Synopsis
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE DISCOVERIES AWARD
'A tour de force of a debut' EMMA VAN STRAATEN
Robin is unreliable, unstable and utterly devoted to his oldest friend Henry. So when Henry's beloved mother - the lauded novelist Marian Finch - dies unexpectedly, Robin is there to pick up the pieces. Henry comes into possession of a venerable antiquarian bookshop and there - for a time - they build a life, with their found family of sorts.
But grief can send us down unexpected paths. For Henry, it leads him to the theory of multiple universes and to Yolanda, a brilliant scientist who can help him understand it.
Robin and Yolanda have three things in common: they are in love with the same man, they despise each other, and they are oblivious to the fact that Henry is spiralling into a dangerous obsession that will irrevocably change them all.
Imaginary Forces is a luminous portrait of love in its many forms - yearning, obsession, addiction - and just how messy and destructive it can be.
'A tour de force of a debut' EMMA VAN STRAATEN
Robin is unreliable, unstable and utterly devoted to his oldest friend Henry. So when Henry's beloved mother - the lauded novelist Marian Finch - dies unexpectedly, Robin is there to pick up the pieces. Henry comes into possession of a venerable antiquarian bookshop and there - for a time - they build a life, with their found family of sorts.
But grief can send us down unexpected paths. For Henry, it leads him to the theory of multiple universes and to Yolanda, a brilliant scientist who can help him understand it.
Robin and Yolanda have three things in common: they are in love with the same man, they despise each other, and they are oblivious to the fact that Henry is spiralling into a dangerous obsession that will irrevocably change them all.
Imaginary Forces is a luminous portrait of love in its many forms - yearning, obsession, addiction - and just how messy and destructive it can be.
Details
21 January 2027
9781786586827Imprint: Manilla Press
Reviews
I was blown away by this tour de force of a debut. Exquisitely written, it is a gorgeously and minutely observed exploration of love, obsession, and the blurring of the two. The narrative voice is singular and brilliant: tender, funny, clever, bitter, flippant, arch, angry. The relationships depicted are so flawed and fierce and painful that they ring with truth and as such the novel is profoundly affecting. It kept surprising me and making me laugh. I loved it; Georgia Moorhouse is an exceptional talent.
Imaginary Forces explores the blurred lines between addiction and obsession, love and friendship, need and belonging. It's a fresh, intelligent and compelling debut, made all the more memorable by its brilliantly flawed narrator.
A searing exploration of the dangers of conspiracy theory and the destructive impact lies have in a post-truth world. A haunting allegory about the dangers of self-delusion and obsessive love.
I loved this book. A well-drawn and utterly compelling coming-of-age novel full of heartache and self-reflection. Intelligent and gripping
