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pollyroth's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
I really wanted to like this book. Nova Ren Suma's [b:The Walls Around Us|18044277|The Walls Around Us|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407168914s/18044277.jpg|25322052] is possibly one of my favorite books of all time, and Imaginary Girls seemed just as weird. Plus, the reviews were super positive!
But I don't know...I just couldn't get into it.
Chloe, the narrator, was just sort of blah to me. She made the same mistakes, never second guessed anything, and I never grew to care for her. Ruby, Chloe's older sister and seemingly the main character, was a manipulative, self-serving bitch. The only sympathy I could muster for any of the characters in this book was for her poor boyfriends. Also, she goes on and on about how she'd do anything for Chloe, and yet she brings her back to an obviously unstable environment.
The writing was gorgeous though. Suma's always seems to be. And the mystery was so eerie and well done that I enjoyed the read despite my lack of love for the characters.
Maybe my expectations got the better of me. [b:The Walls Around Us|18044277|The Walls Around Us|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407168914s/18044277.jpg|25322052] was just so perfect, and I expected the same from Imaginary Girls. Oh well, I'll give [b:17 & Gone|13132403|17 & Gone|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345572427s/13132403.jpg|18308775] a try to even the draw.
I really wanted to like this book. Nova Ren Suma's [b:The Walls Around Us|18044277|The Walls Around Us|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407168914s/18044277.jpg|25322052] is possibly one of my favorite books of all time, and Imaginary Girls seemed just as weird. Plus, the reviews were super positive!
But I don't know...I just couldn't get into it.
Chloe, the narrator, was just sort of blah to me. She made the same mistakes, never second guessed anything, and I never grew to care for her. Ruby, Chloe's older sister and seemingly the main character, was a manipulative, self-serving bitch. The only sympathy I could muster for any of the characters in this book was for her poor boyfriends. Also, she goes on and on about how she'd do anything for Chloe, and yet she brings her back to an obviously unstable environment.
The writing was gorgeous though. Suma's always seems to be. And the mystery was so eerie and well done that I enjoyed the read despite my lack of love for the characters.
Maybe my expectations got the better of me. [b:The Walls Around Us|18044277|The Walls Around Us|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407168914s/18044277.jpg|25322052] was just so perfect, and I expected the same from Imaginary Girls. Oh well, I'll give [b:17 & Gone|13132403|17 & Gone|Nova Ren Suma|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345572427s/13132403.jpg|18308775] a try to even the draw.
lazygal's review against another edition
2.0
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 sister: able to get what she wanted (like the lipstick that no one else was allowed to wear) and do what she wanted (for example, always being late to work). Then I started to wonder, but I think my first impression was correct. Chloe's hurt over the way Ruby turns to London in Chloe's absence, for example, or the way that others manage to talk about Ruby when she's not there point to it all being Chloe's vision. And as they get older, Chloe becomes more of her own person - with secrets (like Owen) and the ability to question Ruby's decisions.
There's supposed to be a creep factor here, with What Really Happened to London as the central element. Chloe's cell phone is, I suppose, the second Big Clue (although it's really not clear what happened with the phone). And, of course, the ending is open to interpretation. However, it wasn't really creepy in the way that I think the author wanted it to be, it was just sad.
ARC provided by publisher.
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 sister: able to get what she wanted (like the lipstick that no one else was allowed to wear) and do what she wanted (for example, always being late to work). Then I started to wonder, but I think my first impression was correct. Chloe's hurt over the way Ruby turns to London in Chloe's absence, for example, or the way that others manage to talk about Ruby when she's not there point to it all being Chloe's vision. And as they get older, Chloe becomes more of her own person - with secrets (like Owen) and the ability to question Ruby's decisions.
There's supposed to be a creep factor here, with What Really Happened to London as the central element. Chloe's cell phone is, I suppose, the second Big Clue (although it's really not clear what happened with the phone). And, of course, the ending is open to interpretation. However, it wasn't really creepy in the way that I think the author wanted it to be, it was just sad.
ARC provided by publisher.
lindacbugg's review against another edition
4.0
This is not quite a 4 but I loved the writing and I raced thru it to find out what the "secret" was so...
frootjoos's review against another edition
4.0
Very literary. I can see why some readers don't quite get this. You think this is hard to understand? Try last year's Pulitzer winner. :P I finished it ages ago and still puzzle over some of the passages.
iuangina's review against another edition
4.0
So, I've gone back and forth on how to rate this book. I'm not sure if I really liked it or if I really didn't like it at all. I think 3.5 stars is probably an accurate rating.
So......I guess I'll break it down into what I liked and what bothered me.
When I picked up this book and realized that it was set in a small town in upstate NY (across the Hudson from where I grew up - my hometown even gets mentioned in the book), I thought this will be great because I will be able to have actual images in my head of the areas discussed in the book. I really liked this aspect of the book, but I did kind of feel that there was a bit of ambiguity in the setting here because it seemed like the author was combining aspects of different regions of the state. That's just my issue because I grew up in that region. I don't think that most people would have this problem.
As far as the writing style goes, I thought it was beautifully written. I really enjoyed reading the language and how the author describes everything that was occurring in the book. In many YA books, I feel like the authors try to kind of "dumb-down" the language in order to fit in the genre. I didn't feel like that at all in this book and I really appreciated it!
The plot was interesting. I loved the fact that Ruby would do anything to protect her sister. I thought it was a really realistic view of how children feel in families when all they have is each other. I felt like the relationship between the sisters was really powerful, yet I didn't understand a lot of the individual issues with the characters. For example, I didn't really get Ruby's issue with using boys because it was just thrown in there, no explanation. It seemed like Ruby had some kind of supernatural power, but we never really find out what her powers are. I would have liked a little more of an explanation as to how Ruby was able to do the things she did with London. I had a lot of trouble figuring out what was going on while they were inside the city limits. Was it some kind of black hole? Or did Ruby control all the things that occur inside the town? I don't know. I did not like like the love story/hook up between Chloe and Owen. It seemed like these aspects of this book were just thrown in there to make it more YA. I think she could have left that stuff out. It wasn't necessary for the plot. It seemed rushed and didn't fit with what she was trying to do. I think she would have been better to either leave it out or make more of it.
I enjoyed reading it and it was definitely a quick read. If you're looking for something that is not a typical YA novel pick this up.
So......I guess I'll break it down into what I liked and what bothered me.
When I picked up this book and realized that it was set in a small town in upstate NY (across the Hudson from where I grew up - my hometown even gets mentioned in the book), I thought this will be great because I will be able to have actual images in my head of the areas discussed in the book. I really liked this aspect of the book, but I did kind of feel that there was a bit of ambiguity in the setting here because it seemed like the author was combining aspects of different regions of the state. That's just my issue because I grew up in that region. I don't think that most people would have this problem.
As far as the writing style goes, I thought it was beautifully written. I really enjoyed reading the language and how the author describes everything that was occurring in the book. In many YA books, I feel like the authors try to kind of "dumb-down" the language in order to fit in the genre. I didn't feel like that at all in this book and I really appreciated it!
The plot was interesting. I loved the fact that Ruby would do anything to protect her sister. I thought it was a really realistic view of how children feel in families when all they have is each other. I felt like the relationship between the sisters was really powerful, yet I didn't understand a lot of the individual issues with the characters. For example, I didn't really get Ruby's issue with using boys because it was just thrown in there, no explanation. It seemed like Ruby had some kind of supernatural power, but we never really find out what her powers are. I would have liked a little more of an explanation as to how Ruby was able to do the things she did with London. I had a lot of trouble figuring out what was going on while they were inside the city limits. Was it some kind of black hole? Or did Ruby control all the things that occur inside the town? I don't know. I did not like like the love story/hook up between Chloe and Owen. It seemed like these aspects of this book were just thrown in there to make it more YA. I think she could have left that stuff out. It wasn't necessary for the plot. It seemed rushed and didn't fit with what she was trying to do. I think she would have been better to either leave it out or make more of it.
I enjoyed reading it and it was definitely a quick read. If you're looking for something that is not a typical YA novel pick this up.
lovelyjanelle13's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting idea but an overall confusing novel until the last two chapters.
librariann's review against another edition
3.0
Ages 13+ (a bit of language, a brief sexual scene)
Creepy and a little bit insane, it reads like a Kelly Link story stretched out. What's true? What's not? Reminds me a bit of Without Tess, same odd, magical realism.
Creepy and a little bit insane, it reads like a Kelly Link story stretched out. What's true? What's not? Reminds me a bit of Without Tess, same odd, magical realism.
exuberantreads's review against another edition
4.0
I have a lot of mix feelings on this book. It was absolutely beautifully written to start with. The descriptions are perfection and i almost feel as they get better toward the end of the book when the author makes some insights to the book as a whole. Ruby's character is so well rounded, with detailed habits and preferences. In all honesty though, I didn't like her that much even after the sacrifices she has made. She is more of a mystical being but at the same time she still feels so real like she could be a girl living in your town. It does end with a lot of questions, things i will be asking myself the next couple of days. It feels as though they focus more on this unbreakable sisterly bond than the magic that was going on, like Olive and Ruby's Power's took a back seat to their ordinary lives. Overall, an enjoyable magiva
eraofkara's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5 stars. I actually did enjoy this as a spooky vacation read, so I’m not sure why I hesitate to give it a full 4 stars. I think parts just made me uncomfortable and I’m taking it out on the rating.