What does one do when a free magical library shows up at your door, ready for installation? Accept it, right? That’s what Ivy does, but Himitsu is not as trusting until the Library tells him it can bring back the dead. Suddenly Ivy and Himitsu find themselves in the library with their imaginary friends, who are trapped and can never leave. They meet another friend, Simon, and slowly all of their stories are told.

What an amazing and creative Young Adult story! Some of the lines in this book just jump out in their genius. “All giraffes are named Janice, excepting a few heretics” caught my attention early in the book as I went on a magical journey of discovery with Ivy, Himitsu, and friends. But I soon learned that although this is about a magic library, it is also so much more. It’s about pain and secrets and forgiveness. It’s about coming to terms with your past. And it’s about reaching out. One of my favorite lines is: “As with nachos, when two people share pain with each other, there always turns out to be less of it than either thought.”

This description of an author long gone took my breath away: “At the end of things, she knew, this form she inhabited would cease to be. She would crawl back into her books of poetry and pressed flowers, her spirit to be let back out only when her words were read out by dreamers and destroyers.”

Imaginary Friends is a beautifully woven tale of life, books, and how they intertwine with each other. I recommend it to everyone. It will not just touch your heart, it will touch your imagination. I feel more creative after having read it.

I received a free copy of this book from Cinnabar Moth Publishing, but I also bought a copy because when I see a talented author with so much genius, I want to support their work.