her. Simone struggles with this decision for months until, finally, she agrees to invite Rivka to Thanksgiving dinner. And, guess what? Simone finds herself drawn to her young birth mother and they begin a close relationship as Simone finds out about her past from her birth mother. Part of Rivka's past is Judaism, and atheist Simone is drawn to Rivka's practice of Judaism and its culture.

There's a hitch, however, in this happy new relationship and it is the reason Rivka sought Simone out before adulthood. Rivka's sick with ovarian cancer and only has months to live. And, in the background of these momentous changes in Simone's life are everyday teenage challenges--first kisses, boyfriends, a friend's family troubles, etc.

"a brief chapter in my impossible life" is different from most YA fiction in one, very unique way. Everyone involved--from Simone, to her friends and family, past and present--is essentially good. There's no abuse, alcoholism, or cutting in this book. It's a gorgeous examination of what happens when an extraordinary, but perfectly understandable, event challenges an essentially good, well-meaning teen.

Reviewers write a lot about how YA fiction offers much to teens who are struggling with issues, but books like "a brief chapter in my impossible life" are important too. Simone and her story, minus the adoption and math genius issues, are easily recognizable to me and I suspect will be to many teen readers.

"a brief chapter in my impossible life" is a beautifully written story. Simone's voice is strong and sympathetic. "a brief chapter in my impossible life" reminded me most of Justina Chen Headley's "Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies)." Both are highly recommended.

Simone is a fairly well-adjusted teenager who is about to have her life turned upside down. She has known since she was a little girl that she was adopted, but she has never met her biological parents. She has never considered her adoptive parents anything less than Mom and Dad, and she loves them as much as and as well as her younger brother.

Then the phone rings. Simone's biological mother, Rivka has called in hopes that she can finally meet her sixteen-year-old daughter. Simone is understandably anxious about their first meeting, and becomes even more troubled after Rivka gives her some undeniably sad news.

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt is a double delight: a fantastic debut novel and a fantastic novel, PERIOD. It deals with family, friends, and fears - high school, home, and hope - love, laughter, and loss. This book's wit and wisdom will stay with readers for a long time. Highly recommended.

Simone has always known she was adopted, but has suppressed any curiosity about her past. However, when her birth mother Rivka develops cancer, she invites Simone to get in touch, to learn about her heritage before it is too late. Simone and Rivka develop a strong relationship even as Rivka is dying. An interesting twist to the story is that Simone has been raised as a gentile atheist while Rivka is a liberal Jew with a Hasidic background. While Simone makes an effort to learn about the rituals that enrich Rivka's life, the question of her own religious identity remains open-ended. Rivka's Hasidic family remains distant and unreceptive to Simone.

The "Jewish angle" of the story is interesting, but the main focus is on Simone's relationships and growing maturity. The author has even made it easy on her protagonist by giving her a neutral non-believing family rather than one whose beliefs would present conflicts with Judaism. Because the Jewish aspect of the story is not essential to the plot, the book may be considered an additional purchase for Jewish libraries. However, this is a well-written and emotionally charged novel that would make an excellent book for discussion groups, and would be appropriate for Jewish collections serving teens. Communities must consider whether the accepting attitudes towards premarital sex and homosexuality among Simone's friends make the book right for their libraries. Appropriate for high school readers. Reviewed by Heidi Estrin

This "brief chapter" depicts several months in the life of adopted teen Simone. She's an atheist and an activist living with her an ACLU-lawyer mom and a Mr. Mom political cartoonist dad, as well as a perfect star-athlete younger brother. This all-American family questions authority and eats cous cous at dinner. Simone has always known she was adopted, but never pushed the issue any further.

Then the bombshell drops--Simone's birth mother calls and leaves a phone number. Simone is surprised at how firmly her parents encourage to reach out to a woman she knows on as Rivka.

Rivka was raised a Hassidic Jewish family and put her baby up for adoption after giving birth at age 16. The offspring of that devoutly Orthodox family ends up living with liberal parents who encourage her to crusade for the separation of church and state. Simone's experience is eye-opening, revealing that the world offers no simple black and white answers, even for atheists. Judaism is much more than a religion, and the chance to bond with Rivka opens up a new world of lineage and cultural tradition for young Simone.

Reinhardt's debut novel presents dozens of strands relating to religion, civil liberties, tradition, and the meaning of family. The plot should serve to remind teens to be open about lifestyles different from their own. However, the execution is merely satisfactory, so this isn't a 5-star book. Plot developments are touching, but visible from pages away, and the book wraps up with a predictable warm-fuzzy of an ending.