I loved Rekulak’s Hidden Pictures, so when I checked to see what else he’d written and discovered he’d penned a coming-of-age story in the 80s with characters who were exactly the same age I was in the year 1987, I had to check it out.

And I LOVED it.

The Impossible Fortress takes us into the life of Billy Marvin, resident of Wetbridge, New Jersey. A latchkey kid, as his mother works overnight at the local grocer’s Billy spends a lot of his time in front of his Commodore 64 writing his own games and programs. When he’s not doing that, he’s hanging with his two pals, Alf and Clark, debating all the things fifteen-year-olds did at the time, who was the coolest, and intrigued by girls but unable to really connect with them.

And then it happened. Playboy released an issue featuring pictures of Vanna White, the lovely co-host of Wheel of Fortune. The trio begins to scheme how to get their hands on a copy, they can’t just buy one, they’re too young, and no one seems willing to pick one up for them.

When a local bad boy helps them come up with a heist plan to break into Zelinsky’s, the only place that sells it, along with a variety of office supplies and confectionary, Billy is the guy chosen to get the store’s alarm code.

How?

Get it from Zelinsky’s teenage daughter, Mary, who Billy is delighted to discover is a computer geek like himself. The pair find themselves working on his game The Impossible Fortress to submit it for a contest.

He makes a connection with Mary, in fact, there may be the seeds of first love blooming, but nothing is as it seems for anyone, and Billy is about to realize some choices can never be walked back, some mistakes can never be corrected, and everyone has a story.

Funny, poignant, and incredibly relatable Rekulak recalls the 80s with vivid detail, and sends those of us who were there spiralling through our own memories of the time, recalling it, reliving it with Billy and recognizing ourselves in him, his friends, and Mary.

I love how Rekulak doled out his story, how each character has a moment to shine, and though we only see things from Billy’s point of view, the people he interacts with all have their own stories, lives and problems which affect how they interact with Billy.

It’s a wonderful ride and with two novels, Rekulak has secured me as a fan, and I can’t wait to see what sort of novel he delivers next.