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burchjm's review against another edition
1.0
This book really bothered me. I only finished it because I hate not finishing things and I was REALLY hoping it would get better. The character descriptions of Ruby were amazing at first, then after 200 pages of describing everything down to her fingernails I couldn't take it anymore. No other characters were described past their hair. I was waiting for Chloe to finally ask the questions that would reveal what was going on, but that never happened (she got close a million times though). And it was never really explained what was going on, just implied right up to the end. I don't know, I just really didn't like this one, it could have been an AMAZING book if a few things were changed, but as is, I'm not a fan.
ennime713's review against another edition
4.0
I have a hard time rating this one. Although the story is beautifully told I had some problems getting in to it and the characters kept me at a distance. Although I don't mind some questions being left open at the end of a book this one didn't answer any questions at all. Imaginary girls still managed to fascinate me and made me think and get all these different theories going in my head. If possible I guess I would give it a 3,5 star rating.
rukistarsailor's review against another edition
4.0
Oof, I didn’t realize how low of a rating Imaginary Girls has on here (3.43 stars at the time of me writing this review).
I think I’m gradually becoming a fan of Nova Ren Suma’s works.
I can see why people don’t generally like Imaginary Girls; it’s dark and bizarre, and there are not any “good” characters. Just like The Walls Around Us, Suma plays with the theme of not being able to differentiate from the people around oneself. I held onto the hope that Chloe would eventually be able to see herself as disparate from her sister (I change I hoped would be facilitated by), but the book quickly turns into a tragedy as .
Additionally, I like that Imaginary Girls is vague enough to leave room for the readers’ own interpretations and critical thinking.
Another interesting read that leaves me with more questions than answers :)
I think I’m gradually becoming a fan of Nova Ren Suma’s works.
I can see why people don’t generally like Imaginary Girls; it’s dark and bizarre, and there are not any “good” characters. Just like The Walls Around Us, Suma plays with the theme of not being able to differentiate from the people around oneself. I held onto the hope that Chloe would eventually be able to see herself as disparate from her sister (I change I hoped would be facilitated by
Spoiler
Chloe pursuing her interest in Owen, who doesn’t seem to share everyone’s love of RubySpoiler
Chloe ultimately fails to differentiate herself from Ruby and doesn’t accept Ruby’s death for what it isAdditionally, I like that Imaginary Girls is vague enough to leave room for the readers’ own interpretations and critical thinking.
Another interesting read that leaves me with more questions than answers :)
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
"It sounded impossible, something no one would believe if anyone other than Ruby were the one to tell it. But Ruby was right: The body found that night wouldn't be, couldn't be mine."
Chloe's older sister, Ruby, has said a lot of things over the years. She's said that Chloe would never drown. She said she was there when Chloe first opened her eyes. Sometimes she would say that Chloe was her baby when Ruby herself was only five years old.
Everyone always believes Ruby. Believing her is easy.
Loving her is easy.
Anything Ruby wants, she can get. Until one night a party by the local reservoir goes horribly wrong and a dead girl is found floating in the water. The body of London Hayes does the unthinkable driving Ruby and Chloe apart when Chloe leaves.
Returning two years after that horrible night, Chloe finds that nothing is how it used to be in town anymore. Nothing, in fact, is quite right. Soon secrets, and even some lies, stack up between Chloe and Ruby that threaten to tear them apart. But bonds like theirs--like sisters who love each other better than anyone else--are not easily broken in Imaginary Girls (2011) by Nova Ren Suma.
Imaginary Girls is an eerie blend of suspense and magic realism. Suma's prose is taut and filled with tension as narrator Chloe works to unravel the lies and secrets surrounding her larger than life big sister. Suma also weaves elements of a local legend into the story as Ruby (and by extension Chloe) become fascinated by the town of Olive--a town supposedly buried underwater when the area was flooded to create a new reservoir.
Filled with subtle writing that is equal parts vivid and razor sharp, Imaginary Girls is a surprising mystery that will keep readers guessing. There is a constant struggle here as Chloe works to determine what is real and what is something else. By creating a character like Ruby with so much power and charm throughout the novel, Suma offers a powerful commentary on the limits of both belief and persuasion in this story.
Imaginary Girls is a sophisticated book, a slow burn of a read that will linger. It's impossible to say what, exactly, happens over the course of the novel. The entire plot lends itself to multiple interpretations and discussions. What is certain is that Imaginary Girls is filled with wit, humor and love. As much as this story can be a mystery or a thriller, what remains at the end of the novel is an ode to the enduring strength of sisterly love.
Possible Pairings: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst, Golden by Jessi Kirby, Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield, Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff, Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
Chloe's older sister, Ruby, has said a lot of things over the years. She's said that Chloe would never drown. She said she was there when Chloe first opened her eyes. Sometimes she would say that Chloe was her baby when Ruby herself was only five years old.
Everyone always believes Ruby. Believing her is easy.
Loving her is easy.
Anything Ruby wants, she can get. Until one night a party by the local reservoir goes horribly wrong and a dead girl is found floating in the water. The body of London Hayes does the unthinkable driving Ruby and Chloe apart when Chloe leaves.
Returning two years after that horrible night, Chloe finds that nothing is how it used to be in town anymore. Nothing, in fact, is quite right. Soon secrets, and even some lies, stack up between Chloe and Ruby that threaten to tear them apart. But bonds like theirs--like sisters who love each other better than anyone else--are not easily broken in Imaginary Girls (2011) by Nova Ren Suma.
Imaginary Girls is an eerie blend of suspense and magic realism. Suma's prose is taut and filled with tension as narrator Chloe works to unravel the lies and secrets surrounding her larger than life big sister. Suma also weaves elements of a local legend into the story as Ruby (and by extension Chloe) become fascinated by the town of Olive--a town supposedly buried underwater when the area was flooded to create a new reservoir.
Filled with subtle writing that is equal parts vivid and razor sharp, Imaginary Girls is a surprising mystery that will keep readers guessing. There is a constant struggle here as Chloe works to determine what is real and what is something else. By creating a character like Ruby with so much power and charm throughout the novel, Suma offers a powerful commentary on the limits of both belief and persuasion in this story.
Imaginary Girls is a sophisticated book, a slow burn of a read that will linger. It's impossible to say what, exactly, happens over the course of the novel. The entire plot lends itself to multiple interpretations and discussions. What is certain is that Imaginary Girls is filled with wit, humor and love. As much as this story can be a mystery or a thriller, what remains at the end of the novel is an ode to the enduring strength of sisterly love.
Possible Pairings: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst, Golden by Jessi Kirby, Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield, Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff, Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
kellijean83's review against another edition
4.0
Eerie, dark, strange..
I’m not even sure what I just read.
I’m not even sure what I just read.
olinoel's review against another edition
5.0
This book is not scary. It will not make you jump out of your chair and it will not keep you up at night. But, God, is it creepy.
That surreal, dreamlike quality of writing is hard to get right, but Nova Ren Suma makes it look easy. She almost had me believing in the wild, unreal character of Ruby, in her outlandish stories and strange powers. I couldn't quite decide whether or not to like Ruby, but I'm not sure that was the point. I think the point was that Ruby is a powerful, larger-than-life sort of character, and you don't have to like her as long as you can understand that about her.
It takes a lot for me to give a book five stars. But I think this one deserves it. If you like creepy books, or surreal books, or books about the scary-powerful bond of sisterhood, read Imaginary Girls. Read it now.
That surreal, dreamlike quality of writing is hard to get right, but Nova Ren Suma makes it look easy. She almost had me believing in the wild, unreal character of Ruby, in her outlandish stories and strange powers. I couldn't quite decide whether or not to like Ruby, but I'm not sure that was the point. I think the point was that Ruby is a powerful, larger-than-life sort of character, and you don't have to like her as long as you can understand that about her.
It takes a lot for me to give a book five stars. But I think this one deserves it. If you like creepy books, or surreal books, or books about the scary-powerful bond of sisterhood, read Imaginary Girls. Read it now.
saguaros's review against another edition
4.0
I have a weakness for stories about sisters. Enjoyed Ruby and Chloe's bond, in all its strength and weirdness and co-dependency and unhealthiness. Also enjoyed the supernatural elements.
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars because What did I just read???
Ruby and Chloe are closer than most sisters. Their mom is never around and both dad's split. Ruby has taken care of younger sister Chloe for as long as she can remember. But Ruby is more than just Chloe's caretaker and provider. In the town they live in, Ruby is the star. She's the one everyone wants to be or be with. And she always gets her way with very little persuasion.
Then something happens and Chloe decides to go live with her dad. 2 years later, Ruby brings her back promising things would be normal again. When Chloe comes back, things are normal... too normal. The accident that sent Chloe running, seemingly never happened. People in the town are still under Ruby's spell, but in almost a trance-like way.
Chloe struggles to find out the truth about her sister and the town, but the more she finds out, the more things like real and impossible start to become blurry.
My Thoughts:
One thing is for real: Nova Ren Suma is talented. After reading [b:The Walls Around Us|18044277|The Walls Around Us|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407168914s/18044277.jpg|25322052] and then this book, I'm definitely a believer in her writing. I didn't like this as well as The Walls Around Us (that one completely blew me away), but I'm still going to read everything this woman writes because the creativity is off the charts.
The most interesting part for me was the characters. It featured ones like I had never met before, but they weren't characters I even liked or wanted to root for. They were people I didn't really understand and don't know if I ever could. Still, I was interested in figuring out these people in this insanely odd town.
This story is about codependency at it's heart... a really sick codependency. Chloe is dependent on Ruby for an identity and approval. Ruby is willing to risk everything to get Chloe back so she can control her. Basically what happens is- there's an accident, Chloe leaves town for a period of time, Ruby comes and gets her back, and everything in town is weirder than usual when she arrives. Ruby's acting weird, people who are supposed to be dead, aren't. And while Ruby always had some sort of magnetic pull about her, it seems that pull has been kicked up times 100 because everyone is falling all over themselves to obey her every wish.
So I was left wondering how any of this could be possible?? Is this fantasy? magical realism? paranormal? Is one of the characters hallucinating? I still don't even know if it's none or all. The lines are all blurred and the ending didn't help.
From page 1 I didn't like Ruby. Actually, I hated the bitch. Despite that, I still wanted to know what the F was going on. I wanted Chloe to find out who she was without Ruby. I wanted Ruby to wake up and realize that the world wasn't hers and she didn't & shouldn't own people's free will. I learned really fast that this book didn't care what I wanted.
By the end several things became clear and unclear: I at least came to understand the way Ruby cared about her sister... but still not in a liking it way. I realized that I gave Chloe way too much credit and put all my hopes for the book onto a character that was never going to be strong enough for that. And then there were some things (like Owen, Chloe's love interest) which seemed to allude to some crack in the careful Ruby wall, but nothing came of it and I was wondering so hard why I had thought that in the first place. Much like The Walls Around Us, I think there will always be things about this story that I don't "get". And I'm cool with that.
OVERALL: The writing is haunting and unique and impressive. The characters and the story were both equally frustrating. It's this mix of paranormal and magical realism, but it's cloaked as a contemporary. So, is it fun because it's doing something different, or frustrating because it's all over the place? I think both. And definitely worth reading.
My Blog:
Ruby and Chloe are closer than most sisters. Their mom is never around and both dad's split. Ruby has taken care of younger sister Chloe for as long as she can remember. But Ruby is more than just Chloe's caretaker and provider. In the town they live in, Ruby is the star. She's the one everyone wants to be or be with. And she always gets her way with very little persuasion.
Then something happens and Chloe decides to go live with her dad. 2 years later, Ruby brings her back promising things would be normal again. When Chloe comes back, things are normal... too normal. The accident that sent Chloe running, seemingly never happened. People in the town are still under Ruby's spell, but in almost a trance-like way.
Chloe struggles to find out the truth about her sister and the town, but the more she finds out, the more things like real and impossible start to become blurry.
My Thoughts:
One thing is for real: Nova Ren Suma is talented. After reading [b:The Walls Around Us|18044277|The Walls Around Us|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407168914s/18044277.jpg|25322052] and then this book, I'm definitely a believer in her writing. I didn't like this as well as The Walls Around Us (that one completely blew me away), but I'm still going to read everything this woman writes because the creativity is off the charts.
The most interesting part for me was the characters. It featured ones like I had never met before, but they weren't characters I even liked or wanted to root for. They were people I didn't really understand and don't know if I ever could. Still, I was interested in figuring out these people in this insanely odd town.
This story is about codependency at it's heart... a really sick codependency. Chloe is dependent on Ruby for an identity and approval. Ruby is willing to risk everything to get Chloe back so she can control her. Basically what happens is- there's an accident, Chloe leaves town for a period of time, Ruby comes and gets her back, and everything in town is weirder than usual when she arrives. Ruby's acting weird, people who are supposed to be dead, aren't. And while Ruby always had some sort of magnetic pull about her, it seems that pull has been kicked up times 100 because everyone is falling all over themselves to obey her every wish.
So I was left wondering how any of this could be possible?? Is this fantasy? magical realism? paranormal? Is one of the characters hallucinating? I still don't even know if it's none or all. The lines are all blurred and the ending didn't help.
From page 1 I didn't like Ruby. Actually, I hated the bitch. Despite that, I still wanted to know what the F was going on. I wanted Chloe to find out who she was without Ruby. I wanted Ruby to wake up and realize that the world wasn't hers and she didn't & shouldn't own people's free will. I learned really fast that this book didn't care what I wanted.
By the end several things became clear and unclear: I at least came to understand the way Ruby cared about her sister... but still not in a liking it way. I realized that I gave Chloe way too much credit and put all my hopes for the book onto a character that was never going to be strong enough for that. And then there were some things (like Owen, Chloe's love interest) which seemed to allude to some crack in the careful Ruby wall, but nothing came of it and I was wondering so hard why I had thought that in the first place. Much like The Walls Around Us, I think there will always be things about this story that I don't "get". And I'm cool with that.
OVERALL: The writing is haunting and unique and impressive. The characters and the story were both equally frustrating. It's this mix of paranormal and magical realism, but it's cloaked as a contemporary. So, is it fun because it's doing something different, or frustrating because it's all over the place? I think both. And definitely worth reading.
My Blog:
theloveofinches's review against another edition
4.0
loved the premise and characters, but Suma's growth as an author is obvious in The Walls Around Us. this book just wasn't as dazzling. the prose lacked poignancy and ended up making the book seem about 100 pages (of repetitive internal monologue) too long. still an excellent read, though. I aspire for my writing to be a Stiefvater-Suma hybrid of creepy awesomeness. *sigh* one day.
cousinrachel's review against another edition
3.0
It's a sight better than most teen fiction, one reason being the unique premise. I loved that the central relationship wasn't about the heroine and her smoldering-eyes boyfriend. I actually bought this one, too: instead of stating mindlessly over and over that the sisters were close, the author showed it as well as told with instances of how Ruby instead of the mother raised Chloe, and the "traditions" they had like watching movies on Wednesdays that made the bond special.
Creepy descriptions of the sea people, too. I won't spoil them for you by quoting here, but it built some atmosphere without drowning (ha) in prose that tried too hard with nonsensical or stretched metaphors. Occasionally there was some overstatement that reduced the impact, like describing death as a "swirling, sinking fate" - come on, it's only dying, nobody's going to the ninth level of hell. But at least the author didn't sound like she was going for the purple prize.
I give Suma props, because I HATED Ruby. Absolutely wanted to punch her eyeballs, and quite often felt that some of her attitude had rubbed off on Chloe, who can be a spoiled brat. It wasn't announced all at once the way Ruby is (or maybe not explicitly stated at all, since it's coming from Chloe's perspective), but more inched out slowly. In spite of all that, I still found the sisterhood thing sweet in a twisted, overly-attached way, ; I'm sort of impressed that I ended up despising Ruby but caring about her, more or less, in the context of her relationship to Chloe.
This Ruby-hatred made me hope for a certain ending, which didn't happen and that was especially disappointing because an earlier event had seemed to hint that it would. I didn't like the ending, actually. I did not think it fit well with Ruby's character, which I will explain below under the word "SPOILERS" for those of us who have finished the book.
Imaginary Girls was engaging in a creepy-twins way: spooky feel to it, characters are intriguing from a distance more than in an up-close way that makes what happens to them matter personally. But probably caring about them personally would have ruined the spooky effect. It was a competent effort a step above most shelf-littering rubbish, even if the conclusion did turn out to be a bit flat.
SPOILERS:
After Ruby released the balloons with directives on them, Chloe said she wondered how far Ruby's power went and if she would have to stop her one day. This made me think that Chloe and Ruby would conflict over Ruby's manipulativeness and selfishness (taking people's money, making them love her, etc.). That would have been an interesting problem for Chloe, who idolized Ruby but also would have had to prevent her from harming people, while also harming Ruby herself in the process by making her wither physically, as she seemed to do when she was drained or challenged. I wanted to see Chloe go along up to a point, but then decide that Ruby had gone too far and have to deal with the emotional strain of opposing her sister.
The real ending where Ruby dies was a bummer, not because she drowned, but because I did not care about her enough to feel bad, as I apparently was supposed to do. I know I said I liked the relationship, but not that much. Ruby being a monster who felt the world existed to serve her and her sister, there should have been a follow-up on that instead of "oh poor Ruby, she sacrificed herself". I DON'T CARE. Drowning was too good for that [unprintable tirade].
Creepy descriptions of the sea people, too. I won't spoil them for you by quoting here, but it built some atmosphere without drowning (ha) in prose that tried too hard with nonsensical or stretched metaphors. Occasionally there was some overstatement that reduced the impact, like describing death as a "swirling, sinking fate" - come on, it's only dying, nobody's going to the ninth level of hell. But at least the author didn't sound like she was going for the purple prize.
I give Suma props, because I HATED Ruby. Absolutely wanted to punch her eyeballs, and quite often felt that some of her attitude had rubbed off on Chloe, who can be a spoiled brat. It wasn't announced all at once the way Ruby is (or maybe not explicitly stated at all, since it's coming from Chloe's perspective), but more inched out slowly. In spite of all that, I still found the sisterhood thing sweet in a twisted, overly-attached way, ; I'm sort of impressed that I ended up despising Ruby but caring about her, more or less, in the context of her relationship to Chloe.
This Ruby-hatred made me hope for a certain ending, which didn't happen and that was especially disappointing because an earlier event had seemed to hint that it would. I didn't like the ending, actually. I did not think it fit well with Ruby's character, which I will explain below under the word "SPOILERS" for those of us who have finished the book.
Imaginary Girls was engaging in a creepy-twins way: spooky feel to it, characters are intriguing from a distance more than in an up-close way that makes what happens to them matter personally. But probably caring about them personally would have ruined the spooky effect. It was a competent effort a step above most shelf-littering rubbish, even if the conclusion did turn out to be a bit flat.
SPOILERS:
After Ruby released the balloons with directives on them, Chloe said she wondered how far Ruby's power went and if she would have to stop her one day. This made me think that Chloe and Ruby would conflict over Ruby's manipulativeness and selfishness (taking people's money, making them love her, etc.). That would have been an interesting problem for Chloe, who idolized Ruby but also would have had to prevent her from harming people, while also harming Ruby herself in the process by making her wither physically, as she seemed to do when she was drained or challenged. I wanted to see Chloe go along up to a point, but then decide that Ruby had gone too far and have to deal with the emotional strain of opposing her sister.
The real ending where Ruby dies was a bummer, not because she drowned, but because I did not care about her enough to feel bad, as I apparently was supposed to do. I know I said I liked the relationship, but not that much. Ruby being a monster who felt the world existed to serve her and her sister, there should have been a follow-up on that instead of "oh poor Ruby, she sacrificed herself". I DON'T CARE. Drowning was too good for that [unprintable tirade].