Friday 56 & Book Beginnings: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Here is what I know:
My name is Budo.
I have been alive for five years. 
Five years is a very long time for someone like me to be alive. 
Max gave me my name. 
Max is the only human person who can see me.
Max's parents call me an imaginary friend.
I love Max's teacher, Mrs. Gosk.
I do not like Max's other teacher, Mrs. Patterson.
I am not imaginary.

Max grins. It's not exactly a smile, but it is as close as Max gets to smiling. "No one has ever asked me to keep a secret before. This is my first."
"Is it a bad secret?" I ask.

I won this book in a giveaway and was pleasantly happy to see it nominated for Best in Fiction in Goodreads Choice Awards 2012. This is such a sweet and unusual story and I really enjoyed it. The book beginning is actually the entire chapter 1! And the Friday 56 just raises all sorts of alarms in me! If you can get a copy of this, please do. It's a wonderful read!
Synopsis: Imaginary friend Budo narrates this heartwarming story of love, loyalty, and the power of the imagination—the perfect read for anyone who has ever had a friend . . . real or otherwise.  
Budo is lucky as imaginary friends go. He's been alive for more than five years, which is positively ancient in the world of imaginary friends. But Budo feels his age, and thinks constantly of the day when eight-year-old Max Delaney will stop believing in him. When that happens, Budo will disappear.

Max is different from other children. Some people say that he has Asperger’s Syndrome, but most just say he’s “on the spectrum.” None of this matters to Budo, who loves Max and is charged with protecting him from the class bully, from awkward situations in the cafeteria, and even in the bathroom stalls. But he can’t protect Max from Mrs. Patterson, the woman who works with Max in the Learning Center and who believes that she alone is qualified to care for this young boy.  
When Mrs. Patterson does the unthinkable and kidnaps Max, it is up to Budo and a team of imaginary friends to save him—and Budo must ultimately decide which is more important: Max’s happiness or Budo's very existence.  
Narrated by Budo, a character with a unique ability to have a foot in many worlds—imaginary, real, child, and adult— Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend touches on the truths of life, love, and friendship as it races to a heartwarming . . . and heartbreaking conclusion.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

10 comments

  1. unusual but very interesting Aloi! i'll be looking for this on my next book shopping.

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  2. Wow, this sounds fantastic. As the mother of a child with Asperger's, I'm always on the lookout for books dealing with that subject. Great review.
    2 Kids and Tired Books

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    1. The voice of Budo makes this such a charming book. I hope you find it useful :)

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  3. Sounds like a very interesting story.....

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    1. Unusual! I couldn't put it down, I felt so invested in both Budo and Max!

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  4. I like the unusual premise and point of view of this story. I have a friend whose son has Asperger's, and I would like to learn more about it.
    My post is from MIDWIVES.

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    1. It certainly puts a different spin on things. Thanks the visit as always Sandy!

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  5. This sounds very different, but I think I'd like to read it. My Friday post is HERE.

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    1. I keep saying it's unusual. Who would ever have thought to write a story from the perspective of an imaginary friend? :)

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© guiltless readingMaira Gall