Imaginary Friend
From a New York Times bestselling author, a young boy is haunted by a voice in his head in this chilling horror novel, perfect for fans of Stephen King. "Haunting and thrilling." --John Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars "Epic." --Dan Chaon, author of Ill Will Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her seven year-old son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night. At first, the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then, Christopher vanishes. Days later, he emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again. Twenty years ago, Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower made readers everywhere feel infinite. Now, Chbosky has returned with an epic work of literary horror, years in the making, whose grand scale and rich emotion redefine the genre. Read it with the lights on. One of The Year's Best Books (People, EW, Lithub, Vox, Washington Post, and more!)
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *Imaginary Friend* by Stephen Chbosky is a lengthy, intense novel blending horror, suspense, and emotional depth. Many appreciate its vivi...
2.5 -2.75 rounded up
I’m mixed on this one.... it was sooooooooooo incredibly long!!! It started out creepy - which was just what I was hoping for. As the story SLOWLY unraveled (thankful I was listening to the audio), I kept thinking WTH or WTF 🤦♀️🤷♀️ Overall I’m not satisfied with the resolution to ALL OF THAT BUILD UP. 😔
I’m mixed on this one.... it was sooooooooooo incredibly long!!! It started out creepy - which was just what I was hoping for. As the story SLOWLY unraveled (thankful I was listening to the audio), I kept thinking WTH or WTF 🤦♀️🤷♀️ Overall I’m not satisfied with the resolution to ALL OF THAT BUILD UP. 😔
Reading Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky was both creepy and emotional at the same time. The story pulled me in because it mixed mystery, suspense, and friendship in a way that kept me wanting to know what would happen next. Even though some parts were unsettling, the book also focused on family, fear, and protecting the people you care about.
One thing I liked was how detailed the writing was. The author created a tense atmosphere that made everything feel vivid and real. The characters felt believable, especially the way they handled difficult situations and emotional struggles. Some parts of the story were slower, but the suspense and unexpected moments kept my attention.
Overall, Imaginary Friend was an intense and imaginative novel that stood out because of its mix of horror and emotional storytelling. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy suspenseful books with mystery and deeper themes about human emotions and relationships.
One of the more complex books I've read in a long time. I say the author does a good job of articulating his words that gave off a different perspective from the actual ending. It's a pretty long read , but I'd say it was worth it. There are definitely some filler pages that did not add anything beneficial to the story. The story centers around a single mom , and her son Christopher. Currently a widow (her husband killed himself due to the voices in his head) escaping her new abusive boyfriend, her and her son embark on finding a new place to live. A fresh start.They find a small community , and decide to settle there. Then Christopher gets lost in the woods for several days. It's after he's found , alive that his mom soon begins to notice he's different. Not appearance wise , but intellectually and emotionally. Having been a kid who was struggling with basic reading and math assignments , to now passing tests with perfect scores. Christopher has also noticed he's different as well. He also has a new "friend" that only he can see who goes by '" the nice man".
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.