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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this a lot. I wasn't expecting the little bit of paranormal/magical element, but it worked well.
Early on while reading this book, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it in the end (der, I guess, but bear with me!). Basically, early on I really disliked the character of Ruby, and in fact I felt this way about her for most of the book. She was so disrespectful to almost everyone in her town, and essentially she was a user and abuser. It was pretty depressing to see how her ex-boyfriend Pete panted after her like a loyal puppy dog, and I can see why Owen felt so strongly AGAINST Ruby. But in the end I think I really admired Ruby and thought what she did for Chloe was really special. And I felt sad for Chloe that Ruby had gone, even though I could feel relief for the rest of the town at her being gone.
I was annoyed with London and how she treated Chloe in front of other people, and yet it was realistic in a teenaged setting I guess. At least, from what I remember of being a teenager it was. ;) It was a mostly sad ending, because really Chloe had nobody but her tenuously-sober mother in the end. There wasn't really much sign that there was any hope for happiness in the future, but I still like to believe that Chloe would have found her way to some better state. And the story did sort of end on an open note, in regards to whether or not Ruby was truly gone.
The setting, with a town swallowed by a human-made reservoir, was really rich and haunting and eerie, so it worked really well for this story.
All in all, I thought this book was beautifully written - Nova Ren Suma is definitely a very talented writer. I'm not sure I would read this book again, though, 'cause it's not like it's got some super-awesome mushy love story to it I would want to come back to over and over again. I guess I might read it again just to enjoy the beauty of the author's writing style, but maybe I'll just stick with reading other books by her.
I was annoyed with London and how she treated Chloe in front of other people, and yet it was realistic in a teenaged setting I guess. At least, from what I remember of being a teenager it was. ;) It was a mostly sad ending, because really Chloe had nobody but her tenuously-sober mother in the end. There wasn't really much sign that there was any hope for happiness in the future, but I still like to believe that Chloe would have found her way to some better state. And the story did sort of end on an open note, in regards to whether or not Ruby was truly gone.
The setting, with a town swallowed by a human-made reservoir, was really rich and haunting and eerie, so it worked really well for this story.
All in all, I thought this book was beautifully written - Nova Ren Suma is definitely a very talented writer. I'm not sure I would read this book again, though, 'cause it's not like it's got some super-awesome mushy love story to it I would want to come back to over and over again. I guess I might read it again just to enjoy the beauty of the author's writing style, but maybe I'll just stick with reading other books by her.
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.
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.
This book held my attention more than any book I've read this year--absolutely gripping, haunting, chilling, lots of -ing verbs that add up to a truly incredible reading experience. The characters are beautifully drawn and the elements of magical realism totally pulled me under; it's hard to know what's "real" in this book, harder to care. Impossible to describe, clearly, but if you like sister stories or horror-flavored YA or magical realism of just gorgeous writing, you must try this book. I'll not stop thinking about it any time soon.
Nova Ren Suma is my favorite. The poetry of how she captures the spirit of teenage girls is phenomenal.
\\suspense
\\thrilling
\\haunting
\\eerie
\\peculiar
↑
These are all the feels when reading it. Heck, it gave me two nights of (almost) no sleep just thinking about it.
How it ends though..
↓
\\oh
\\not scary at all
\\magical
\\supernatural
\\weird
\\thrilling
\\haunting
\\eerie
\\peculiar
↑
These are all the feels when reading it. Heck, it gave me two nights of (almost) no sleep just thinking about it.
How it ends though..
↓
\\oh
\\not scary at all
\\magical
\\supernatural
\\weird
I'm speechless, but I must find some words. But not too many, because I want this book to surprise you, and leave you breathless. Just like it did for me. Imaginary Girls was not what I was expecting at all. It was so so much more. That's saying a lot too, because I was expecting something great. This book is an experience. When you set down to read I advise you have all your chores done because the rest of the world is going to fall away with the first sentence.
The writing is beautiful and absolutely mesmerizing. Nova Ren Suma has the gift of words. The prose was lyrical and extraordinary. Her characters weren't just flat words on a paper. They were entities that drifted off the page and found there way firmly inside your head. Ruby, the main character's sister, gets in your head and kicks her boots up. She makes herself at home. This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time. I think I will still be thinking about it years from now. The blurb says this is a book that everyone will be talking about and I couldn't agree more!
I mentioned before that I didn't want to say too much about the story. It's not exactly what you think and I loved that, so I don't want to take that away from you all. But trust me it is incredible. This book will definitely be on my favorite list at the end of the year. If Ren Suma writes more books like this she will definitely be on my favorite authors list too.
Imaginary Girls is a must read. I urge you to pick it up as soon as possible and experience it yourself. I think you will fall effortlessly in love like I did.
The writing is beautiful and absolutely mesmerizing. Nova Ren Suma has the gift of words. The prose was lyrical and extraordinary. Her characters weren't just flat words on a paper. They were entities that drifted off the page and found there way firmly inside your head. Ruby, the main character's sister, gets in your head and kicks her boots up. She makes herself at home. This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time. I think I will still be thinking about it years from now. The blurb says this is a book that everyone will be talking about and I couldn't agree more!
I mentioned before that I didn't want to say too much about the story. It's not exactly what you think and I loved that, so I don't want to take that away from you all. But trust me it is incredible. This book will definitely be on my favorite list at the end of the year. If Ren Suma writes more books like this she will definitely be on my favorite authors list too.
Imaginary Girls is a must read. I urge you to pick it up as soon as possible and experience it yourself. I think you will fall effortlessly in love like I did.
i unintentionally left it at a bus stop…
For me, the best thing about Imaginary Girls is the cover. Maybe it was just me, but I found it to be a very weird book and I just didn't like it. I feel like I just missed the point or something because there are a lot of people who are raving about this book.
The main character did nothing but talk about how great her sister Ruby was and it got tiresome, especially since there was nothing likeable about Ruby. There really isn't one likeable character in this whole book. There is also never any explanation about how or why Ruby has so much power over the other people in the town. I just didn't find her character believable.
I found myself getting really bored with this book and wanting to skip to the end just to find out the answer to the big mystery, but I made myself read it only to be disappointed in the ending. I wanted Chloe to get the heck out of that town and back to her Dad's where it seemed things were somewhat normal.
This book tried to be creepy, and it was a little once or twice, but overall it just ended up feeling like a silly waste of time.
The main character did nothing but talk about how great her sister Ruby was and it got tiresome, especially since there was nothing likeable about Ruby. There really isn't one likeable character in this whole book. There is also never any explanation about how or why Ruby has so much power over the other people in the town. I just didn't find her character believable.
I found myself getting really bored with this book and wanting to skip to the end just to find out the answer to the big mystery, but I made myself read it only to be disappointed in the ending. I wanted Chloe to get the heck out of that town and back to her Dad's where it seemed things were somewhat normal.
This book tried to be creepy, and it was a little once or twice, but overall it just ended up feeling like a silly waste of time.