Imaginary Girls

Aug 24, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, deliciously-creepy, favorite-ya, 2011-favorites, gorgeous-prose, horror, paranormal-general, pn-ghosts, read-2011, unreliable-narrator, 2011-5-✮-books, psychological-thriller, 2011-publication, mature-ya

Eerily beautiful and incredibly disturbing, Imaginary Girls is a novel unlike any other I've ever read. As the story begins, Chloe is coaxed into swimming across a reservoir at night by her magnetic and beautiful older sister, Ruby. A dangerous and illegal activity, made all the more frightening because Chloe would be swimming over the lost town of Olive, which was flooded to make room for the reservoir. The idea of swimming over a ghost towns in the dark of night, with the possibility of "cold,...more Eerily beautiful and incredibly disturbing, Imaginary Girls is a novel unlike any other I've ever read. As the story begins, Chloe is coaxed into swimming across a reservoir at night by her magnetic and beautiful older sister, Ruby. A dangerous and illegal activity, made all the more frightening because Chloe would be swimming over the lost town of Olive, which was flooded to make room for the reservoir. The idea of swimming over a ghost towns in the dark of night, with the possibility of "cold, webbed hands" reaching out for your ankles, is incredibly evocative and scary, and it created a distinct feeling of unease that never left me.

If that wasn't enough, Chloe finds herself face to face with a dead body at the end of her swim. In terrible shock, she leaves town for awhile to live with her father. Upon her return, however, she finds that while everything still seems to go Ruby's way, absolutely nothing is exactly what it seems--and something terrible lurks beneath the surface of the charmed world that her sister has created.

This is a fascinating story about a compelling and uncomfortable relationship between a mesmerizing older sister and her profound influence on her younger sibling. Chloe refers to herself as an "echo" of Ruby, and the imbalance in their interactions becomes more and more troubling. What rings very true, especially for anyone who might have an older sister herself, is that Ruby mostly does not control those around her with threats or extremely negative behavior, but confidently captivates them with the beguiling persuasiveness of her personality. And it's the poison you love that usually does the most damage. The interesting thing is, as one of my fellow reviewers pointed out, I wouldn't necessarily call Ruby the villain of the piece, however. The situation is much more complicated than that.

Throughout the book, I wasn't entirely sure what was going on--is it supernatural? is it not?--and I think its dreamy, distant mood was perfect for a story that creates a lot of puzzling scenarios but doesn't necessarily provide clear cut answers. I think some readers may have an issue with some of the unresolved questions, but for me, its Twilight Zone quality was part of its appeal.

This is an extremely compelling and layered book, with gorgeous, haunting imagery and quietly frightening scenarios. It takes a gifted writer to make something as innocent as a bunch of balloons into a reason to make you worried and afraid. The shivers I felt upon reading that scene still haven't quite left me, and the disquieting mood of this strangely beautiful book certainly never will.

The Town of Olive:

There's a fascinating story behind the author's inspiration for this novel. The lost town of Olive was inspired by and loosely based on the communities in the Hudson Valley that were torn down to build the Ashokan Reservoir in 1917. The author also answers some other frequently asked questions on her website.

This review also appears in The Midnight Garden.(less)

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Aug 25, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lovers of surrealism

Recommended to Lisa O. by: readalong with Maja

Shelves: ebook, ya-lit, fantasy

2.5 stars

This is the first time that I've considered NOT rating a book. I felt, and still feel, like whatever number of stars I might give are not going to truly reflect my opinion nor do Imaginary Girls any justice.
So keep in mind that my rating in this case is just the result of a mathematical addition of factors, of things I liked and didn't like.

The story is, in a nutshell, a mystery. It's difficult for me to give you a synopsis of the plot, but suffice it to say it involves a mysterious re...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Annalisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Annalisa by: Nova Ren Suma

Shelves: magical-realism, young-adult, cover

2.5. The extra half star mostly for the cover.

Interesting premise, but it failed for me in large part for one reason: I hated Ruby. And this is a novel that needs you to believe in the beautiful magic of the most narcissistic, vicious character I have ever read. Suma spends so much time in the beginning "telling" me all about how wonderful Ruby is instead of "showing" me anything, that the more Chloe went on about how charming her sister was, the more I couldn't wait for her to wake up and reali...more 2.5. The extra half star mostly for the cover.

Interesting premise, but it failed for me in large part for one reason: I hated Ruby. And this is a novel that needs you to believe in the beautiful magic of the most narcissistic, vicious character I have ever read. Suma spends so much time in the beginning "telling" me all about how wonderful Ruby is instead of "showing" me anything, that the more Chloe went on about how charming her sister was, the more I couldn't wait for her to wake up and realize how reckless and controlling she was. Alas, she never does. She just keeps trying to convince me otherwise.

But that's not the only reason the novel bothered me. Suma never sets up or develops her scenes. She throws you in the middle of it and then waits until after you're confused to give you description. For example, there's a scene where her and London are standing in the village green and London shouts at her if she's coming, only after the dialogue does Suma explain that London is in a car that wasn't there before. The whole novel is like that and after awhile it wore on me always trying to figure out what was going on. Without developed scenes, nothing fully happened, just the shadow of a scene here, the hint of something happening there, nothing more than all these little questions that come up so that by the end I wasn't sure if all of my questions had been answered. It was so frustrating to read, I almost quit a hundred times.

My biggest frustration is Suma kept getting in the way of the story, purposely stopping me from funding anything out to create the sense of mystery. A few discoveries to pique my interest or a bit of wonder from Chloe would have gone a long way to pull me into the story. Chloe never wondered why strange things were happening, or if she bought into them, explained to us why she didn't need to ask the right questions. And if she ever did get close to asking them, Suma interrupted the scene to keep us from finding anything out. I understand the feel of magic, the mystery that Suma was going for, but she went about the wrong way creating that eerie feeling. I never quite worked up the ability to suspend my disbelief when Chloe never worked up a sense of wonder herself. There were times when she showed hope of trying to figure out the mystery of what Olive and Ruby where doing to the town, but then she'd settle back into her content oblivion and I was left with all my questions.

The most interesting line in the novel was the statement that just maybe Chloe was locked up in PA imagining all of this. I wish that had been expounded on more. I like that there's a hint of magic without a firm resolve and I loved the eerie quality of the story, but I'd rather Chloe had been a little more proactive, to be amazed or confused or anything other than merely enthralled with Ruby and trying to convince me to be the same. There was a lot of promise in this novel. Suma shows some talent with words. With easy edits I could have loved it. Maybe Suma's next novel will be better developed.(less)

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Jul 30, 2011 Courtney added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, ya-fiction, 2011

AT LAST, I can finally sit down and write my thoughts on this beautiful book properly. I got to read early drafts of it (lucky me brag brag) and each draft was like perfecting perfection until the final version completely blew me away. I do not know how Nova Ren Suma sits down at her laptop and makes this book magic happen only that she sits down at her laptop and makes magic like this book happen. The girl is Talent with a capital T.

I won't give a rundown on the plot because I can't really do i...more AT LAST, I can finally sit down and write my thoughts on this beautiful book properly. I got to read early drafts of it (lucky me brag brag) and each draft was like perfecting perfection until the final version completely blew me away. I do not know how Nova Ren Suma sits down at her laptop and makes this book magic happen only that she sits down at her laptop and makes magic like this book happen. The girl is Talent with a capital T.

I won't give a rundown on the plot because I can't really do it justice. I feel like I'll say too much or not enough in all directions and part of the experience of Imaginary Girls is letting Ruby take Chloe, and by extension you, on a very eerie and unsettling and gorgeously written journey. This is a book about obsession, ghosts, magic and love. Chloe is blindly loyal to her sister Ruby and Ruby to Chloe. These are girls who would die for each other, bend time and distort reality for each other. (Dear my sister: DO YOU LOVE ME THAT MUCH?) These are two girls who huddle together and push everyone out to the point I felt like I was reading the most grim and beautiful secret. That's what Imaginary Girls is: a grim and beautiful secret.

I am just going to give you notes on why this book is incredible and you should read it or we aren't friends anymore:

The setting. If your novel is setting dependent, this is how you do it. Nova Ren Suma's world-building played on all of my senses. She takes such care with her words and makes everything so there the reality she creates is absolutely undeniable, which, for a story like this I think is so important. I believed everything.

There is this moment in Bridge to Terabithia where Leslie is reading an essay on (I think) deep-sea diving, and it was so vividly written that Jess felt like he was drowning. I never forgot that--as a kid I felt so cheated that I didn't get to hear Leslie read that essay--and I thought of it over and over when I read Imaginary Girls. This book made me feel like I was drowning. Except in the good way. This is a story that literally closes in on you and makes you open your eyes to it, whether you're ready or not. Which is what I assume drowning in water is like. Also this is as close as I want to get to that feeling! Also I know I said it was "drowning in the good way" (I KNOW, I KNOW, "drowning in the good way"--DROWNING IN BEAUTIFUL LITERATURE IS WHAT I MEAN HERE) but also the terrifying way too, which leads me to the fact that...

THIS BOOK MADE MY EYES WATER. This might not have significance to you but allow me to explain: my eyes water when I am scared. It is how I measure the success of a horror movie. DID IT MAKE INVOLUNTARY TEARS STREAM DOWN MY FACE? Yes, yes it did. Did I just make myself sound like a weird person? Yes, yes I did. (view spoiler) This story is so damn creepy and it is the kind of creepy that sneaks right up on you like the movie Repulsion and you think you are okay but then seven hours later you are like D: D: D: Except when I read Imaginary Girls I never thought I was okay and then seven hours later I was D: D: D: THAT is how creepy it was.

The characters. These are characters who look at the world in a very specific way and it read so real to me. Chloe and Ruby live for each other at the exclusion of all others. I think that was a bold and brave decision and I think it paid off. It made me really understand every single action both characters made and a lot of times their dynamic broke my heart. The possessiveness, the ownership of each other. The consequences of Ruby's love. The consequences of Chloe's temptations to figure out who she is without Ruby. Nova Ren Suma nailed what it is to have a sister. She nailed that bond. And then the genius is in how she skewed it just enough to make you question everything. I think the best creepy stories are the ones that take familiar elements and then distort them until you know you are looking at something you've known but also you know you have never, ever known if that makes sense. That's a really fine line to navigate but wow, did Suma pull it off. It was masterful the way it was done here, is all I can say.

Did you love Jellicoe Road? I think you will love this book. It is that kind of read. You can feel the weight of the story on you, it twists itself around you so tightly you are not sure which direction is up and then as you read on, the picture slowly starts to unravel and it makes a new picture and everything comes together in the most incredible way. The hints that Suma drops along the way that bring the book to its ultimate conclusion is just wow. You might wonder where the book is going and then when it gets there, you know there is nowhere else it could have gone. And then you have to read it all over again and just appreciate how expertly it was all put together from a craft standpoint. When I finished this, Suma had my trust as a reader for life.

I could keep going but I will leave it at this: Imaginary Girls is Extraordinary. CAPITAL E. And the cover is amazinggggg as I said in my original "review." Nova Ren Suma, like CK Kelly Martin, is a talent to be reckoned with--the kind of writer who comes along and makes you want to be a better writer. For that, I thank her and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 oliviasbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to oliviasbooks by: Wendy Darling

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, ya-contemporary, problem-focused, e-version, in-love-with-the-cover, thriller, ghosts-dead-people, urban-fantasy-paranormal, low-expectations, horror, not-afraid-of-sex-in-ya, read-2013, beautiful-writing, favorites-of-2013, want-to-own

Pennsylvania was a strange state. No one knew who Ruby was.
Should you - like me - love beautiful, dream-like writing and glittering, complex characters who constantly hover just outside your grasp in a gray area between evil, half-good and plain crazy, yet do not mind not getting solid answers at all, there is a serious chance for you to fall for 'Imaginary Girls' by Nova Ren Suma.

I read the eerie, eerie debut novel featuring a tight, strange bond between two sisters, a siren-like femme fatale c...more Pennsylvania was a strange state. No one knew who Ruby was.
Should you - like me - love beautiful, dream-like writing and glittering, complex characters who constantly hover just outside your grasp in a gray area between evil, half-good and plain crazy, yet do not mind not getting solid answers at all, there is a serious chance for you to fall for 'Imaginary Girls' by Nova Ren Suma.

I read the eerie, eerie debut novel featuring a tight, strange bond between two sisters, a siren-like femme fatale clutching a whole small-town in her fickle fingers, an alcoholic, hippie mother, some sexual awakening, some painful growing up and growing a conscience, a caring father, deaths, ghosts and hot, lazy summers with a Goodreads group of 'German Girls Reading English Books' - thank you, girls, for voting for this gem as our January group read; without you it would be still gathering dust on my Kindle - and I was delighted by the rich multitude of explanation possibilies the plot offered as our order-seeking minds tried to press the book into a fitting genre corner and to make sense of heroine Chloe's subjective narration. Although only a dozen readers went into discussion, a colorful palette of constructions presented itself - and almost all ideas sounded quite sound: Drugs, dreams, traumata, split personality disorders, deal-offering monsters, paranormal gifts that are limited geographically, even painfully staged pretenses of paranormal gifts to mislead and mind-control the heroine.

... To me, personally, Ruby came across like a twisted and dangerous, yet somehow caring variation of Mary Poppins. I am not exactly sure why. Probably because of her spontaneity, her cheerfulness, her firm reign, her randomly offered secret bits and pieces from her personal Knigge, or simply her magnetic personality?

The book which 'Imaginary Girls' reminded me the strongest of is my beloved 'Chime' - which is not for everyone either. Since Franny Billingsley is so slow in producing another masterpiece I can blissfully roll around in, I am happy when something remotely comparable in style turns up to entertain me in between.

You see, I am rather reluctant to issue a general recommendation, but I also do not want to leave my positive rating uncommented and my praise unuttered. You might be disappointed or frustrated, but you might also miss something unusual and great.(less)

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Aug 23, 2011 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imaginary Girls leaves me feeling the way I did after seeing Donnie Darko and Virgin Suicides for the first time ever. Picture me utterly confused at times but mostly unnerved and slightly creeped out. Donnie Darko is my favorite 'WTF was that movie' while Virgin Suicides was my first 'how sad but twisted' one. That Imaginary Girls had me feeling both things (sometimes simultaneously) is quite a feat. Needless to say, Imaginary Girls is different... and I liked it.

Who else has come across those...more Imaginary Girls leaves me feeling the way I did after seeing Donnie Darko and Virgin Suicides for the first time ever. Picture me utterly confused at times but mostly unnerved and slightly creeped out. Donnie Darko is my favorite 'WTF was that movie' while Virgin Suicides was my first 'how sad but twisted' one. That Imaginary Girls had me feeling both things (sometimes simultaneously) is quite a feat. Needless to say, Imaginary Girls is different... and I liked it.

Who else has come across those posts on manic pixies? Ruby is almost like one of those except she's so much more. Yes, she's the beautiful, mysterious girl and has everyone enamored with her. But there's something more sinister to her. I kept waiting and waiting for the book to reveal precisely what had my skin crawling but what she was is never clearly defined. One thing is certain though, she isn't one dimensional. And if I had to label her the villain, I'd hesitate to do so. She simply loved to deeply and completely and in the end (view spoiler)

At it's core it's a love story but not a romantic one. It's a love between sisters that's ~~slightly~~ definitely skewed and a bit overly dependent... on both sides. Where Chloe is the younger sister grown used to what her older sister's decisions and whims are, Ruby, the older one is defined by her role as protector. Both of them go overboard and it was fascinating to read.

With all that, there were still boys, no men, to consider. Men who're so in love with the idea of Ruby. It was disturbing to read... but I could not tear myself from it. I think the best thing about this aspect of the story was Owen. I'd dreaded the moment when Chloe would turn out like her sister. But the minute something along those lines did happen, well it was a great moment. Because instead of a "love conquers all" thing, there's a dimming of brightness for both. What he thinks of her has changed and vice versa. Definitely, these were not simple characters.

Goodness me! I really enjoyed reading this, and I really like that I find myself struggling to define what kind of read it was. It's different and dark. With the way it started, I had no idea where I'd end up.

READ THIS!
4/5(less)

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Jun 18, 2011 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-after-university, read-in-my-twenties, young-adult-fiction

I have an odd relationship with young adult realistic fiction. I keep on reading it although I often cannot relate to it. I think that, the majority of the time, teenage lives are portrayed best (but not necessarily more accurately) on television (e.g. Gilmore Girls, The OC, One Tree Hill… I do love American teen dramas). Imaginary Girls is the complete opposite in this respect and I think this is mainly because of the writing (and not necessarily the plot itself). I can't imagine that televisio...more I have an odd relationship with young adult realistic fiction. I keep on reading it although I often cannot relate to it. I think that, the majority of the time, teenage lives are portrayed best (but not necessarily more accurately) on television (e.g. Gilmore Girls, The OC, One Tree Hill… I do love American teen dramas). Imaginary Girls is the complete opposite in this respect and I think this is mainly because of the writing (and not necessarily the plot itself). I can't imagine that television would be able to capture it very well. There are many beautifully written passages and sentences that I’d love to quote for you but because I read an uncorrected proof copy, this would be illegal unless I checked it against the finished copy, which I haven’t. You’ll just have to take my word for it. The writing isn’t particularly life changing and I don’t mean it’s beautiful in the sense that there are deeply inspiring thoughts, more that it uses metaphors that I wish I could use in real life without sounding pretentious and a little peculiar. The atmosphere also plays a massive part in the storyline and I often felt I was drowning whilst reading. I don’t think I’ll look at a reservoir (not that they’re a huge part of my daily life…) the same way ever again.

The sister relationship (between our two main characters – Ruby and Chloe) was something I cannot personally relate to and as much as I try, I cannot imagine. Ruby was not a favourite character of mine. She’s presented as this wonderfully, quirky, original personality whereas I found her to be extremely possessive, nasty and controlling. It’s probably one of the few times that I have been glad that I do not have a sister because I’d feel extremely letdown if I had one like Ruby. However, it’s not like the author believes that the relationship between the two girls is functional and positive, as you’ll realise as you read further. Ruby’s actually damaging to everyone around her. I saw Chloe’s as the stronger of the two girls. She’s not seen to be as ‘perfect’ or even as likeable but I really admired her maturity and ability to see what was really going on.

This leads on to the ‘main’ plot: “Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood”. This was slightly paranormal-y and fantasy-ish but in a way that I cannot explain. Is it a ghost story? Is it magic? Is everyone insane? I had no idea what was going on most of the time and unfortunately the complex situation it isn’t completely cleared up at the end. I still felt unsatisfied but overall, the eerie plot added intrigue to the story and I did have chills running down my spine at one point.

Imaginary Girls is an interesting blend of genres and I really enjoyed the mix. It was completely not what I expected at all but that only added to the excitement. I only wish the book gave more answers but overall I found it to be a thoroughly mesmerising read.

This book was obtained as an eGalley from the publisher for review.(less)

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Dec 29, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mello and Palice

Recommended to Karen by: Cillian, Wendy Darling and Paige

Shelves: absolute-gems, i-ll-be-having-nightmares-tonight, confusing-plot, enjoyed-it, heavy-stuff

This review is spoiler free!

Here it is folks! My long overdue review of Imaginary Girls ~~don’t blame me, blame uh… um… someone else~~.

This review is dedicated to the lovely Wendy Darling.

Imaginary Girls is, without a doubt, one of best books published in 2011. Although it didn’t get five stars it’s still one of my all-time favorites. It’s not like all the other YA books out there. It doesn’t have stock type characters, a predictable storyline or any half finished ideas.

Imaginary girls was weird.

…...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: delightfully-weird, interesting-structure, nice-passages-here-and-there, rockin-contemporary, surrealistic

I just finished IMAGINARY GIRLS. Literally--I turned the last page a moment ago. It's normally a bad idea for me to write reviews without a breathing period, where my thoughts can take shape, my reaction stabilize. And I haven't written a review for a long time, have purposefully not written reviews for months. But I want to write this so I can think about this book more. I'm not sure what I feel about this book and why. I need this space to decide.

In some ways, this book was everything I could...more I just finished IMAGINARY GIRLS. Literally--I turned the last page a moment ago. It's normally a bad idea for me to write reviews without a breathing period, where my thoughts can take shape, my reaction stabilize. And I haven't written a review for a long time, have purposefully not written reviews for months. But I want to write this so I can think about this book more. I'm not sure what I feel about this book and why. I need this space to decide.

In some ways, this book was everything I could ever want out of a novel. In glittering, shining moments of the narrative, when a particular line uncurled itself from the page, came alive, just stood there and said hello to me, I felt it. When an arresting image appeared in front of my eyes, vivid and real enough to touch or breathe or live briefly in, I felt it. It's that thrilling feeling you get sometimes, when you're reading something that will become important to you. It's like a tickle in the gut. This was THE BOOK, I thought. My newest soul-book.

But for some reason, as the last page lies read on my nightstand, I realize IMAGINARY GIRLS never quite arrived there. What I'm left with is more a fleeting impression of a novel; several alive scenes, restless segments of language stuck in my head, a recollection of dialogue. At this moment, at least, IMAGINARY GIRLS is not quite substantial enough for me. Not quite enough.

It's not because of the prose, because the writing is beautiful. Suma writes with such grace. Her sentences flow ceaselessly on the page, undulating into and out of themselves, connecting with each other in moments of wonderful rhythm. Her imagery is precise--the details, small actions and appearances of characters focused on with microscopic intensity render sometimes surreal, sometimes poignant scenes.

It's not the premise. Magical realism or surrealism are currently my favorite things to read. I want more of it in YA; I'm hungry for it. And I want more stories like this in YA, that leave questions in your mind,
that are perhaps a bit strange but singularly unique, that make you think. Though the slow-moving events and the sometimes lack of a plot won't win as many teen readers over, I didn't mind too much, although I'll admit my attention sometimes waned during long paragraphs of internal monologue. Or perhaps it is the plot--how do I explain? It doesn't feel entirely like a linked story, this book. More a collection of compelling, surreal images. There's more atmosphere than happening, more prose than character.

And it's the characters, I've begun to think, that makes this book 4 star for me and not 5. They're not quite enough. It's the fact that I can't sense them. They didn't come alive, in the way the setting and the descriptions did. I can't think of a character trait for the main character Chloe other than her obsessive love for her sister Ruby, her yearning. Ruby is easier, I suppose. She's cruel and beautiful and powerful. But Chloe? She's an empty vessel for the story. She narrates. She tells of enigmatic, wonderful Ruby, and that is all. But do I have a right to complain about her, when I love THE GREAT GATSBY so? Shouldn't I think something more reasonable, like Chloe's lack of substance is a reflection of Ruby's power to ensorcell, to captivate everyone and everything, so even a book about her younger sister focuses on her as her "echo" of a sister dissipates?

I don't know. I am left feeling strange by this book. It's not the more unusual turn of events, which I found refreshing and lovely. It's the feeling of having missed something, lost something. Maybe if I'd read this earlier in my life (or later--I'm not sure which) it would have meant more to me. It's the fact that it doesn't--for whatever reason--the characters, I suppose--that makes me feel unsettled, more than the threatening, oil black surface of Chloe's reservoir ever did.

(less)

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Aug 19, 2011 Alyssa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Big sisters and little sisters and those of you who like a dose of WTH with their bedtime read.

Shelves: 2011-read, mystery, mystery-suspense, really-excited-for, ya-loved, wait-for-paperback, get-with-library, great-realistic-fiction, great-books

IMAGINARY GIRLS isn’t worth any Printz, but it certainly brought something fresh to YA, something that kept me up at night, checking the shadowy corners of my room to make sure I wasn’t being watched by some random, beautiful girl (view spoiler).

A summary won’t do this book justice, but I’m also not attempting one because I don’t actually know how to describe this book. There is...more IMAGINARY GIRLS isn’t worth any Printz, but it certainly brought something fresh to YA, something that kept me up at night, checking the shadowy corners of my room to make sure I wasn’t being watched by some random, beautiful girl (view spoiler).

A summary won’t do this book justice, but I’m also not attempting one because I don’t actually know how to describe this book. There isn’t really even a legitimate plot – basically, the narrator is Chloe, the main character is her older sister Ruby, and we just follow the two sisters as a dead girl comes back into their lives, a reservoir on the edge of their property slithers closer, and their entire town does anything Ruby says. It doesn't sound like much, but it truly is something else.

Ruby and Chloe had a fascinating relationship. Ruby took to new levels being a “bossy big sister,” and Chloe went to extremes to follow along with her. I found it – at first and way before I realized what Ruby really was up to – difficult to comprehend as well as unrealistic the way that Chloe would, for example, jump into the water in the dead of night, practically naked, for no reason, just because Ruby wanted to show her off. Of course, my doubt faded away eventually, as it should have, and yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Chloe was just a follower to Ruby’s strangeness. Ruby as a character on her own held the book - she was creepy, and yet, she lit up the pages and became actually likable unlike Chloe, who was a Mary Jane puppy dog and absolutely nothing special on her own.

I like the way Nova Ren Suma wrote the relationship between Ruby and her town - I just thought it was original and haunting the way boys would follow her even though she'd broken their hearts, the way girls were desperate to be her no matter how unhappy she really obviously was. I felt, as the book winded down, the significance of the title - like I was living in a little girl's imagination that had somehow, maybe when wished upon a birthday candle or bright star, come true. Reading IMAGINARY GIRLS is like living in the mind of someone else. Actually, that's probably the best way to put this book: you're living in a version of Wonderland run by the Queen of Hearts, for whom you must do absolutely anything she asks.

The way Owen - who I wouldn't consider a love interest, although I wouldn't consider him an evil jerk, either - and Chloe adapted to each other, and the way they were written together...I wouldn't have been able to ask for more. You have to read them together to know what I mean, just like you'd have to read this book to actually understand what's going on. (To give you an idea of their relationship, just think hate sex.)

My biggest complaint would be that I, unlike others, didn't appreciate Nova Ren Suma's prose. At all. It was purpely to me - I like purple, but this was purple to the EXTREMES - and very hard to follow at times. She was always going off on one important tangent, just to bring in some piece of the past, just to go back and leave the reader in the dark. Her similes and metaphors were unappealing and unneeded, and every. single. phrase. had to be described in minute detail. The beginning was also very uncompromisable, and I'd have given up on this book if it hadn't been for all those good reviews. Next time, I'd like to see more action and intensity along with the flowery descriptions and analyses.

There's not really much to say about this book, actually. It just sort of needs to be read. It's frighteningly artistic - I thought Nova Ren Suma had twisted the entire frame of happily ever after so that it looked like something from Pan's Labyrinth - it's loving - Ruby and Chloe take blood to a whole new level - and it's mysterious. I recommend this book to those in the YA audience who aren't scared easily because IMAGINARY GIRLS brings a whole new definition to creepy.(less)

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Apr 05, 2012 JJ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Right, so I imagine this book, like Tahereh Mafi's SHATTER ME, is the sort of book to drum up a love/hate sort of relationship. However, unlike SHATTER ME, I actually fell in love with this one.

To be honest, I knew very little about IMAGINARY GIRLS aside from a vague notion that it was "literary". What I knew poking around the author's blog was that she had a way of writing about emotions that was gut-wrenching and slightly self-conscious, the way MFA students or poets are often praised for bein...more Right, so I imagine this book, like Tahereh Mafi's SHATTER ME, is the sort of book to drum up a love/hate sort of relationship. However, unlike SHATTER ME, I actually fell in love with this one.

To be honest, I knew very little about IMAGINARY GIRLS aside from a vague notion that it was "literary". What I knew poking around the author's blog was that she had a way of writing about emotions that was gut-wrenching and slightly self-conscious, the way MFA students or poets are often praised for being. (My thoughts on the MFA are...another matter--suffice it to say, very few people actually benefit from having one in that very few people actually walk away with a book deal.) Luckily for the author, I found the first 80 pages of IMAGINARY GIRLS online as a freebie from her publisher, and I fell immediately under the spell of her prose.

This is everything I had asked for while I was in the depths of my YA fatigue. Fascinating, complex characters, unreliable narrators, literary, magical realism, and absolutely no FEEEEEEEEEEEEELINGS to get in the way. This, to put it simply, is simply a magical book.

It's hard to describe what it is succinctly, but at its heart, it's a story about a possibly haunted little town, control and power, the dangerous side of manic pixie dream girls, and two sisters--Ruby and Chloe--whose attachment to each other borders on obsession. This is most decidedly NOT your fluffy YA popcorn read. This novel is SINISTER. The book opens with a dare to swim across a reservoir, in which our protagonist happens across the dead body of her classmate. The answer to the central question of the series is found within that first scene, cleverly laid in. How Ruby is involved. Who or what Ruby is. What happened that night Chloe took the dare to swim across.

It's hard to categorise a work like IMAGINARY GIRLS, which is part psychological thriller, part murder mystery, and even a tiny bit supernatural (although it is decidedly not supernatural--only that the book can possibly encompass the superatural--such is the definition of magical realism, I feel). There is a certain type of reader who is naturally drawn to and feels affinity with a novel like this, and it's hard to describe who they are except I am one of them. The spell Suma weaves with her prose is equal parts literary craftsmanship and nostalgia--nostalgia for a place and a time I never lived.

This isn't to say that IMAGINARY GIRLS isn't without some flaws, some objective, some more subjective. On the objective side, I have a feeling IMAGINARY GIRLS might have begun its life as a short story--the beginning is nearly perfect in its brevity and diction, and later scenes in the novel start to feel like just that: scenes. Forward momentum is slow at best. On the more subjective side, I can imagine people absolutely HATING everyone in this book. I don't, but that is perhaps because I have known my fair share of Rubys, and like Chloe, have wanted to be one myself. And I might have. It's hard to tell.

God, this book is amazing. An absolute breath of fresh air so close to the end of a year which had grown increasingly stale. I would absolutely recommend it to lovers of magical realism, although a more general recommendation has to be qualified by the fact that this simply might not be up your alley. To each his/her own.(less)

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Jun 18, 2013 Nafiza rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, 2011, books-for-review

I just finished this book. Like, about five minutes ago. And I have so many thoughts swirling in my mind that I am not sure I will be able to give the book the careful deconstruction it deserves. However, while this may be an emotive review, it will also be a very honest one.

I started reading Imaginary Girls with two thoughts in my mind: one, I really like the cover (and now that I have read the novel, it makes so much more sense) and two, I really like books that explore sisterhood. I feel that...more I just finished this book. Like, about five minutes ago. And I have so many thoughts swirling in my mind that I am not sure I will be able to give the book the careful deconstruction it deserves. However, while this may be an emotive review, it will also be a very honest one.

I started reading Imaginary Girls with two thoughts in my mind: one, I really like the cover (and now that I have read the novel, it makes so much more sense) and two, I really like books that explore sisterhood. I feel that relationships between girls are not genuinely explored in YA literature. As in friendships, familial relationships, these things are usually sacrificed to assemble stereotypes of haughty, evil cheerleaders and nice and sweet main characters. This works if we are looking for fairytales but when you are thinking about real life… it becomes a bit more complicated. First of all, let’s consider how we would categorize Imaginary Girls. What I can tell you most definitely right now is that it’s not a paranormal fantasy/romance. It is also not totally contemporary. What the book does is take elements of both genres and marries them together to create a book that is liberally dosed with atmosphere and tense anticipation. I would say magical realism but I really am not too familiar with the technique so you can refute my claim.

The relationship between Ruby and Chloe is the basis of the story. It is not a relationship that is neat, that you can divide into good and bad. It certainly is complex but even then, it is complex in a way that makes it impossible to look at it in objective terms. Is Ruby bad for her sister? Perhaps. Is Chloe better off without her? Maybe. However, the way in which the story is written, portraying as it does Ruby’s dedication to Chloe, her willingness to sacrifice everything (everyone?) to keep Chloe happy makes the reader unwilling to paint Ruby as totally black. While Chloe is the main narrator of the story, it is Ruby who will have the bulk of your attention. She is such a fascinating character: caustic at times, cruel and magical. I think the only thing that redeems her as a character is her love for Chloe.

I have to commend the author on the atmosphere of the story. Throughout the entire book, as though I was watching some noir movie, there was this shortness of breath, this hint of danger pervading the pages, auguring some sort of upheaval. The reservoir was not just a setting but it became a character: malevolent and waiting. It was fantastic.

I understand why the romance was there but I didn’t think it was too necessary. It did add some interesting textures to the story and reveal facets about Ruby but I’m still not entirely sold on it. The ending is interesting but I felt that the story was still unresolved. I was not satisfied by it ending there. It’s not a compact ending with the curtains in the windows and the mat in front of the door. It ends on a question and with a wistful hope for some impossibility.

The writing is beautiful. It’s poised (yes, writing can be poised, thank you very much), lyrical and very honest.

“Her eyes were full of the night’s stars and her hair was lit with the police sirens and she acted as if nothing at all was wrong… (Suma 20)”

Conclusion? It may be very different from everything else that is out right now but believe you me, it is one experience that is worth having. It will resonate with people who have older siblings, who know what it feels like to hero worship them. It’s a beautiful book, guys. Read it. Seriously.(less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Paul Beimers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who: want great writing, unique stories and dreamy settings.

Recommended to Paul by: Cillian Beyond Birthday

Shelves: fiction, thriller, magic

This review is also available on Kat and Stephanie's wonderful Cuddlebuggery book blog.

I was completely prepared to go slow with this book and take my time. No self-imposed time limits or expectations, no rushed urgency. It started off well. I picked up my held copy from the library and promptly cracked it open the moment I got home, with the intention of reading the first 100 pages or so before calling it a day.

And what happened?

I read the entire thing in what was, essentially, one sitting.

Bec...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Simcsa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, read-in-2011, read-more-than-once

I love this book. It's so beautiful, from the cover, through the last page.

"Ruby said I’d never drown—not in deep ocean, not by shipwreck, not even by falling drunk into someone’s bottomless backyard pool. She said she’d seen me hold my breath underwater for minutes at a time, but to hear her tell it you’d think she meant days. Long enough to live down there if needed, to skim the seafloor collecting shells and shiny soda caps, looking up every so often for the rescue lights, even if they took f...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Book Sp(l)ot rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-release, arc, own

I'd pick this up just for that cover!!

Review:

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma is worth reading if only to experience the author's way with words. Chloe’s older sister Ruby is the girl everyone knows of, knows about. Ruby is the girl everyone wants to please, wants to be like, wants to be liked by. Boys will drive hours in the middle of the night to buy her the simplest thing; shop girls will give her things practically for free from any store.

She’s also the one who looks out for Chloe, who takes...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-covers, my-bookshelf, beloved

Obsessive, haunting, and entrancing. If you don't like the constant "Ruby said" then don't read it. That's what makes it so beautiful.

Sisters.

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May 27, 2013 Shoujo & YA Banter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, romance-with-a-little-paranormal, would-so-tap-that-cover, favorite-series-books-of-all-time

I honestly don't know how to even begin in describing this book....

Guess I'll start with this:

This book is....creepy, haunting, disturbing, descriptive, beautiful, and confusing as hell. These words really don't do the book justice, nor will this review....but I'm going to try. WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. ALL SPOILERS WILL BE IN A SPOILER FORMAT TAG.

Usually, I try and divide my reviews into sections of sorts. With this novel, it's going to be hard to do that, but as I said above, I will try...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: junior-library-guild-reads

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Unfortunately, the beauty of the language, the wonderful specificity of details that made it so lyrical and visual couldn't account for the lack of characterization or plot resolution. Ruby and Chloe's sister relationship never came alive or seemed real to me, though there were hints that it could rise to the occassion once they started hiding secrets from one another. London was the most interesting character. And the girls mom should have either been...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-mt-bookpile

I was tempted to give this a 3, but the fact that I know the town in which this book takes place quite well (it's Woodstock NY) and the author seriously changed some of the places (Olive, which does/did exist, is on the other side of the Ashokan Reservoir, not part of Woodstock), which really bothered me. Arbitrary? Definitely. But that's what all ratings are.

As for the story, Ruby's power over the town and the people in it seemed extreme. At first I thought that this was how Chloe saw her older...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Rachel Hartman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OK, I think I'm finally ready to review this properly. Deep breath...

I didn't like this book.

I know, I know, it has four stars and may even deserve five, but I didn't LIKE it. It hit too close to home, and I'm having trouble working out a way to discuss that without laying my own crap out all over the internet in gruesome and excessive detail.

I'm going to have to approach this obliquely, I fear.

Long ago, when I was first became a parent, I read a lot of parenting books. One idea in particular hi...more OK, I think I'm finally ready to review this properly. Deep breath...

I didn't like this book.

I know, I know, it has four stars and may even deserve five, but I didn't LIKE it. It hit too close to home, and I'm having trouble working out a way to discuss that without laying my own crap out all over the internet in gruesome and excessive detail.

I'm going to have to approach this obliquely, I fear.

Long ago, when I was first became a parent, I read a lot of parenting books. One idea in particular hit me hard -- so hard that I can't even figure out where I first read about it, the source got knocked right out of my brain. That idea was "differentiation".

Differentiation is the process by which children learn that they are different people from their parents. I realize that sounds both trivial and obvious, but it's not. It usually happens in stages; a child begins to realize things like "Oh, I like olives and mom doesn't, and that's ok because we're different people!" or "Sometimes Daddy is WRONG!" It's basic boundaries-building. This is mine, THAT is yours, we are not identical and that is as must be.

For some people, believe it or not, this process doesn't quite manage to happen. Sometimes a parent is so self-centered, needy, and/or charismatic that the children can't (or won't) pull away. that's what I see, laid out starkly and grimly, in this novel. Ruby has been Chloe's default parent. Chloe can't tell where she ends and her sister begins. Ruby is such a narcissist she encourages this. They're a cult of two, and Chloe never manages to break free.

The magic-realism, or surrealism, or however the nightmarish imagery should be categorized, serves to amplify this dynamic. It's the psychological made literal, the mind turned inside-out. And it's not like Chloe doesn't see the discrepancies between Ruby's domain and naked reality. She absolutely sees them, and they bother her a little bit.

But not enough to break free. Even with Ruby "dead" (and I mean, is she? Certainly if you gauge by Chloe's psyche, the answer has to be no), there is no escape for poor Chloe.

And that, I think, is the crux of my dislike. The book was well-written and compelling and creepy, and you should absolutely read it, but the ending made me want to punch holes in the wall. I want to howl and burn things. And yes, there is personal history wrapped up in my reaction, and no, I'm not explaining it in any more detail than I did in my status updates.

It's a hard book. A bullying book, compelling you to read even when you hate it. Worth the time, and worth the heartache, but I have to keep reminding myself that escape is possible, even if Chloe didn't want it.(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Absolutely gorgeous, unsettling book, a tale of the symbiotic relationship of two sisters. Though I'm only in the middle, I'm already sure this will be a four or five star read. A charismatic older sister--the beautiful big fish in the small pond of her small town--has a power over her younger sister (our narrator) unlike any I've ever read. Ruby's will is so powerful she can bring back the dead. Or so it seems. I'm reading this slowly, enjoying the gorgeous, chilling way the author uses languag...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

Seriously, I have no idea what I just read, but I really liked it.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Ms. Library rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: want-to-buy, pretty-good

This was another great book. I love magical realism. Its handled so well in this book, and the writing style is just so pretty. It feels like the author is painting with such a vivid brush, and I could just sense the bright colors bleeding through the page. There is something really special about it. Its hard to describe.

The writer makes the reader fall in love with Ruby, even while she shows (and doesn't tell) how she is so manipulative. I really liked that about this book. I liked that she di...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Cierra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't really enjoy Imaginary Girls.

I have a tendency to buy books, knowing what they're about, and when I set out to read them I don't reread the synopsis just to make the whole book a surprise. However, in the case of Imaginary Girls I feel like reading the synopsis would have cleared up the rest of the book for me.

It felt like the book was overloaded with hidden meanings and symbolism, but I just didn't understand any of it. I am definitely one for fantasy, things that don't happen in real...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 26, 2012 Penny rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: No one.

Shelves: blerg, chick-lit, crazypants-protagonist, disappointing, meh, weirds-me-out, witchy-woman, reviewed-books

I started reading this book in June. JUNE! I finally finished reading it last night. Admittedly I liked Imaginary Girls at first--like the first couple of chapters--then almost immediately it was all I could do to finish one page every time I picked this book up. The story is not that interesting. The writing-style is irritating and pretentious. It feels as though author goes out of her way to say things in the most roundabout way, in a way that's meant to be artsy and poetic. I wouldn't go so f...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Lea (YA Book Queen) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, netgalley

Very unique and intriguing to read. It transcended it's contemporary roots and became almost...supernatural? I liked it, a lot. Full review to come :)

UPDATE
-----------
Review: Imaginary Girls is a haunting tale of two sisters and the power sisterhood can have.

Chloe has always been "Ruby's sister" to everyone in her town. Ruby is magnetic and powerful there, the girl everyone loves and listens to. So much so, Chloe thinks that there isn't anything her sister can't do. When Chloe comes back to tow...more Very unique and intriguing to read. It transcended it's contemporary roots and became almost...supernatural? I liked it, a lot. Full review to come :)

UPDATE
-----------
Review: Imaginary Girls is a haunting tale of two sisters and the power sisterhood can have.

Chloe has always been "Ruby's sister" to everyone in her town. Ruby is magnetic and powerful there, the girl everyone loves and listens to. So much so, Chloe thinks that there isn't anything her sister can't do. When Chloe comes back to town to live with her sister, she finds that things have changed. People listen to Ruby more than Chloe realized...and Ruby may have more power and deadly secrets than Chloe could ever imagine.

The pacing is slow going at first, but once the mysteries surrounding Ruby and London start being revealed, the pace picks up. Plot-wise, it's difficult to say anything more than I've already said for fear of spoilers. There's this constant eerie undertone to Nova Ren Suma's words, and I was always left with questions and enough intrigue to keep going by the end of every chapter. When it began, I thought it was entirely contemporary. Yet, it transcended it's contemporary roots and delved into something supernatural and utterly unusual. I can honestly say I've never read anything like Imaginary Girls , and I want more of it.

Highlights: This book isn't about boys or romance, but instead the author focuses on sisters, family. Yes, there are a few "romance" moments, but the familial bond is the more important aspect. Ruby herself is so magnetic, hypnotic, and very much like a firework - she sparkles, shines, she's might be dangerous, but you just want to get closer. The underwater city of Olive was especially interesting to me, and I wish we could know more about it. The magical realism, the secrets, the twists, the reveals, and the surprising conclusion were all welcome highlights to Imaginary Girls .

Lowlights: The first couple chapters after the intro almost put me off the story completely. It took some time to get into the author's writing, the slow pacing, but I found it worthwhile once I made it further into the book. The focus on Ruby was a bit overwhelming at times as well, but I did get used to it.
(less)

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Dec 19, 2011 Ashelynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommend, reread-a-million-times

This review also appears on Gypsy Book Reviews.

I finished this book not knowing what happened to my brain. Wow, this book is unique and twisted and brain-mushing. It's such a roller coaster, and whoa, I'd read this book again in a heartbeat. It's a little confusing, and not everything is resolved—hello, cell phone? What's up with that?—but I can see that maybe the author wanted the reader to make an opinion about it. It's the same way with the ending, and it works VERY well for this book. The re...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 07, 2012 tonya. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, 2012

Imaginary Girls can be summed up in two words: "Ruby said." It is the story of Chloe and the bond she shares with her older sister, Ruby. I don't have an older sister (though I am one), but I imagine, on the surface, Chloe's hero worship for and constant attempts to emulate her sister are very common in younger siblings. It seemed especially realistic in Chloe's situation, where Ruby had basically raised her from a very young age.

Chloe believed absolutely in whatever her sister said. If Ruby sa...more Imaginary Girls can be summed up in two words: "Ruby said." It is the story of Chloe and the bond she shares with her older sister, Ruby. I don't have an older sister (though I am one), but I imagine, on the surface, Chloe's hero worship for and constant attempts to emulate her sister are very common in younger siblings. It seemed especially realistic in Chloe's situation, where Ruby had basically raised her from a very young age.

Chloe believed absolutely in whatever her sister said. If Ruby said Chloe could swim two miles across the reservoir at night and dive down into the deep where a flooded town lived and pluck a souvenir to show off to Ruby's friends, then Chloe believed she could do it. Because Ruby said.

The writing is simply gorgeous; haunting and bordering on creepy just enough to give me that little clutch in my belly, but not enough to keep my up at night. It was free flowing like the water it so often referenced, with little structure but a rhythm that set the pace for the story.

However, I felt the pace was a little slow overall, and while the writing was pretty, it was also rather meandering. At times I got so lost in the imagery that I forgot what was actually happening in the story itself.

Added to that, I never particularly liked Ruby. I don't know if I was ever supposed to like her, but I feel (especially in light of the ending) that I was meant to feel some sympathy for Ruby, to (view spoiler). But I didn't. I found Ruby wholly selfish and manipulative. She molded Chloe into her own image, orchestrated Chloe's life down to the last minute detail according to what she herself wanted, not what Chloe preferred. It was an unhealthy relationship, and one that unsettled me on a variety of levels.

I prefer to think I was meant to dislike and fear Ruby, though. That Chloe's relationship with her sister was meant to be disturbing and without resolution. It gives Imaginary Girls an additional layer of creepiness, and really underlines Nova Ren Suma's skill in crafting a unique voice and story structure.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys descriptive prose and creepy settings, and those who can be satisfied with stories that exist without real beginnings or ends.

[Side note: holy moly is the cover awesome and for once actually fitting for the story.] (less)

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Sep 07, 2011 Skye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

Imaginary Girls was an unsettling read, with the eerie atmosphere getting under your skin and standing the hairs on your arms upright. It was completely compelling and beautifully written.

Ruby has everyone in town tied around her finger. The boys all love her, the girls all want to be her, and things just have this way of leaning in her favour. But her attention is fleeting, she's fickle and spontaneous, and the only person she's tied to i...more This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

Imaginary Girls was an unsettling read, with the eerie atmosphere getting under your skin and standing the hairs on your arms upright. It was completely compelling and beautifully written.

Ruby has everyone in town tied around her finger. The boys all love her, the girls all want to be her, and things just have this way of leaning in her favour. But her attention is fleeting, she's fickle and spontaneous, and the only person she's tied to is her younger sister, Chloe. Ruby just has this gravity to her -- everything is drawn to and revolves around her, but there's nothing out of the ordinary about that, right?

I was surprised by the affinity I felt with Chloe from so early in the story. Though the premise of a girl living in the shadow of her older sister's vibrant shadow isn't exactly unique, the dynamic is presented in a unique light. From the beginning it was clear that Ruby wasn't my kind of person, but it was easy to see why Chloe felt so strongly about her. And even then, watching the strong grip she had on Ruby loosen slowly was touching and saddening.

The plot was slow-burning, with eerie suspense building until you're conflicted between rushing through to ease your anxiety over what'll happen and slowing to appreciate the amazing prose. Imaginary Girls was Nova Ren Suma's YA debut and second novel, but she wrote in an smooth and poetic fashion that trumped even much more experienced writers.

So much imagery was at play that created clear and vivid mental pictures. So many of the images were so visually arresting: Ruby walking into the reservoir calmly, London pale underwater with her hair swimming around her, releasing the balloons with Ruby's demands penned on them into the air and watching them disperse.

Imaginary Girls also reminded me of my love of paranormal realism, a genre I don't get to read often (if you know any good books in this genre, you should leave a recommendation in the comments and I'll love you forever). The vague and mysterious way the supernatural element was threaded in way so quietly creepy, like an usually busy road without a single person in sight. The ambiguous nature of the story only made it more compelling. Even long after finishing, you'll be wondering what exactly what was happening.

A perfect ending ensued, holding onto the chilling tone and mystery while still concluding parts of the story. The parting image of Chloe sitting alone, waiting, isn't one I'll soon forget.

Imaginary Girls was a haunting and creepy story of a sisterhood that knows no bounds; breathtaking and original with a gritty romance.

I give Imaginary Girls a 5 out of 5.(less)

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Apr 22, 2011 Carolina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read IMAGINARY GIRLS almost entirely in one sitting. I was mesmerized by this book. The writing won me over first--so impossibly beautiful and sharp and resonant, every line leaving its mark on you long after you've moved on to the next and the next. But closely tied is the voice, which grabs hold of you from word one and just doesn't let go, not even after you close the book. Chloe is perhaps one of the strongest, most vivid narrators I've had a chance to read, insecure and awkward, flawed an...more I read IMAGINARY GIRLS almost entirely in one sitting. I was mesmerized by this book. The writing won me over first--so impossibly beautiful and sharp and resonant, every line leaving its mark on you long after you've moved on to the next and the next. But closely tied is the voice, which grabs hold of you from word one and just doesn't let go, not even after you close the book. Chloe is perhaps one of the strongest, most vivid narrators I've had a chance to read, insecure and awkward, flawed and tunnel-visioned in her devotion to her sister--yet not blind to the strangeness of the events around her. In fact, she's more than aware of the abnormality of the life she's sucked into as she reunites with her sister Ruby, a startling character with an intense, free spirit and beauty; and it's Chloe's consuming curiosity that will unravel the threads of Ruby and Chloe's tightly-knit world.

But things don't just come undone in one untimely moment. From the very beginning, you know that there's something dangerous lurking beneath the surface--of the reservoir and of Ruby's exterior. And from there, the intensity just doesn't stop. It's not that there's an insane amount of action. There's just this tension that builds and builds as the mystery grows bigger and bigger, and before you know it you're racing through the pages because you have to know what's going on. You just have to--just like Chloe who can't help but dig and dig even though it might mean exposing an uglier side of the one person in the world she loves most. It's such a gripping story. I whipped so fast through this, never a dull moment, but it wasn't the action that drove the pace; it was Nova Ren Suma and her masterful delivery.

I don't know that I've read anything like this in a long time. It reminded me a bit of Isabel Allende's House of Spirits or even Gabriel Garcia Marquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude. There was a strong sense of the supernatural weaved into the story as if it's just the way of things, a second plane of reality, that while questioned perhaps, doesn't jolt by virtue of it being magic, but rather shakes things up because of the consequences of it. That's the beauty of magical realism: it throws something not quite normal at you, but you sort of just run with it. You quickly get over the hurdle of the supernatural, accepting is as a part of the reality (because Chloe does). But while the subtle magic holds the eerie plot together, it's the relationship between the sisters that really drives the story and pulls the reader in. Their intense bond serves as the catalyst for the story and in an incredible twist, forces the unexpected resolution. IMAGINARY GIRLS is a fast, but haunting read, beautiful and intense throughout.(less)

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The Challenge Fac...: Denise & Lauren ~ Imaginary Girls	1	4	22 hours, 57 min ago
German reading ci...: Part 4 [Kap. 19 - Ende]	32	20	16 fév. 07:59
German reading ci...: Part 1 [Kap. 1 - 6]	13	25	13 fév. 11:12
German reading ci...: Part 2 [Kap. 7 - 12]	10	14	18 jan. 15:14
German reading ci...: Part 3 [Kap. 13 - 18]	5	13	10 jan. 13:29
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma	3	32	02 jan. 20:03

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