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willrefuge's review
4.0
4.5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/book-review-the-imaginary-corpse-by-tyler-hayes/
The Imaginary Corpse is an adorable book in a number of ways. It’s a cross between Toy Story and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, under the night sky of a film-era detective noir. Detective Tippy is a stuffed, yellow triceratops. Yes, you read that right. He’s the head and only detective at the Stuffed Animal Detective Agency. There’s nothing he likes more than root beer floats, long rides in the dryer—and of course—his creator, Sandra.
The Stuffed Animal Detective Agency operates in the Stillreal, a place where capital-F Friends end up when their creators are forced to abandon them. It’s hard to explain, but the book does a stellar job—I’ll give it a quick shot. You see, some imaginary friends are just that: Imaginary. But if a friend is imbibed with such a force of love or affection, or detail to the extent that they’re very real to their creator, they become a Friend. Alternatively, a nightmare that frightens and terrifies can often feel very real in its own right, thus becoming a Friend as well (albeit a different kind). Now, most often these Friends will be parted with or forgotten when a child outgrows them, discarded when an artist or writer moves on or their commission is canceled. But occasionally, there’s an event that leads to a Friend being abandoned. Some trauma, some insight, some… thing else. And the Friend is forcibly ripped from their creator, never to return. These Friends end up in the Stillreal.
Going to the Stillreal is a one-way trip. Friends can get hurt or injured there—most experience trauma, anxiety or worse from their forced separation from their creator—but once arriving in the Stillreal, they can’t actually die. That is, until they start.
When Tippy witnesses this, the case begins. It will lead down paths even dark by Playtime Town standards. It will force Detective Tippy to confront his own issues—the trauma, the loss, and his mounting depression. It may even change him for the better, should he and the rest of the Stillreal survive it. For even in Playtime Town does darkness loom, and Tippy may not have enough in his pocket flask of root beer to see him through it.
What to say about the Imaginary Corpse? Mostly good things, I promise.
I mean, it’s good. It’s definitely worth reading! It’s in a class all on its own, for a whole host of reasons—but mostly because it is adorable. The yellow triceratops lead, the amount of hugs offered and given, the Rootbeerium… And yet the issues these Friends deal with draw a number of parallels to everyday life. The trauma, the loss, the anxiety, the depression they feel; all seems a tangible, weighted thing, that I struggled with in my read through. Some have overcome the lot, though most still struggle on valiantly in a world they can’t escape, a living memory of a life they’re never to revisit, the memory of their creator, their best friend still fresh in their mind and yet irretrievable at the same time. Tippy walks a fine line—love, hope on one end with depression, darkness and loss lurking on the other side.
Tippy may be one of my favorite characters ever. From his time with Sandra, Tippy was imbued with Detective Stuff, a kind of sixth-sense that helped him know things, feel things, gather clues almost as if by magic—as it might seem to a small child who witnesses detectives doing such. Despite this yellow triceratops being filled with no more than root beer and stuffing, he’s more human than most of what you’ll find in media nowadays.
While Hayes starts with an interesting premise, a fantastical setting and a generally entertaining plot, the Imaginary Corpse falls short of perfection. The mystery lets the story down, sadly. And the Detective Stuff—while a powerful tool—is not enough to carry the story by itself. A couple of times I had to backtrack and reread a section where Tippy connected the dots, because it didn’t exactly make sense. Occasionally, the Detective Stuff would just bypass key details and leap on to the next, like they were too hard to explain or write. Though I suppose that’s a good use for a superpower, innit?
TL;DR
The Imaginary Corpse is a fantasy-mystery-noir, set in a strange but delightful world, filled with some of my favorite characters of all-time. And I really can’t say enough good things about it. An immensely entertaining read, the book takes its readers through the trauma and darkness—coaxing them all the while with hope and acceptance, before finally reaching a hard-fought conclusion that is neither, yet somehow both. While the novel’s mystery may be its biggest weakness, the Imaginary Corpse manages to tell the story it set out to, in the manner it set out to, while toeing the line between dark and adorable. And that above all else is its greatest triumph. Quite the debut from Tyler Hayes—one I’ll not be forgetting any time soon!
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/book-review-the-imaginary-corpse-by-tyler-hayes/
The Imaginary Corpse is an adorable book in a number of ways. It’s a cross between Toy Story and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, under the night sky of a film-era detective noir. Detective Tippy is a stuffed, yellow triceratops. Yes, you read that right. He’s the head and only detective at the Stuffed Animal Detective Agency. There’s nothing he likes more than root beer floats, long rides in the dryer—and of course—his creator, Sandra.
The Stuffed Animal Detective Agency operates in the Stillreal, a place where capital-F Friends end up when their creators are forced to abandon them. It’s hard to explain, but the book does a stellar job—I’ll give it a quick shot. You see, some imaginary friends are just that: Imaginary. But if a friend is imbibed with such a force of love or affection, or detail to the extent that they’re very real to their creator, they become a Friend. Alternatively, a nightmare that frightens and terrifies can often feel very real in its own right, thus becoming a Friend as well (albeit a different kind). Now, most often these Friends will be parted with or forgotten when a child outgrows them, discarded when an artist or writer moves on or their commission is canceled. But occasionally, there’s an event that leads to a Friend being abandoned. Some trauma, some insight, some… thing else. And the Friend is forcibly ripped from their creator, never to return. These Friends end up in the Stillreal.
Going to the Stillreal is a one-way trip. Friends can get hurt or injured there—most experience trauma, anxiety or worse from their forced separation from their creator—but once arriving in the Stillreal, they can’t actually die. That is, until they start.
When Tippy witnesses this, the case begins. It will lead down paths even dark by Playtime Town standards. It will force Detective Tippy to confront his own issues—the trauma, the loss, and his mounting depression. It may even change him for the better, should he and the rest of the Stillreal survive it. For even in Playtime Town does darkness loom, and Tippy may not have enough in his pocket flask of root beer to see him through it.
What to say about the Imaginary Corpse? Mostly good things, I promise.
I mean, it’s good. It’s definitely worth reading! It’s in a class all on its own, for a whole host of reasons—but mostly because it is adorable. The yellow triceratops lead, the amount of hugs offered and given, the Rootbeerium… And yet the issues these Friends deal with draw a number of parallels to everyday life. The trauma, the loss, the anxiety, the depression they feel; all seems a tangible, weighted thing, that I struggled with in my read through. Some have overcome the lot, though most still struggle on valiantly in a world they can’t escape, a living memory of a life they’re never to revisit, the memory of their creator, their best friend still fresh in their mind and yet irretrievable at the same time. Tippy walks a fine line—love, hope on one end with depression, darkness and loss lurking on the other side.
Tippy may be one of my favorite characters ever. From his time with Sandra, Tippy was imbued with Detective Stuff, a kind of sixth-sense that helped him know things, feel things, gather clues almost as if by magic—as it might seem to a small child who witnesses detectives doing such. Despite this yellow triceratops being filled with no more than root beer and stuffing, he’s more human than most of what you’ll find in media nowadays.
While Hayes starts with an interesting premise, a fantastical setting and a generally entertaining plot, the Imaginary Corpse falls short of perfection. The mystery lets the story down, sadly. And the Detective Stuff—while a powerful tool—is not enough to carry the story by itself. A couple of times I had to backtrack and reread a section where Tippy connected the dots, because it didn’t exactly make sense. Occasionally, the Detective Stuff would just bypass key details and leap on to the next, like they were too hard to explain or write. Though I suppose that’s a good use for a superpower, innit?
TL;DR
The Imaginary Corpse is a fantasy-mystery-noir, set in a strange but delightful world, filled with some of my favorite characters of all-time. And I really can’t say enough good things about it. An immensely entertaining read, the book takes its readers through the trauma and darkness—coaxing them all the while with hope and acceptance, before finally reaching a hard-fought conclusion that is neither, yet somehow both. While the novel’s mystery may be its biggest weakness, the Imaginary Corpse manages to tell the story it set out to, in the manner it set out to, while toeing the line between dark and adorable. And that above all else is its greatest triumph. Quite the debut from Tyler Hayes—one I’ll not be forgetting any time soon!
sirswanny's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mackle13's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I have to say, this book is definitely much darker - more "noir" - than I was actually expecting for a book that's about Imaginary Friends, lead up by a stuffed dinosaur detective. I went in sort of expecting a sort of "kids noir", but it wasn't that. It hit heavier than I was expecting.
Which isn't a bad thing. Just took me a few chapters to adjust my expectations.
Once that was done, I was able to get into the character and the world. It took me a bit to get a grip on the world-building - exactly how Friends are made, because there seems to be a couple of different methods, and it was kind of exposition heavy at the start, and I was trying to make logical sense of everything.
But, eventually, as we got more into the story and less into the expositionary parts, I really got into the story. I loved the characters and the way they interact. I love Detective Trippy trying to rein in his snark, but finding it difficult at times. (Something I, personally, really relate to.)
I admit, I still had a little trouble following some of Trippy's conclusions. It took a little while for him to start putting the clues together, but once he did everything came together very quickly. The hows and whys of the whodunit was scary but intriguing.
While this appears to be a standalone currently, if this becomes a series I'll definitely pick up the next. I would love to spend more time with Trippy, Spiderhand, Miss Mighty, and the other Friends.
Which isn't a bad thing. Just took me a few chapters to adjust my expectations.
Once that was done, I was able to get into the character and the world. It took me a bit to get a grip on the world-building - exactly how Friends are made, because there seems to be a couple of different methods, and it was kind of exposition heavy at the start, and I was trying to make logical sense of everything.
But, eventually, as we got more into the story and less into the expositionary parts, I really got into the story. I loved the characters and the way they interact. I love Detective Trippy trying to rein in his snark, but finding it difficult at times. (Something I, personally, really relate to.)
I admit, I still had a little trouble following some of Trippy's conclusions. It took a little while for him to start putting the clues together, but once he did everything came together very quickly. The hows and whys of the whodunit was scary but intriguing.
While this appears to be a standalone currently, if this becomes a series I'll definitely pick up the next. I would love to spend more time with Trippy, Spiderhand, Miss Mighty, and the other Friends.
kcup21's review against another edition
I loved the concept and the world and characters that were built but after a good portion of the story unfolding I could not feel very invested in the story or characters - it felt fleeting. I appreciated the humor and the unique world. I think if you like film noir then you’d really enjoy this.
kickingpaper's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
coris's review
4.0
Tippy the triceratops was an imaginary friend, before his little girl lost faith in him. Now he lives in the Stillreal, the underbelly of the imagination, where discarded ideas go when they're too Real to disappear. He's a detective, mostly taking on small cases, until he witnesses the violent murder of a newly-arrived idea and has to solve the mystery before there's nothing left but imaginary corpses.
This is absolutely not a kids book -- yet it is also quite sweet, and Tippy is true to his triceratops stuffie roots in some really fun ways. It also doesn't try too hard with morals or meaning, it's just a good time in a very creative alternate world. Lots of great side characters, of various genders and physicalities and radical acceptance throughout ... the underlying experience of being unwanted supercedes any other consideration.
Read if you'd like literally fluffy noir or stories about the imagination. Avoid if the imaginary friend storyline from _Inside Out_ annoyed you, you hate anything even slightly super-hero, or the content warnings aren't for you.
This is absolutely not a kids book -- yet it is also quite sweet, and Tippy is true to his triceratops stuffie roots in some really fun ways. It also doesn't try too hard with morals or meaning, it's just a good time in a very creative alternate world. Lots of great side characters, of various genders and physicalities and radical acceptance throughout ... the underlying experience of being unwanted supercedes any other consideration.
Read if you'd like literally fluffy noir or stories about the imagination. Avoid if the imaginary friend storyline from _Inside Out_ annoyed you, you hate anything even slightly super-hero, or the content warnings aren't for you.
queenterribletimy's review against another edition
5.0
This review was originally published on my blog, RockStarlit BookAsylum!
There is Twitter Giveaway Game I'm hosting, where you can win a paperback or ebook copy! Check the details out here!
“What I really do is help people, bot with their problems and with believing the best of the world.”
I’ve read The Imaginary Corpse back in June, but it still lives vividly in my mind. Most of all Tippy, the main character, the yellow triceratops who is one of the best private investigators in the Stillreal. I have a feeling this review will become incoherent at one point, so let me just make it clear: Tippy is one of the most loveable characters I ever read about, and The Imaginary Corpse is just like a huge warm blanket you can wrap around yourself on cold days to feel safe, and believe the world is a kind and nice place.
Have you ever had an imaginary friend as a kid? Or an idea you worked on for weeks, months, even years but had to discard in the end? Have you ever had to say goodbye to something you loved – a beloved stuffed animal for instance? Did you ever think about what happened to these friends and ideas? Tyler Hayes did and created one of the most unique worlds, one that never stops changing or expanding thanks to new Ideas and Friends popping up all the time. This is a world where you could never get bored, because there are practically infinite options before you, whether you seek adventure, peace, dark alleys and edgy villains. Stillreal has it all and some more. This is the place where discarded Ideas and Friends go after they have to part with their creators. Stillreal has a place for literally everyone no matter what their age, gender, species, colour, etc are. Most of the Friends who end up in the Stillreal continue to do what they were created for be it good or bad, and they all exist beside each other – more or less in piece and understanding. As Tippy puts it:
“For us, there’s the Stillreal. The underbelly of the Imagination. The place for Ideas too Real to fade away, too anonymous to go Big, and too messed up to stay where we are. We’re a patchwork of places, a population of emotional refugees, all knitted together at random and doing our best to survive without literally life-giving love. In other words, we’re a mess.”
Our main character is Tippy, a yellow stuffed triceratops, who is a private investigator. As everyone else in the Stillreal he went through a trauma when he found himself in Stillreal, and though he learned to cope with his new life, he still suffers from anxiety and some kind of PTSD when it rains – and I swear one of the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever read was the scene when he, after a long and hard day, climbs into a dryer for a few spins, which is his safe place.
But Tippy also has a job to do. It falls on him to figure out who is responsible for Friends being killed, permanently. Tippy doesn’t have a lot as far as clues go, but the Spindleman case leads him to some unexpected events until he slowly gets to the end of the matter. He is accompanied by a series of Friends along the way – Spiderhand, his roommate and best friends whose hobby is to have tea parties; Miss Mighty, the superhero who fights an everlasting battle with the villain Dr. Atrocity; Frieda, the owner of the Freedom Motel where every new Friend without a place to go lands; the Sadness Penguins about whom we didn’t learn nearly enough but I really want to; the memory whales (!!) and a series of other intriguing, unique characters you just come to love to read about.
“Real-world whales breathe air. But this Idea’s whales breathe memories.
Sometimes I need to stop and remind myself that I do love my job.”
I’m usually not a person who gets easily emotional, but The Imaginary Corpse did all kind of things to my and my heart (at one point I was practically begging to get my cold, stone heart back, because I just couldn’t cope) and all I could think about was “Damn, I want to hug Tippy sooo much!” Not because I pitied him – well, of course I was sad for him, because losing part of your life and restart it somewhere else is never easy – but because of his personality. It’s not everyday that you read a book with a main character who is so pure and wholesome, and whose real strength is his kidness and understanding. Put your hand on your heart and tell me honestly, if you’d ever offer a hug to someone who tried to do you wrong. I thought so. I think we all could learn something from Tippy and this book – mostly that kindness and love is not a weakness, and that everyone needs it, even if they don’t know they do.
“The idea that pops into my head is absolutely ridiculous. Fortunately, I’m no stranger to that, so I ask,”Do you need a hug?””
Tyler Hayes successfully played with bending the genres as The Imaginary Corpse is a fantasy book, but in its core, it really is a murder mystery sprinkled with a bit of awareness raising for the importance of mental health. It really is a bit of mix of everyhting and maybe less would have been more in some cases – like we really get introduced to a lot of characters – but at the end of the day, what you really remember is how emotionally engaging this book is. And the witty humour of it. It got a few chuckles out of me which is always a good sign.
The Imaginary Corpse is one of the most imaginative books I’ve read in a long time. As someone who is a sucker for stuffed animals and battles with anxiety this book really hit close to home. Tyler Hayes debut fantasy novel just ruined me in the best possible way, and not only jumped somewhere near the top of my “Favourite Books Ever” list, but also landed him on my auto-buy list.
In case you need more reason to read The Imaginary Corpse, I had the pleasure to chat with Tippy, and you can read our interview here!
If you’d like to have a chance to win either an ecopy or a paperback of The Imaginary Corpse, check out my Twitter Giveaway game!
There is Twitter Giveaway Game I'm hosting, where you can win a paperback or ebook copy! Check the details out here!
I’ve read The Imaginary Corpse back in June, but it still lives vividly in my mind. Most of all Tippy, the main character, the yellow triceratops who is one of the best private investigators in the Stillreal. I have a feeling this review will become incoherent at one point, so let me just make it clear: Tippy is one of the most loveable characters I ever read about, and The Imaginary Corpse is just like a huge warm blanket you can wrap around yourself on cold days to feel safe, and believe the world is a kind and nice place.
Have you ever had an imaginary friend as a kid? Or an idea you worked on for weeks, months, even years but had to discard in the end? Have you ever had to say goodbye to something you loved – a beloved stuffed animal for instance? Did you ever think about what happened to these friends and ideas? Tyler Hayes did and created one of the most unique worlds, one that never stops changing or expanding thanks to new Ideas and Friends popping up all the time. This is a world where you could never get bored, because there are practically infinite options before you, whether you seek adventure, peace, dark alleys and edgy villains. Stillreal has it all and some more. This is the place where discarded Ideas and Friends go after they have to part with their creators. Stillreal has a place for literally everyone no matter what their age, gender, species, colour, etc are. Most of the Friends who end up in the Stillreal continue to do what they were created for be it good or bad, and they all exist beside each other – more or less in piece and understanding. As Tippy puts it:
Our main character is Tippy, a yellow stuffed triceratops, who is a private investigator. As everyone else in the Stillreal he went through a trauma when he found himself in Stillreal, and though he learned to cope with his new life, he still suffers from anxiety and some kind of PTSD when it rains – and I swear one of the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever read was the scene when he, after a long and hard day, climbs into a dryer for a few spins, which is his safe place.
But Tippy also has a job to do. It falls on him to figure out who is responsible for Friends being killed, permanently. Tippy doesn’t have a lot as far as clues go, but the Spindleman case leads him to some unexpected events until he slowly gets to the end of the matter. He is accompanied by a series of Friends along the way – Spiderhand, his roommate and best friends whose hobby is to have tea parties; Miss Mighty, the superhero who fights an everlasting battle with the villain Dr. Atrocity; Frieda, the owner of the Freedom Motel where every new Friend without a place to go lands; the Sadness Penguins about whom we didn’t learn nearly enough but I really want to; the memory whales (!!) and a series of other intriguing, unique characters you just come to love to read about.
Sometimes I need to stop and remind myself that I do love my job.”
I’m usually not a person who gets easily emotional, but The Imaginary Corpse did all kind of things to my and my heart (at one point I was practically begging to get my cold, stone heart back, because I just couldn’t cope) and all I could think about was “Damn, I want to hug Tippy sooo much!” Not because I pitied him – well, of course I was sad for him, because losing part of your life and restart it somewhere else is never easy – but because of his personality. It’s not everyday that you read a book with a main character who is so pure and wholesome, and whose real strength is his kidness and understanding. Put your hand on your heart and tell me honestly, if you’d ever offer a hug to someone who tried to do you wrong. I thought so. I think we all could learn something from Tippy and this book – mostly that kindness and love is not a weakness, and that everyone needs it, even if they don’t know they do.
Tyler Hayes successfully played with bending the genres as The Imaginary Corpse is a fantasy book, but in its core, it really is a murder mystery sprinkled with a bit of awareness raising for the importance of mental health. It really is a bit of mix of everyhting and maybe less would have been more in some cases – like we really get introduced to a lot of characters – but at the end of the day, what you really remember is how emotionally engaging this book is. And the witty humour of it. It got a few chuckles out of me which is always a good sign.
The Imaginary Corpse is one of the most imaginative books I’ve read in a long time. As someone who is a sucker for stuffed animals and battles with anxiety this book really hit close to home. Tyler Hayes debut fantasy novel just ruined me in the best possible way, and not only jumped somewhere near the top of my “Favourite Books Ever” list, but also landed him on my auto-buy list.
In case you need more reason to read The Imaginary Corpse, I had the pleasure to chat with Tippy, and you can read our interview here!
If you’d like to have a chance to win either an ecopy or a paperback of The Imaginary Corpse, check out my Twitter Giveaway game!
rbreade's review
Off-the-charts inventive world-building and whip smart writing by Hayes, who blends The Velveteen Rabbit, Toy Story, and the tropes of noir detective fiction into a fizzy-lifting concoction that manages real heart and emotional depth. Welcome to the Stillreal. Meet your guide, Tippy the Toy Triceratops, plush-yellow resident detective of Playtime Town, where someone from the Real is murdering Ideas...
smitchy's review
3.0
This mind-bending blend of crime noir and comic fantasy is a must for fans of Jasper Fforde!
Tippy is the best detective in the Stillreal. He also happens to be a bright yellow plush triceratops. He was once someone's best friend - a detective imagined to help make sense of the world but one tragic event changed everything an Tippy was set aside: Still loved, still real, but no longer required. When that happened Tippy when where all abandoned but fiercely imagined ideas go; The Stillreal.
Setting out on a case, Tippy discovers a nightmare newly arrived in the Stillreal, somehow chased out of his person's head by a creature that terrifies it. Tippy doesn't take the new arrival's ramblings too seriously, afterall everyone is a bit disorientated when they first arrive. But when the nightmare is attacked Tippy discovers that this new creature can do the impossible: Kill an idea, permanently.
With time running out Tippy has to face his own deamons and rally the beings of the Stillreal to end this creature and help everyone - real and imagined alike.
Tippy is a wonderful blend of hard bitten noir-style detective and the most innocent of childhood pleasures; with a tragic backstory, PTSD, and addiction to root-beer floats. He brings comfort to villans and shows kindness to nightmares. The fights he gets into are both action-packed and strangely, innocently, violent - Tippy gets the stuffing knocked out of him more than once!
This is hard bitten crime without any blood, and there is nothing that would cause me to hesitate in giving this book to an early teen reader. However, I feel an older audience might enjoy the play of ideas more.
I would love to see some more of Tippy and his imaginary friends and see the world fleshed out more in future adventures.
Pure, escapist fun for those who love comic fantasy.
Tippy is the best detective in the Stillreal. He also happens to be a bright yellow plush triceratops. He was once someone's best friend - a detective imagined to help make sense of the world but one tragic event changed everything an Tippy was set aside: Still loved, still real, but no longer required. When that happened Tippy when where all abandoned but fiercely imagined ideas go; The Stillreal.
Setting out on a case, Tippy discovers a nightmare newly arrived in the Stillreal, somehow chased out of his person's head by a creature that terrifies it. Tippy doesn't take the new arrival's ramblings too seriously, afterall everyone is a bit disorientated when they first arrive. But when the nightmare is attacked Tippy discovers that this new creature can do the impossible: Kill an idea, permanently.
With time running out Tippy has to face his own deamons and rally the beings of the Stillreal to end this creature and help everyone - real and imagined alike.
Tippy is a wonderful blend of hard bitten noir-style detective and the most innocent of childhood pleasures; with a tragic backstory, PTSD, and addiction to root-beer floats. He brings comfort to villans and shows kindness to nightmares. The fights he gets into are both action-packed and strangely, innocently, violent - Tippy gets the stuffing knocked out of him more than once!
This is hard bitten crime without any blood, and there is nothing that would cause me to hesitate in giving this book to an early teen reader. However, I feel an older audience might enjoy the play of ideas more.
I would love to see some more of Tippy and his imaginary friends and see the world fleshed out more in future adventures.
Pure, escapist fun for those who love comic fantasy.