Hello, friends!! ^^ And a very happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday to you all! I hope you’ve had a splendiferous week! This week was a pretty crazy one in terms of both life and writing — for one, I finally hit 76,000 words in my middle-grade WIP Island Keepers!!!
*let much clapping and trumpeting commence*
*remembers I can now use emojis because ✨updated blog ✨*
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Act Two has been a slog as per usual, but it has been wonderful finally seeing everything — character arcs, plot points, the history of this world — come together, and I am so excited to be getting closer to the point where I can actually share this story with you all!
There’s also been much more going on behind the scenes that I can’t quite share yet, but I’m excited! ^^ Not much else is going on, aside from the fact that it is now cold (ack!) and I have spent this past week bundled up in sweaters and blankets, with hot tea while reading.
And speaking of reading, that brings me to the book I’m sharing with y’all today! Sarah Beth Durst is one of my favorite authors (her fantasy novel, Spark, was one of the first books I read and loved as a kid), which is why I was delighted to find out about her upcoming book, The Imagitorium!
The blurb reads: New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst takes readers on an unforgettable journey full of whimsy and adventure as a young girl and her imaginary friend set off to save a magical factory full of fantastic creatures.
It’s really very impolite to ask anyone to risk life, limb, and extra limbs without giving them a choice.
Shy daydreamer Amelia has been looking forward to this day for as long as she can the day she, as a ten-year-old, finally gets to enter the magical Imagitorium and create her very own imaginary friend.
But when she walks out of the Creation Room with Ruru, a fluffy, bearlike being with butterfly wings who gives excellent hugs, and into a scene of pure chaos, she quickly realizes that something’s gone very wrong. The Imagitorium is so much bigger than anyone outside knows, filled with dragons and sea monsters and candy cyclones, and now it’s starting to fall apart. The Caretaker is missing, and it’s up to Amelia to find her.
Amelia knows that she’s never been a hero, but… maybe she can still help?
This is truly such a fun middle-grade fantasy, and I know that it’s exactly the sort of book I would’ve loved reading as a kid! From all the creative, wacky rooms in the Imagitorium, to Amelia and Ruru’s friendship, this book is chock full of whimsy and wonder.
I’m not sure if this is the case with anyone else, but when I was younger, I had a good deal of imaginary friends myself. (Alas, none of mine were bearlike with butterfly wings!) I haven’t read many middle-grade books exploring that, and I thought The Imagitorium did such a good job of capturing what it feels like to be a child and to have imaginary friends.
The world/setting of this book is undoubtedly my favorite part. The Imagitorium is such a fun place, and I think it’s got exactly the right amount of strange magic to it. All of the different rooms/worlds (they’re technically rooms, but each room feels like its own world) felt so creative and definitely something an imaginative child might’ve dreamed up — there are candy cyclones, ice kingdoms, kitchens with cookie wars, and so much more! Each room is so different, and I was always excited to see what world the characters would stumble upon next.
I love Amelia too! She is so relatable and is a great protagonist. In the beginning of the story, she thinks that she’s just a kid and isn’t a real hero (certainly not the kind of person who would be able to save the Imagitorium!), so I loved seeing her confidence and belief in herself grow throughout the story, as both she, Ruru, and the Caretaker confront their fears.
Ruru is a wonderful character too. He’s exactly what one would picture an imaginary friend to be, I think! He’s so sweet and encourages Amelia, even when she doesn’t believe in herself. He’s curious too and has so many questions about the world, which add a good deal of whimsy and humor to the story! The scene where we got to meet Ruru for the first time was such fun to read as well, and I loved him from the moment he appeared on the page! (I mean, how can you not love a giant, fluffy bear-like creature with wings who just accidentally ate sparkles because he didn’t know any better?)*
*sparkles (and shampoo, for that matter!) do not taste good, y’all. Don’t eat them. I learned this the hard way as a wee thing.
There was only one character I do sort of wish we’d seen more of and that was the Caretaker’s sister. I shan’t say too much about her (because spoilers!) but with the role that she played in the story, I felt like it would’ve been nice to see more of who she really was, especially since she didn’t really appear on screen (well, on page, I suppose) in this book.
The plot flowed quite well too! I was somewhat worried that I’d find the story events to be repetitive, what with each chapter being the characters going through a new room of the Imagitorium, but with how fleshed out and magical the setting is, I couldn’t have. Each room was so new and imaginative! And through every single different chapter, there are still all those emotional threads that tie the story together: Amelia’s fear of losing Ruru once she gets older, since it’s said that imaginary friends fade away once you reach a certain age, and what it means for the Imagitorium to be falling apart. And I thought the ending was brilliant! For some reason, it never quite occurred to me that the story could end that way, but I think it just fits the story so perfectly!
And in a world where we’re so often told that creative pursuits aren’t a “real job” and that daydreaming is something we should outgrow, I thought the themes of this book were beautiful. This whole story is about the magic and power of imagination, about how it connects us, inspires us, makes us more, and (as a writer who literally spends her whole days writing stories in magical worlds!) I really loved this.
So all in all, I think this is a brilliant book for middle-graders and adults alike! Folks who read this will undoubtedly fall in love with the world and all these wonderful characters! The Imagitorium officially comes out on March 2, 2027, so be sure to keep an eye out when spring rolls around! :))
And, of course, we cannot leave out the Cute Fluffy Comrades of this blog!
Izzy: This is a beautiful book!! A truly beautiful one! Sarah Beth Durst is a lovely author. I’ve enjoyed nearly all of her books in the past and this one did not disappoint! It is so full of friendship and fun and magic! It is most certainly a book I shall be reading once more when it comes out. *nod nods* Five out of five stars from me. Even if it didn’t have any pandas in it… *frowns* Actually, I cannot recall if it had pandas in it or not. It might’ve. So many creatures. Tis hard for my poor old brain to to keep track. 😵
Charlotte: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! *jumps up and down in excitement* A wonderful book! A lovely book! A splendiferous book!!! A ✨ magical ✨ book! Ruru and Amelia were the best, and now I very much wish that the Imagitorium was real. *sighs wistfully* What fun we’d have in there… Ah well. At the very least, I can read about it. Isabelle, you will get a copy when this comes out, right?? *gazes woefully at Isabelle*
Isabelle: Yes, yes, we shall. *coughs awkwardly* If we can afford a hardcover, that is. XD
Charlotte: *tosses stuff out of her bag* I have fifteen seashells saved up!!!
Isabelle: Charlotte, I don’t think human booksellers accept payment in seashells…
Charlotte: They should!
Fuzzy Bee: Oh this is a delightful book!!! I’ve never read Sarah Beth Durst’s books before, but this one is wonderful! I simply cannot wait for its release!
And there you have it, folks! Thoughts from the CFC of this blog! Do let me know down in the comments what you thought of this review, if you’re looking forward to the release of this book, and also if you’ve ever searched for sea glass!! I would love to hear from y’all!
And, of course, don’t forget to check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, where Greg Pattridge and a bunch of other amazing book bloggers come together every Monday to share MG book reviews, interviews, and more!
Till next time and wishing y’all a splendiferous week!
-Isabelle
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