Readers spend weeks connecting with the town, getting a feel for the characters and forming an idea of what is going on just for Chbosky to go the other way. Chbosky manages to switch the tone, characters, plot and atmosphere all in the last 25 pages. However, what makes the book so divisive with its readers is the ending. This is another way in which Chbosky raises the standard for horror books everywhere. The book’s blurb, the only information given before starting the 705-page novel, is resolved in the first third of the book, and the lack of roadmap for the plot adds to the reader’s discomfort level and overall digestion. His unique narration soaks in readers with every page turn.

Unlike other authors, Chbosky not only aims to scare the audience, but he also forces the readers to form a bond with the characters and adopt their fears and worries throughout the book. The author not only tells the story through the perspective of the young boy, but he also dedicates chapters toward fleshing out his mother, the town sheriff and a religious teen obsessed with not ending up in Hell. After a brief stint in the Mission Street Woods, a dark and winding forest surrounding the town, Christopher returns to his mother with talk of a newfound friend and newly discovered abilities, which amplify the problems the townsfolk are dealing with. The main story is told from the perspective of Christopher Reese, an 8-year-old boy, who just moved into town with his mother, Kate Reese. The book aims to target every fear out there, and it succeeds in doing so.Ĭhbosky opens up the novel in Mill Grove, Pennsylvania, a tragic town full of oddities and questionable characters. Throughout the book, readers are treated to vivid descriptions of unnerving figures along with disturbing imagery. Reminiscent of Stephen King’s “The Shining,” Chbosky describes every single detail as if the readers are standing next to the characters. “Imaginary Friend” starts off as a strong horror novel.

Despite the high anticipation, the book ended in a disappointment given its hasty conclusion. Few expected “Imaginary Friend,” a horror story set in a small Pennsylvania town, to be what Chbosky had been working on for two decades. The horror novel came as a surprise to many readers given that Chbosky’s only other novel followed a young adult trio experiencing high school and emotional anguish. Stephen Chbosky’s long-awaited second book, “Imaginary Friend,” was set to follow the success of his first book published in 1999, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” However, unlike its predecessor, the new novel created a division among readers due to its controversial ending.

The imaginary friend book