I think this started off really strong, but it definitely lost me with Christopher “becoming god” and the whole god/devil/eve aspect of it. A lot could have been removed including all the Christian themes and characters - it just felt like a weak explanation for everything. ( )

DNF @ Page 128

Other books just seemed more interesting to read, and I got sucked into them instead. Then I read some reviews that said this book was "Christian fiction", and since I'm 100% anti-religion, that cemented my decision to add this to the DNF pile.

Fans of Stephen King and C.J. Tudor are going to devour this novel in all of its 700 pages of spine chilling glory!

Escaping from an abusive relationship Kate Reese and her son Christopher are starting again, a fresh start in a new town with a new job and a new school. With no money they are living out of a cheap motel but they are safe, or so they thought.

Christopher isn’t the schools brightest students, he has always struggled with reading and maths no matter how hard he try’s. He wants to do well, he wants to make his mum proud. He also wants to have friends, not only because he knows it would make his mum happy and stop her working about him but also so he wasn’t just singled out by the bullies. As Christopher waits for his mum to collect him after school he hears a voice, a face in the sky made out of clouds, and being the curious kind of kid he is, he wanders off, following that voice into the Mission Street Woods where he gets lost. For six days!

After six days he is found safe and sound by one of the local residents and is reunited with his distraught mother. And it is from there that everything for the Reese’s that things start to change. It seems that their luck has turned, not only is Christopher back and unharmed but he gets his first A in a maths test at school. And not only that but their numbers come in on their lottery ticket! Both mother and son are making friends and now they have their very own home, somewhere that is all theirs and no one can take that away from them. But all this good luck comes at a price. One that they had no idea what that cost was.

With his new found understanding of both English and maths comes a voice, one that only Christopher can hear, one that is compelling him to return to the Mission Street Woods, to bring his new friends and to build a tree house, somewhere where they can go that is just for them. But what is it that this voice really wants? Is the voice one of good or evil and what does it want with Christopher?

This book is jam-packed with creepy atmosphere and tension and even though it is a hefty size book it is a really easy read that flies by without you realising the page count. I know there has been a mixed bag of reviews so far but for me I loved it and every page was filled with valuable words and it was compelling reading all they way through. There was a real feel of old school Stephen King and horror fictions new queen C.J Tudor’s style to this book and it is one horror book that I wouldn’t fail but to recommend to anyone! I couldn’t read it quick enough and loved every single page!

Imaginary Friend will be published on 01 October 2019 and can be preordered now.
Massive thanks to the author Stephen Chbosky, publishers Orion Publishing and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

4.5 stars
amazing first 85% but ending was too drawn out, very lovable characters, loved the writing style!

characters: 5
plot: 4
writing: 5 ( )

This turned weirdly religious. o.O ( )