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    The Imaginary: Coming soon to Netflix
    Unavailable
    The Imaginary: Coming soon to Netflix
    Unavailable
    The Imaginary: Coming soon to Netflix
    Ebook208 pages2 hours

    The Imaginary: Coming soon to Netflix

    By A. F. Harrold and Emily Gravett

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Perfect for fans of Coraline and Roald Dahl, this fully-illustrated journey into the secret world of imaginary friends is quirky, dark, and utterly irresistible.

    Rudger is Amanda Shuffleup's imaginary friend. Nobody else can see Rudger-until the evil Mr. Bunting arrives at Amanda's door. Mr. Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumor has it that he even eats them. And now he's found Rudger.

    Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. He needs to find Amanda before Mr. Bunting catches him-and before Amanda forgets him and he fades away to nothing. But how can an unreal boy stand alone in the real world?

    Featuring gorgeous illustrations and a beautiful design, this suspenseful fantasy tells a powerful tale of friendship, imagination, and remembering what you never knew you lost.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateMar 3, 2015
    ISBN9781619636705
    Unavailable
    The Imaginary: Coming soon to Netflix
    Author

    A. F. Harrold

    A.F. Harrold (1975 - present) is an English poet and author who writes and performs for adults and children. Some of the things he makes (books, poems, faces) are funny, some are strange, some are sad, and many of them involve the privilege of working with amazing illustrators. He often visits schools, reading poems and running workshops and juggling ideas. He is the owner of many books, a handful of hats, a few good ideas and one beard. He lives in Reading with a stand-up comedian and two cats.

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    Reviews for The Imaginary

    4/5

    8 ratings7 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Well, that turned out to be shockingly touching. It's pretty much everything I want in a book--compelling characters, an original take on a subject, a plot that manages to be consistent with expectations and surprising at once, and an unexpectedly moving conclusion.

      I had literally no idea what this would be about or where it would go when I'd started it (I imagine Goodreads had suggested it because I liked something else, and I mindlessly added it to the queue), but it was a fresh, inventive, wonderful little read.

      (Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
    • 4/5
      This novel talks about a story with imaginary friends, and how the imaginary friend could "fade" if the are forgotten. A girl named Amanda had a car accident. she goes to the hospital, so her "imaginary" friend Rudger is left out alone, with no one to think of him. The story develops around his efforts to try to find Amanda again.
    • 4/5
      The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold recalls to mind the memory of childhood and the power (danger?) of imagination. The story revolves around Amanda and her best friend named Rudger. They're typical friends that have lots of imaginary play, get into mischief, and share all of their secrets with one another. The only difference is that no one else can see Rudger because he's Amanda's imaginary friend. This book walks a tightrope between fantasy and reality which at times is quite blurred. This is not a fantasy full of giggles and silliness but one fraught with darkness and fear. There is a threat not only to Amanda and Rudger's friendship but to their very lives...and it's getting closer. This is a book about the true meaning of friendship and to what lengths you will go to preserve it. Also, cats. (I genuinely made a note after reading this book that was simply CATS so clearly that's an important aspect of this book.) I must also point out that the narrative was elevated even further by the fantastic illustrations of Emily Gravett. (I liked her work so much that I sought out her picture books.) I've been recommending this to reluctant readers because I think it's a great way to dip your toe into fantasy and the scary element definitely sells it as well. 9/10
    • 5/5
      Rudger is Amanda's best friend. Of course, he's imaginary, but neither Amanda nor Rudger is bothered by this. Then, one day, Mr. Bunting comes to the door. Unlike any other adult in the world, Mr. Bunting can see Rudger -- but this is definitely not a good thing. It's obvious from their first meeting that there's something wrong with Mr. Bunting, something ominous about him. When a later run-in with the man causes an accident that separates Rudger and Amanda, Rudger must run for his life to escape Mr. Bunting and get back to Amanda . . . but can an imaginary boy survive on his own, without his real-world friend?This book works so well on so many levels. The characters are quirky and fun, the plot moves right along, there are some scary bits and some funny bits -- kids will love this book. There's also pathos and attention to detail (the cat's name is Oven, and I won't tell you why that is significant, but it is) and depth -- adults will love this book. I can see it working really well as a classroom read-aloud for second or third graders, though it might be a little too scary for children any younger than that. Also, it is fabulously illustrated by the talented Emily Gravett. This may be the best book I've read so far this year. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      What a highly creative book. I loved it from start to finish. With the theme of children's imaginations and the fact that some children imagine playmates which they believe are real.The author weaves a tale of the lives of the imaginary friends. They exist only to be a part of the person who imagined them..When they are no longer needed, they fade away. If fortunate, they find the magical door for the imaginary playmates and look live in a library where a bulletin board shows possible children who may be looking for an imaginary friend.My review cannot do this book justice. I highly recommend it!
    • 4/5
      This was a fun, fast read. I enjoyed the different characters. I cheered when Rudger and Amanda got back together. This story has a few dark places, but they were enjoyable. The author was new to me, but I plan to try to read other stories written by this author. I do think some adults have more "imaginary" then other adults.
    • 2/5
      This is a short, fantasy novel.I don’t know if you’ve ever had an imaginary friend, but this is the story of one. Amanda is a little girl who has a wild imagination. One day, she opens her wardrobe to find a young boy, named Rudger. They have great fun playing together. In fact, Amanda is perfectly content and doesn’t desire friendship from anyone at school. Things become dark when Mr. Bunting arrives. He can smell imaginaries and feeds off of them. Rudger is in danger.The suspense builds as Rudger is suddenly alone, without Amanda. If he isn’t with her and she forgets about him, he’ll Fade. Mr. Bunting is close on his tail, but no one believes Rudger because they think Mr. Bunting is just a made-up story. It’s a race to get back to Amanda in order to save both of them.To be honest, I’m not a fan of imaginary friend stories. They seem silly. This novel seemed very 4th grade to me, but maybe I’m wrong. It’s cute and not bad; it just did not appeal to me.