I just finished this book. Like, about five minutes ago. And I have so many thoughts swirling in my mind that I am not sure I will be able to give the book the careful destruction it deserves. However, while this may be an emotive review, it will also be a very honest one.I started reading Imaginary Girls with two thoughts in my mind: one, I really like the cover (and now that I have read the novel, it makes so much more sense) and two, I really like books that explore sisterhood. I feel that relationships between girls are not genuinely explored in YA literature. As in friendships, familial relationships, these things are usually sacrificed to assemble stereotypes of haughty, evil cheerleaders and nice and sweet main characters. This works if we are looking for fairytales but when you are thinking about real life… it becomes a bit more complicated. First of all, let’s consider how we would categorize Imaginary Girls. What I can tell you most definitely right now is that it’s not a paranormal fantasy/romance. It is also not totally contemporary. What the book does is take elements of both genres and marries them together to create a book that is liberally dosed with atmosphere and tense anticipation. I would say magical realism but I really am not too familiar with the technique so you can refute my claim.The relationship between Ruby and Chloe is the basis of the story. It is not a relationship that is neat, that you can divide into good and bad. It certainly is complex but even then, it is complex in a way that makes it impossible to look at it in objective terms. Is Ruby bad for her sister? Perhaps. Is Chloe better off without her? Maybe. However, the way in which the story is written, portraying as it does Ruby’s dedication to Chloe, her willingness to sacrifice everything (everyone?) to keep Chloe happy makes the reader unwilling to paint Ruby as totally black. While Chloe is the main narrator of the story, it is Ruby who will have the bulk of your attention. She is such a fascinating character: caustic at times, cruel and magical. I think the only thing that redeems her as a character is her love for Chloe.I have to commend the author on the atmosphere of the story. Throughout the entire book, as though I was watching some noir movie, there was this shortness of breath, this hint of danger pervading the pages, auguring some sort of upheaval. The reservoir was not just a setting but it became a character: malevolent and waiting. It was fantastic.I understand why the romance was there but I didn’t think it was too necessary. It did add some interesting textures to the story and reveal facets about Ruby but I’m still not entirely sold on it. The ending is interesting but I felt that the story was still unresolved. I was not satisfied by it ending there. It’s not a compact ending with the curtains in the windows and the mat in front of the door. It ends on a question and with a wistful hope for some impossibility.The writing is beautiful. It’s poised (yes, writing can be poised, thank you very much), lyrical and very honest. “Her eyes were full of the night’s stars and her hair was lit with the police sirens and she acted as if nothing at all was wrong… (Suma 20)”Conclusion? It may be very different from everything else that is out right now but believe you me, it is one experience that is worth having. It will resonate with people who have older siblings, who know what it feels like to hero worship them. It’s a beautiful book, guys. Read it. Seriously.
