Book Review - Imaginary Friends by Darren Pillsbury
Category Book Review
What if, as an adult, you could see all the imaginary friends of all the children around you (but no one else could?) And what if these imaginary friends really didn't like you? That's the premise of Darren Pillsbury's book Imaginary Friends. Even though this probably could be classified as a young adult novel, it packs more than enough enjoyment for a grown-up reader like myself. And I found myself seeing this as a really cute family movie that'd be fun to watch...
Jeff Tanner is a toy executive trying to hold his family together after the death of his wife in a car accident. One of his sons (Brian) has withdrawn into a world where all he does is draw monsters. The other son (Davey) is a wise-cracking youngster who has a number of imaginary friends known only to himself. Add in a grandmother who lives with them and a next-door neighbor who provides day care for the two (and who Jeff has a bit of a crush on). During a Christmas dinner, Davey makes a wish with the turkey wishbone, and all of a sudden Jeff can see a number of strange creatures running around and creating havoc in the house. Of course, only Davey finds this normal, as they're his imaginary friends. All the rest of the family is convinced he's going off the deep end. Even leaving the house doesn't help, as every other imaginary friend in the world is out there to torment him. And we're talking "torment", as they are out to cause him physical pain...
The driving story behind the premise is that Jeff is putting Brian into a military school in an attempt to draw him out of his self-imposed shell. No one is convinced this is a good idea, Jeff included, but he doesn't know what else to do. As Jeff works through his emotions and grieving, he starts to learn what's really important, as well as gaining the respect of all his imaginary friends.
As this likely falls into a young adult category, we're not talking deep philosophical plotlines here. But even so, Pillsbury paints some incredibly funny and comical scenes. Davey's dialog is sharp, probably too sharp to be realistic for a kid his age. It didn't stop me from enjoying it, however. What I found interesting is that as I read this book, I was seeing it unfold as a motion picture. Stick Steve Martin in as the dad, a young Macaulay Culkin type as Davey, and it would be a lot of fun to watch. And the CGI effects with the imaginary friends could be outstanding...
I'm surprised this book is as good as it is, given it's Pillsbury first. But if he continues to put out books of this caliber, I may have to make some visits to the young adult section of the library...
What if, as an adult, you could see all the imaginary friends of all the children around you (but no one else could?) And what if these imaginary friends really didn't like you? That's the premise of Darren Pillsbury's book Imaginary Friends. Even though this probably could be classified as a young adult novel, it packs more than enough enjoyment for a grown-up reader like myself. And I found myself seeing this as a really cute family movie that'd be fun to watch...
Jeff Tanner is a toy executive trying to hold his family together after the death of his wife in a car accident. One of his sons (Brian) has withdrawn into a world where all he does is draw monsters. The other son (Davey) is a wise-cracking youngster who has a number of imaginary friends known only to himself. Add in a grandmother who lives with them and a next-door neighbor who provides day care for the two (and who Jeff has a bit of a crush on). During a Christmas dinner, Davey makes a wish with the turkey wishbone, and all of a sudden Jeff can see a number of strange creatures running around and creating havoc in the house. Of course, only Davey finds this normal, as they're his imaginary friends. All the rest of the family is convinced he's going off the deep end. Even leaving the house doesn't help, as every other imaginary friend in the world is out there to torment him. And we're talking "torment", as they are out to cause him physical pain...
The driving story behind the premise is that Jeff is putting Brian into a military school in an attempt to draw him out of his self-imposed shell. No one is convinced this is a good idea, Jeff included, but he doesn't know what else to do. As Jeff works through his emotions and grieving, he starts to learn what's really important, as well as gaining the respect of all his imaginary friends.
As this likely falls into a young adult category, we're not talking deep philosophical plotlines here. But even so, Pillsbury paints some incredibly funny and comical scenes. Davey's dialog is sharp, probably too sharp to be realistic for a kid his age. It didn't stop me from enjoying it, however. What I found interesting is that as I read this book, I was seeing it unfold as a motion picture. Stick Steve Martin in as the dad, a young Macaulay Culkin type as Davey, and it would be a lot of fun to watch. And the CGI effects with the imaginary friends could be outstanding...
I'm surprised this book is as good as it is, given it's Pillsbury first. But if he continues to put out books of this caliber, I may have to make some visits to the young adult section of the library...
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