Not Enough Bookshelves: Book Review – Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Book Review – Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Chloe’s older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can’t be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby’s friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As 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. (from Goodreads)

When I first saw the cover of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma I just knew it was going to be amazing.

Happily this is one of those books that you can judge perfectly by it’s cover. Meaning it is; beautiful, haunting, magical, eerie, compelling and confusing.

The writing is absolutely masterful. The words take you by the hand and lead you into this world where  the impossible is possible, where nothing is quite as it seems, and make it all seem so normal, you just accept it. It’s a dark fairy tale.

Reading Imaginary Girls is like floating downstream in a boat on a perfect summer’s day. Everything’s slow and dreamy and beautiful. You’re not quite sure where you’re going, but you don’t mind so much because it is all so lovely ~ just drifting through the water with Chloe and Ruby. Except every so often something will flicker past, you’ll catch it out the corner of your eye, a dark shape which makes you feel vaguely uneasy. Then the flickers get more frequent and the boat starts to rock and. . . in you go.

I truly adored Imaginary Girls, but I’m not sure it’s for everyone. If you like the first four chapter (click the link to read them), I think you’ll love it though.

You should also check out Nova Ren Suma’s blog where she writes beautiful and very honest posts about writing and life.

Thanks to Dutton for the review copy.

9 comments:

  1. Great review Alexa. I love the sound of this book – beautiful and haunting. I will be definitely checking out those first few chapters 🙂

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  2. Wow, we love love LOVE that analogy. GREAT review. Thank you! We've been looking forward to this one for a while now, and even more so after reading your thoughts!

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  3. thanks for the chapter links.

    the vibe of the book seems to match the vibe of the cover O.o 😉

    x Nomes

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  4. Nic – Thanks and I do hope you like it 🙂

    We Heart YA – aw thank you for reading. Hope you love it!

    Nomes – This is definitely one book you can judge by it's cover! In fact if you love the cover I think you'll love the book. If the covers make you go what the heck is that about then probably not so much 🙂

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  5. I love your analogy about the boat–I know that feeling very well, and I can tell I would love this book! And that cover is breathtaking.

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  6. fantastic review! i was really on the fence about this one, even though i LOVED the cover! i think i'm gonna try it because i love the way you described it 🙂

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  7. I love this: "Then the flickers get more frequent, the boat starts to rock and…in you go." That's how I felt reading this book! AMAZING stuff. Thanks for this great review!

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  8. I have the book in my possession…bought it yesterday, so I can't read this now, but I'll be back soon!

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  9. Love your review, I cannot wait to read this book!

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I adore comments, so thanks so much for taking the time. I'll try and return the favour 😀