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christajls's review against another edition
Made it just over halfway through this book and still feel absolutely no connection to what's happening or no pull to keep reading. The writing style is very slow and drawn out and my mind kept wandering while waiting for the narrator to get to the point. I get it - your sister is awesome and you worship her and everything she does/said. Can we get on with the story now?
bmg20's review against another edition
4.0
"...down in what was once Olive, you could still find the townspeople who never left. They looked up into their murky sky, waiting to catch sight of our boat bottoms and our fishing lines, counting our trespassing feet."
Ruby and Chloe are sisters that live in upstate New York together. Their mother is forever absent and the two have learned to only rely on one another. The town they live in is located near a massive reservoir that is reported to have submerged a town called Olive, and older sister Ruby tells the story of the town as if the people are still down there living their daily lives. One night at a party taking place at the reservoir, Ruby boasts that her sister could swim across the reservoir and if so inclined even go down and get a souvenir from Olive. The only thing she brings back from her swim is a lone rowboat in the middle of the reservoir where the body of a dead girl lies.
After the rowboat incident, Chloe moves to Pennsylvania to live with her dad and step-mother, leaving Ruby behind. A random text every now and then is the only communication Chloe has with her sister, but two years go by and her sister has appeared suddenly in town to coerce her to return, insisting that things are back to normal. Chloe does return and finds that things are in fact back to the way they were, but they aren’t truly. Something eerie and mysterious is at work and Chloe knows that Ruby’s the reason for it all. The strange stories her sister tells about the town of Olive, and of the reservoir, and of the dead girl named London are all connected somehow and Chloe’s curiosity is overpowering. She trusts her sister implicitly despite the strangeness that her hometown now exudes.
Imaginary Girls is a mesmerizing tale that will leave you contemplating the magic that threads itself through this novel. It’s a strangely horrific tale with a subtle delivery causing the eeriness to come upon you slowly. The story of the town of Olive and the people that still live down there. Imagining their eyes following you as you swim in the reservoir. Ruby’s enthralling power and influence she holds over the town and its inhabitants is intriguing until she begins to take it too far.
Suma’s writing will captivate you with its skillful blend of magical realism but the focal point of the story, the unbreakable bond between two sisters, makes a powerful statement.
Ruby and Chloe are sisters that live in upstate New York together. Their mother is forever absent and the two have learned to only rely on one another. The town they live in is located near a massive reservoir that is reported to have submerged a town called Olive, and older sister Ruby tells the story of the town as if the people are still down there living their daily lives. One night at a party taking place at the reservoir, Ruby boasts that her sister could swim across the reservoir and if so inclined even go down and get a souvenir from Olive. The only thing she brings back from her swim is a lone rowboat in the middle of the reservoir where the body of a dead girl lies.
After the rowboat incident, Chloe moves to Pennsylvania to live with her dad and step-mother, leaving Ruby behind. A random text every now and then is the only communication Chloe has with her sister, but two years go by and her sister has appeared suddenly in town to coerce her to return, insisting that things are back to normal. Chloe does return and finds that things are in fact back to the way they were, but they aren’t truly. Something eerie and mysterious is at work and Chloe knows that Ruby’s the reason for it all. The strange stories her sister tells about the town of Olive, and of the reservoir, and of the dead girl named London are all connected somehow and Chloe’s curiosity is overpowering. She trusts her sister implicitly despite the strangeness that her hometown now exudes.
Imaginary Girls is a mesmerizing tale that will leave you contemplating the magic that threads itself through this novel. It’s a strangely horrific tale with a subtle delivery causing the eeriness to come upon you slowly. The story of the town of Olive and the people that still live down there. Imagining their eyes following you as you swim in the reservoir. Ruby’s enthralling power and influence she holds over the town and its inhabitants is intriguing until she begins to take it too far.
Suma’s writing will captivate you with its skillful blend of magical realism but the focal point of the story, the unbreakable bond between two sisters, makes a powerful statement.
kweiler's review against another edition
2.0
This book confused the heck out of me. I wasn't really expecting such a supernatural story and I spent most of the novel being perplexed and annoyed.
nagam's review against another edition
3.0
Probably one of the strangest books I've ever read. Slightly haunting, mostly confusing, kind of creepy.
Chloe is completely captivated with her older sister. Most people are. Everyone seems entranced by Ruby. The only person Ruby cares about completely is Chloe. One night, Ruby taunts a crowd at a party into believing that Chloe can easily swim the width of a two-mile reservoir. Along the swim, Chloe comes face to face with a boat, in which a dead girl lies. Immediately after this night, Chloe flees New York and goes to live with her Dad for two years in Pennsylvania. Ruby comes to take Chloe back to NY; the remainder of the book is about Chloe understanding and remembering what really happened the night she found the dead girl. She finds out the truth about her sister Ruby as well.
There were several things I wish I had answers to after finishing the book (Don't read below if you intend to read this book. This may spoil some things for you):
-What exactly was Ruby? How could she control everything? How in the world did she bring London and Chloe back from the dead?
-Why did Chloe ever flee to go live with her father? Did something other than seeing the dead body in the boat freak her out? I just didn't quite believe that she would have wanted to leave Ruby as much as she idolized her big sister.
Chloe is completely captivated with her older sister. Most people are. Everyone seems entranced by Ruby. The only person Ruby cares about completely is Chloe. One night, Ruby taunts a crowd at a party into believing that Chloe can easily swim the width of a two-mile reservoir. Along the swim, Chloe comes face to face with a boat, in which a dead girl lies. Immediately after this night, Chloe flees New York and goes to live with her Dad for two years in Pennsylvania. Ruby comes to take Chloe back to NY; the remainder of the book is about Chloe understanding and remembering what really happened the night she found the dead girl. She finds out the truth about her sister Ruby as well.
There were several things I wish I had answers to after finishing the book (Don't read below if you intend to read this book. This may spoil some things for you):
-What exactly was Ruby? How could she control everything? How in the world did she bring London and Chloe back from the dead?
-Why did Chloe ever flee to go live with her father? Did something other than seeing the dead body in the boat freak her out? I just didn't quite believe that she would have wanted to leave Ruby as much as she idolized her big sister.
abbievillehorror's review against another edition
5.0
This book will forever be my favorite. It is magic and delirium—dreams with legs, which seem more like nightmares when you see them in the light like that. I could read this book a hundred times and find a new layer to it every one of them. There are so many things happening and so many things that could have happened, all wrapped up in Nova's beautiful, dark, enigmatic prose. Her sentence structure mirrors the imagery which mirrors the action which mirrors the atmosphere. Layer, layer, layer, layer.
Also it's a book about sisters with a bond like no other; sisters who would kill for each other, sisters who would resurrect for each other. And, like Ruby, that's my favorite kind of story: "where the boys lost and the girls won and got a souvenir in the bargain."
Also, also: the freaking balLOONS. That is my favorite motif in this novel, and possibly ever.
Also it's a book about sisters with a bond like no other; sisters who would kill for each other, sisters who would resurrect for each other. And, like Ruby, that's my favorite kind of story: "where the boys lost and the girls won and got a souvenir in the bargain."
Also, also: the freaking balLOONS. That is my favorite motif in this novel, and possibly ever.
rosalind14's review against another edition
3.0
3.5.
First of all, I did not particularly like this book, nor did I actively dislike it. The most I can say is that I was intrigued and puzzled by it. I kept having to take breaks while reading. I still don't fully understand it or, especially, its characters, but I suppose that was the author's intention (even the title of the book suggests surrealism). I'll be looking out for other books by Nova Ren Suma.
First of all, I did not particularly like this book, nor did I actively dislike it. The most I can say is that I was intrigued and puzzled by it. I kept having to take breaks while reading. I still don't fully understand it or, especially, its characters, but I suppose that was the author's intention (even the title of the book suggests surrealism). I'll be looking out for other books by Nova Ren Suma.
tristamaxine's review against another edition
I'm going to have to try this one again sometime. I've been trying for weeks to get into it but I just can't make it past the first 100 pages right now.
tiamushka's review against another edition
4.0
Hmmmm. This book worked on me two ways. It was beautifully written, poetic and oh so creepy. I don't usually like creepy, and I almost stopped several times, but kept reading because of the writing style and because I wanted to find out what was really going on. And, I also wanted Ruby to get her come uppance. She's one messed up chick! Ultimately, my curiousity won out and I finished the book. Its haunting and disturbing, and I think I liked it..
emjay24's review against another edition
4.0
This is a magical realism, a sort of horror book, set in a smallish town in New York about two sisters. There was a twilight zone episode back in time, which was also a short story, possibly by Robert Bloch or one of those guys (Ray bradbury? i just can't remember), about a boy who the family dotes on, but that's because he can control everyone, and everyone must please him. That is what this story reminded me of. The main girl's sister is so spooky... I can't talk too much about it because i don't want to give away the book, but it's overally creepy and spooky, with a twist ending. I really enjoyed it. If you're looking for a non-generic creepy thing to ready, or a story with lots of describing words, or just something magical, read this book.
harleybasswood's review against another edition
1.0
I am so completely torn on this book. It's beautifully written with amazing imagery ... But I just couldn't get into the story, no matter how pretty it was. And it's odd to me that a book that seemingly so much happens in could feel, at the end, like nothing at al happened. I was okay with things left unanswered - that bothers me much less than it seems to other people - I just more felt like I read the entire lyrically beautiful novel, only to feel cheated in the end because I'd waited so long for SOMETHING, and nothing came.