Imaginalis [Hardcover]

J. M. DeMatteis (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

What if your dearest friends were trapped in a world that was dying?

Mehera Beatrice Crosby has one great love—and it's not following the latest health fads (like her school friend Celeste), and it's definitely not Andrew Suarez (even if he does have a ridiculous crush on her). It's Imaginalis, her favorite book series.

When she learns that the long-awaited last book in the series has been canceled, Mehera is devastated—until strange events begin unfolding, and she realizes that her Imaginalian friends are counting on her to rescue them from their fading existence. Soon Mehera finds herself traveling between her world and the kingdom of Imaginalis. But what will happen when she accidentally brings the villain of the series, Pralaya, back to Earth, along with Prince Imagos and his Companions? Has Mehera doomed both worlds beyond repair, or is there a way to save Mehera's world—and Imaginalis, too?

Expert storyteller J. M. DeMatteis's richly imagined fantasy is a fast-paced adventure and a testament to the power of loyal friendship, creativity, and imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-7–Mehera, an avid fan of the “Imaginalis” books, is anxiously awaiting the next installment. Devastated when she finally learns that the novel has been canceled, she tries to contact the author, to no avail. When she begins to receive strange messages and is eventually transported to Nolandia, the 12-year-old discovers that her long-held belief that Imaginalis is real is, in fact, true. The denizens of this world–including the seer Prognostica, valiant Prince Imagos, and the wise, Ganesh-esque Lord Nossyss–will cease to exist unless she can find the author and convince her to write the rest of the story. Fighting against the youngster and her companions is the villainous Pralaya, who seeks to become a resident of Earth and destroy it as he has long sought to destroy Imaginalis. The underpinnings of DeMatteis's novel are reminiscent of “The Chronicles of Narnia” with its religious parallels (in this case, Hinduism), humans who are responsible for the fate of an imaginary world, and powerful leader who is willing to sacrifice all for the good of his people. Some parts of the plot seem underdeveloped, and Mehera herself is not a particularly engaging character. However, the premise is intriguing and will delight readers who imagine themselves in the pages of their favorite books.–Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

The author of the Oz-tinted Abadazad series creates another alternate world—this one with Indian/Buddhist/Hindu overtones—that supposedly exists only in a series of books but turns out to be real. Having been a rabid fan of the Imaginalis books for years, preteen Mehera is devastated to learn that the final volume has been canceled. Then she starts getting strange text messages and experiences a sort of perfect storm of belief and desire that carries her away to interdimensional Nolandia, where the Imaginalians are suspended and about to fade away in the wake of their world's destruction unless Mehera can build a mystical bridge to a new home. To accomplish this, she must vanquish the villain Pralaya, the embodiment of entropy, and work through some personal issues. In an odd climax, she persuades the books' embittered author to join her in a typewriter duet. This wordy but fluently written metafiction features two slam-bang opening scenes and enough action to keep the philosophical underpinnings in their place. Grades 5-8. --John Peters

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1 edition (June 29, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061732869
• ISBN-13: 978-0061732867
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,435,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, J. M. DeMatteis was a professional musician and rock music journalist before entering the comic book field.

Although he's written almost all of the major DC and Marvel icons--including memorable runs on Spider-Man and Justice League--DeMatteis's greatest greatest acclaim has come for sophisticated original graphic novels like Seekers Into The Mystery, Blood: A Tale, The Last One, and Mercy. The autobiographical Brooklyn Dreams was picked by the ALA as one of the Ten Best Graphic Novels and Booklist, in a starred review, called it "as graphically distinguished and creatively novelistic a graphic novel as has ever been...a classic of the form." The groundbreaking Moonshadow was chosen (along with Brooklyn Dreams, Blood and other DeMatteis works) for inclusion in Gene Kanenberg, Jr's 2008 book 500 Essential Graphic Novels. "While Sandman may be the best known fantasy comic," he wrote, "Moonshadow is arguably the finest."

More recently DeMatteis has had great success with the acclaimed children's fantasy Abadazad --which Entertainment Weekly, giving the series an A grade, hailed as "...one of those very rare fantasy works that can enchant preteen kids and 40-year old fanboys..." and Publisher's Weekly, in a starred review, called "an appealing blend of Spirited Away and The Wizard of Oz." Abadazad began life as a CrossGen comic book before morphing into a three-book series, a unique blend of prose, illustration and sequential art, published by Disney's Hyperion Books For Children.

His success in the comic book medium has led DeMatteis to work in both television (writing live action and animation) and movies (creating screenplays for Fox, Disney Feature Animation, directors Carlo Carlei and Chris Columbus and producer Dean Devlin, among others).

DeMatteis's latest work includes the fantasy novel Imaginalis, published in July, 2010 by HarperCollins, and a variety of television and comic book projects.

DeMatteis and his family live in upstate New York. His blogs can be found here at Amazon.com and at www.jmdematteis.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful fantasy for tweeners - and their grown ups!, July 5, 2010

By 

J. Prather (IN USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Imaginalis (Hardcover)

I truly loved this book. I just finished it and can't seem to wipe the smile off my face. This is the story of Mehara, a 12 year old 7th grader who is in love with a series of books based in a land called Imaginalis. Much to the chagrin of her father and all her friends, she continues to be wrapped up in this book series even at the ripe old age of 12. Her friends and father tell her it's time to grow up, but Mehera persists in her devotion, eagerly awaiting the release of the latest book in the series. She is devasted to learn that publication of the next book has been cancelled and wonders what this means for the characters that she considers her friends. After receiving some mysterious computer messages, and deciding that just for once she is going to believe in the unbelievable, she actually finds out that the stories she has been reading are real, and that the real land of Imaginalis is in terrible jeopardy and it is up to her and the book's author to save it. The ensuing action adventure is non-stop fun and a testament to great storytelling and the utter power of story itself.

The writing is seamless and the book moves along at a fast pace that will surely keep readers glued to the page. I was concerned when I read the Booklist review that mentioned the Buddhist philosophy. I thought that perhaps the author might overburden his tale with things that would pass by the average fifth grader. Fortunately, that is not the case. The philosophical elements are expertly integrated into the story and add to the general feel good message that is truly inspirational. I found the book to be very uplifting in its message of compassion over violence, equal treatment for all, and the power of imagination and belief to truly conquer all. All of this was achieved without sacrificing the non-stop action and the wonder to be found in this story.

The character of Mehara is fantastic. The author did an incredible job in capturing a young girl just on the edge of growing up. Any avid reader of fantasy novels will see themselves in this girl. Adults and children alike will remember the despair they felt when they got to the end of that fantasy series that they had been consumed with, only to be left wondering What Now? Just like Mehara says in the book, nobody understands. Except maybe now they do.

This is a solid recommend to any avid fantasy reader you know - especially grades 5 to 8. I guarantee they will bond with this story and these characters instantly. The writing is superb, and I look forward to this author's next foray into children's fiction. I'm still smiling!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Can Only Imaginalis..., July 7, 2010

By 

Ben Reilly - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Imaginalis (Hardcover)

If you're a fan of children's fantasy written in the vein of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, you might want to give J.M. DeMatteis' Imaginalis a look.

Here's why I think it works:

1) The Concept. I'll admit I'm not especially familiar with the young adult market these days, but Imaginalis strikes me as pretty unique at the conceptual level. It's the story of Mehera Crosby, a young girl crushed when her favorite fantasy series is canceled midstream. She is so distressed, in fact, that it begins to strain her personal relationships. Her cynical best friend and doting father both think it's time for her to move on, but she just can't. She even goes so far as to tell her father that the Imaginalians and their world are as real as he is. Of course when that turns out to be truer than even Mehera suspected, things get interesting.

The Imaginalians are trapped in limbo, fading into shadow and out of existence forever. Mehera's faith in their universe is their last, desperate hope for salvation, because she's the only one with her foot in both worlds. Well, there is one other, but I don't want to say too much here. Suffice to say this is a concept that has broad literary, philosophical, and spiritual applications.

But more than that, it makes for interesting reading.

2)The Characters. I like Mehera. When you're writing a story about a girl who can't let go of fictional worlds, you definitely run the risk she'll come across like a self-absorbed snot (even if she is right). In DeMatteis' sensitive hands, though, her biggest flaw is also her saving grace. Mehera is a delightfully self-aware girl who knows the risk she's running. What that amounts to is this: when Mehera struggles to balance her faith in IMAGINALIS with her personal relationships, you'll root for her to make it work.

The other characters are engaging, too, from Mehera's inner circle to the Imaginalians. DeMatteis injects their backstories with elegant details, like when we discover that Celeste is the product of a union between an atheist and an interfaith minister. "I just can't figure out how that works," Mehera muses. Though it's never picked up again, it's an interesting detail that lends itself well to a recurring theme in the book: How do you make an 'impossible' relationship work?

That question manifests in a multitude of 'impossible' relationships: the cynic and the enthusiast, the fan and the recluse, the real and the imagined. It all comes down to the idea that the 'small' conflicts are every bit as important as the larger ones, and the choice is always ours what to make of them.

3)The Poetry. It's been said before, but DeMatteis' musical training lends itself to a rhythmic kind of prose-poetry. But it's the type of poetry that isn't afraid to let the characters speak in alternating high and low tides. Mehera can praise a stirring line from the books, "into the hope of night," or compare the villain Prayala's true form to an overflowing toilet. The result is something sometimes beautiful and always authentic.

I highly recommend Imaginalis, a fun read with a message of faith, hope and love.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, March 13, 2011

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Imaginalis (Hardcover)

The book was awesome! It was one of those books where the story is the one that you want to happen to yourself. Mehera was an amazing character and she inspired me to dream big no matter how impossible or ridiculous it seems. This book is one that mixes fantasy with the truth that no matter how far you are into life, something can always change.

Note: My 10 year old daughter Zoe wrote the above but could not publish it under her name...