Imaginary Friend (novel)
File:Imaginary Friend (Stephen Chbosky).png First edition cover | |
Author | Stephen Chbosky |
---|---|
Audio read by | Christine Lakin |
Cover artist | gray318 |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Horror fiction |
Set in | Mill Grove, Pennsylvania |
Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
Publication date | October 1, 2019 |
Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), e-book, audio |
Pages | 705 |
ISBN | 978-1-5387-3133-8 (hardcover) |
OCLC | 1082178078 |
813/.54 | |
LC Class | PS3553.H3469 I43 2019 |
Imaginary Friend is a psychological horror novel by American author Stephen Chbosky. It was published on October 1, 2019 by Grand Central Publishing and was an instant New York Times Best Seller. It is Chbosky's long-awaited follow-up to the 1999 international best-seller The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Plot
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2020) |
Single mother Kate Reese and her son, Christopher, flee an abusive relationship in the middle of the night. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania.
Initially, Mill Grove seems like the perfect place to settle down. Then Christopher vanishes for six days, until 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 and a resolve to build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas...
Critical reception
A departure from his debut novel, Imaginary Friend was very well-received and debuted as a New York Times Best Seller.[1] The review from Time[2] stated it evoked "echoes of Stephen King" and "well worth the time for those who dare," with additional positive reviews from The New York Times,[3] the Kirkus Review,[4] the Washington Post,[5] NPR[6] and numerous others, as well as being named one of Variety's Top 10 books of 2019.[7]
References
- ^ "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Oct. 20, 2019 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
- ^ "Stephen Chbosky's New Horror Novel Is a Far Cry From 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'". Time. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
- ^ Macneal, Elizabeth (2019-10-07). "20 Years After 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower,' Stephen Chbosky Has a New Novel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
- ^ IMAGINARY FRIEND | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Sheehan, Bill. "Review | Twenty years after 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower,' Stephen Chbosky delivers a thrilling surprise". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
- ^ "In 'Imaginary Friend,' Stephen Chbosky Squeezes Horror From Everyday Life". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
- ^ Zukin, Danielle Turchiano,Meg; Turchiano, Danielle; Zukin, Meg (2019-12-05). "The Best Books of 2019". Variety. Retrieved 2021-10-18.