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.
I'm pretty excited about this book. It was different from a lot of the books that are out there right now. Going in, I wasn't sure about it and I put it on hold right after starting it to finish the Betsy-Tacy series. Picking it up, I was resigned to another "sisters' book. And there is a lot of that in this book. There is a whole lot more though. Ruby and Chloe are all each other has with Ruby acting as the mother figure to Chloe. When Chloe comes back from her father's and begins living with Ruby again, they try to take up where they left off. But Ruby's determination to get Chloe back results in her making a deal to return everything back the way it was, exactly and that leads down a strange and mysterious road, one I was happy to journey down. The way the story unfolded and the mystery in the town was ah-mazing.
I don't want to give too much away so that makes this harder to review. Needless to say that I simultaneously wish I knew more and am happy with what I know. There is a very large element to the story that is something that always intrigues me* and I was happy to see it explored in the story. Excellently and beautifully written, I have to say that Imaginary Girls is in my top 5 of summer books.
* SPOILERS (highlight) ** I am always intrigued by god-like characters who control small towns. I know that might be weird. So, much like the Mayor in Bleeding Violet (Reeves), Ruby hit the right button to interested me. What is she? I know what her mother said about her and how the town people feel about her. They seem afraid and disgusted by her, being made to love her and do what she says. I love the idea of her and her need to keep the town the same as something both for amusement and her security. I love that Chloe is really not afraid of her and is barely disturbed by her sister's abilities. It was interesting that Ruby needed Chloe to adore her and wanted Chloe to really love only her. There were a lot of elements that really worked including the town of Olive. I'm still a bit confused on that point but, in the end, I was just like Chloe, waiting for Ruby to resurface. **
From LibraryThing
What's in a Name
Wow, in your top 5 of summer books, then it must be really good. I really can't wait to read this book! Not only does it has a beautiful cover, the description sounds fantastic. And I'm glad you say that it's different than the other YA books already out there. ;)
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