Perks of Being a Wallflower Author Stephen Chbosky Announces New Book
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Stephen Chbosky, author of the beloved YA novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, has announced his second book, Imaginary Friend. The book, which he’s been working on for nine years, is set to hit shelves Oct. 1 via Grand Central Publishing.
The forthcoming novel will be Chbosky’s first foray into the literary world since he penned his debut The Perks of Being a Wallflower 20 years ago.
“Twenty years ago I published my first novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Chbosky wrote on Twitter Monday. “I have spent the last nine years working on my second. It’s called Imaginary Friend.”
Dear Friends, Twenty years ago I published my first novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I have spent the last nine years working on my second. It’s called Imaginary Friend. It comes out October 1st. https://t.co/Djm2646G2wpic.twitter.com/4Y7zJkd8ce
— Stephen Chbosky (@StephenChbosky) May 20, 2019
The new book will be a horror novel, a clear departure from the classic young adult coming-of-age tale (and its resulting 2012 movie adaptation) that launched Chbosky to stardom. The critically acclaimed The Perks of Being a Wallflower touched the hearts of readers around the world, selling millions of copies before being transformed into a major motion picture starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman.
But Imaginary Friend is a bit different.
It follows a single mother named Kate, who flees an abusive relationship with her son, Christopher, at her side. Together, they stumble upon the off-the-beaten-path community of Mill Grove, Pa., but as the two settle down, Christopher disappears. When he returns from the woods six days later, he carries a voice in his head that only he can hear, one that gives him a mission: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas—or else.
“Do you remember when you were a little kid and you would look up into the clouds?” Chbosky said in a recent statement. “Remember how the clouds would look like the shape of a dog or a tree or a face? Well, what if you were a little 7-year-old kid now? With a single mom. And no money. And what if you couldn’t help but notice that for the last two weeks, you looked up into the clouds, and it was always the same face staring back at you? That is the origin of my story.”
