Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Refreshingly Talented New Author Arrives on the Scene!, November 18, 2007
Meet Darren Pillsbury - and oh yes, his cadre of Imaginary Friends he introduces in this debut novel IMAGINARY FRIENDS. Pillsbury has managed to achieve that elusive ability to write a book for the entire family, whether that family is an intact family unit, an extended family, or for individuals who are eager to read uplifting, very funny, well written stories with a dash of the philosophical element that leaves the reader thinking. Pillsbury has a rich imagination and the ability to transfer that to the written page very successfully. He is a writer to watch.
Jeff Tanner works for WACK-O! TOYS INC. as a toy designer. He lives with his two small boys, Brian and Davey, and is a single parent since the death of his wife Susan three years ago, an event that left Jeff grieving and hollow but at the same time committed to raising his two sons to the best of his ability: Brian is the older and is withdrawn, spending his time sketching strange people and monsters; Davey is the clown with a rich imagination who was too young when his mother died to remember her. Susan's mother Granny Jobson lives with Jeff and the boys and is in her own somewhat detached world, spending her idle hours dancing with the memory of her deceased husband. Too near by for comfort live Jeff's parents - Grandmother and Grandfather Tanner - who disapprove of Jeff's meaningless occupation as a toy designer and are rigid in their response to the world and its occupants.
It is Christmas time and while this odd family gathers to celebrate (and remember the importance of Susan's impact), the household is somewhat disrupted by Davey's imaginary friends who create an ongoing ruckus. The atmosphere changes dramatically when Davey snaps the turkey wishbone and PRESTO! - Jeff can also see the hoards of imaginary friends Davey has been entertaining and those bizarre creatures turn Jeff's world upside down. Not only is his house and his relationship to his parents altered, his very job is at stake with some ludicrous toy proposals. A new face comes into the wild picture in the person of Elise, a neighbor whose presence begins to change Jeff's grief jaded eyes to open. How the new entry of Imaginary Friends, clearly visible to Jeff and Davey, affect the family Tanner is the roller coaster ride of the book.
There are sidebars of tenderness - Brian is placed in a boarding school at the insistence of Jeff's parents in hopes that Brian will learn to adjust to the 'real world', Granny Jobson's dancecapades offer sweet insights for Jeff and his ability to let go of his past and find promise in Elise, the family unit alters with mutual understanding and communication: 'imaginary' morphs from negative to positive. Without becoming banal or morose the story winds down with 'lessons' of growth and a bow to love that is simply irresistible. This is a book that can be read aloud in family gatherings by the fire over the course of a few evenings - especially (but not limited to) during the holidays. It is richly written, fully of wildly funny images and incidents, and gives us a family, bruised but not defeated, that we truly want to know. Darren Pillsbury has the gift, and it is one most worthy of sharing! Grady Harp, November 07
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Power of Imagination, November 8, 2007
Imaginary Friends is a short, but delightful book that is not only entertaining with it's phenomenal premise, but also full of heart.
The characters are well-fleshed out and the story itself provides a powerful message that you are sure not to forget. Imaginary Friends is a story about love, acceptance, finding oneself, and most importantly--the power of imagination.
A fantastic read for any age group, Imaginary Friends is sure to tickle your funny bone and warm your heart.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This would make a really cute movie..., December 17, 2007
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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