Imaginary Girls

Reach for this book when your teenager is grappling with an intense, perhaps even suffocating, sibling dynamic or a friendship that feels more like an obsession than a partnership. It is a haunting exploration of how love can become a cage and how guilt can reshape our reality. The story follows Chloe, whose older sister Ruby is charismatic, controlling, and seemingly capable of impossible things. After a tragic drowning, the sisters are separated, but their bond pulls them back together into a world where the line between life and death is terrifyingly thin. This is a literary, atmospheric mystery for mature teens that addresses themes of codependency, grief, and the lengths we go to for family. It is best for ages 14 and up due to its dark, surrealist tone and heavy emotional weight.