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Cover of Imaginary Friend

Thriller · 2019 · R

Imaginary Friend

by Stephen Chbosky

He wandered into the woods for six days. He came back changed. Something came with him.

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It's as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out. At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He

For17+GenreThrillerLength720 pagesRead time~18.5 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Very heavy

Extreme horror violence throughout; graphic deaths; children in danger; body horror

Language

A lot

Strong language consistent with an adult horror novel

Sexual Content

Barely any

No significant sexual content; some adult relationships in the backstory

Substance Use

Barely any

Moderate alcohol and substance use in the adult characters

Emotional Intensity

A lot

A child used as a conduit for something cosmic and dangerous; religious terror; the specific horror of a parent watching their child become something they cannot protect them from

What this book is about

Kate Reese and her seven-year-old son Christopher flee an abusive relationship and end up in Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. Christopher disappears into the Mission Street Woods for six days and returns with abilities he didn't have before — and a voice in his head that gives him instructions. What follows is an 800-page cosmic horror novel that begins as a coming-of-age story and becomes a war between forces that dwarf anything human. Stephen Chbosky's novel is vast, ambitious, and genuinely disturbing, combining the warmth of his YA debut with horror that reaches for the most extreme territory of the genre.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

extreme and graphic horror violence

children in severe danger throughout

cosmic and religious horror

strong language

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