Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

What an amazing story! Touched me deeply.
Imaginary friends and believing in them is such an interesting topic.
But I should add trigger warnings for kidnapping of a child, bullying, death of a child (briefly mentioned), gun violence, dying, oncological disease.

Let me say up front that based on the title and cover alone, I probably never would have picked this book up - it's not my typical reading fare. But after reading an excerpt from this book online, I was completely hooked and wanted to keep reading immediately. So much so, that I was willing to read it online using the Kindle app on my iPad - the first book I've ever read using the app.Budo is Max's imaginary friend - and because Max imagined him as a human boy, he can walk and talk much like you and me. Except that only Max (and other imaginary friends) can hear and see him. Max is in 3rd grade, and is most likely on the autism spectrum (this is never explicitly stated). Which is why Budo has "lived" much longer than most imaginary friends.Budo looks out for Max and helps him cope with the stress of life. However, when something terrible happens (don't want to give away too much here), it is up to Budo to save Max, even if that means sacrificing himself.The story is told completely from Budo's point of view, in first person. It is this that makes this book so interesting, because we are seeing the world through the child-like eyes of someone who is on the outside looking in. Budo's observations and somewhat skewed understanding of the world he and Max lives in, are both funny and sometimes sad. Budo's descriptions of the other imaginary friends he runs into are one of the best parts of this book - not every child imagines his friend as a human. Some are just a hair bow, or a paper doll (complete with wrinkles and rips and folds from being in the bottom of a backpack), or a bobblehead. This was a really original story, that suprised me with how much it drew me in and made me care about Budo and Max. And I was sad when it was over. I highly recommend giving this book a try.

Read the full review on Short & Sweet Reviews.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I fell in love with it within the first few pages. It's very different from anything else I've ever read by sheer virtue of the uniqueness of the narrator. Budo has a very original voice -- it's somewhat childlike, but Budo is also wise beyond his imaginary-years, as he understands subtleties and nuances that his human friend Max doesn't. There are many poignant passages in the book as Budo observes the world around him, interacts with other invisible friends, and strives to do the best he can for Max, who he loves more than anyone else.

I loved the narrator: Budo, imaginary friend.
I would suggest this book to those who liked Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

Compulsively readable and incredibly moving. The ending made me cry, which doesn't happen very often.

A story told from the perspective of an imaginary friend. At times quirky and engaging, other times a little too detached, Green tackles tough topics with an interesting twist.

This novel is AWESOME...!!! How many books have been written by an imaginary friend...? None, as far as I know. And I loved every part of it.

This story absorbs readers so thoroughly that they won’t realize 50 pages have been read or listened to. It’s as if the reader is sitting at a table with the main character and tells their story. It’s about an imaginary friend named Budo and the boy who imagined him, Max. At first, readers follow daily routines of school and their home life—subplots such as bullying troubles, teachers, and family problems at home. Then Max is kidnapped by one of his teachers, and Budo must find a way to save him, even if it means giving up his own existence.

Budo is the perfect combination of a childlike mentality with a few bits of adult knowledge. His narration is repetitive and simple, with a basic knowledge of how the world works. This is only very occasionally annoying. Because Budo was not imagined as being stuck by Max’s side, he can wander away for extended periods of time and for indefinite distances. Max also imagined that Budo is smarter than he is. Because of this, Budo learns from catching glimpses of the adult world, and then uses his knowledge to help Max with his daily routines.
Max either has Asperger’s syndrome or he’s a high functioning autistic. Yet, no one ever mentions these words, including Budo. This is what makes the novel special. To Budo, Max is normal. His fascination with toy soldiers and video games, and his antisocial tendencies, are all regular, everyday attributes of an eight-year-old boy. In fact, the only times the reader encounters signs of autism are when Max becomes “stuck”, as Budo describes him. This lack of concentration on autism itself presents Max as intelligent, clever and talented instead of automatically stunted. It helps to convey that Max is not defined by his autism.
Despite his freedom, Budo is confined by the science of being an imaginary friend. They seem to exist on a separate plane, and only other imaginary friends and the children who “imagined” them can see them. And so Budo cannot communicate with other humans. Also, imaginary friends cannot affect their immediate surroundings, and how they interact with their environment depends on how they were imagined. (They are controlled by the “idea” of things. They walk an inch or so above the floor because it is the idea of the floor that they touch. Some imaginary friends can walk through windows and doors, but others are trapped by the idea of the window and door as an obstacle and can only get through them if they are opened.). And, when a child no longer believes in his or her imaginary friend, that friend gradually fades from existence.
The details of these imaginary friends are extensive, unique and represent the wide range of childhood imagination. Some friends have no ears but can still hear, others are different colors, one is a flat paper outline of a person that coils and folds in order to move, and another is a bobblehead. One is even a small puppy that can talk. The author's imagination is extraordinary.

But the story isn’t just about the imaginary friends. It’s about what it takes to be a parent, and what it means to be a friend. Max’s mother tries to get his father to recognize that there’s a problem, though she never outright says what it is. His dad believes that Max is just a 'late bloomer', who likes to be by himself. He believes that Max doesn’t need special teachers or any sort of therapy. The mother seems frazzled but determined to make the best of their situation, while the father comes off as in denial. This results in a dissonance at home, to the point that the reader might worry about a divorce. But when Max is taken, the parents rely on each other and do whatever it takes to get him back.
As for Budo, he realizes that while Max remains kidnapped, he will always believe that Budo exists. Budo is better off with Max this way, but he understands that Max is better off with his parents instead of a woman who thinks she knows better. Max will never grow up if he remains with his teacher, and Budo recognizes the problem with that. This causes in a few scenes that are heartbreaking but necessary.

This novel made me actually laugh, cry, and cheer Max and his friend Budo. And in the end, it was touching, and quite beautiful. Please give it a try for yourself. Also, the narrator Matthew E. Brown was the PERFECT choice for all the voices involved in this novel, both "real", and "imaginary". Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

Budo is Max's imaginary friend. Budo, unlike some imaginary friends, has two arms, two legs and a head. He has reached the extraordinary age of five and loves Max more than any real friend ever could. Budo has heard others say Max is "on the spectrum" but he doesn't know what that means and doesn't care. He loves Max and takes his role as protector very seriously. He does worry about Max stopping to believe in him. That's when imaginary friends begin to fade away and die and it's inevitable it will happen. Budo wonders what dying feels like and how Max will get by without him? When Max falls into some very serious trouble, Budo's questions begin to be answered. Matthew Dicks, an elementary school teacher, has captured the imagination and voice of a child perfectly in this creative and clever novel of childhood friendship.

A wonderful story about the life of an autistic boy, through the eyes of his imaginary friend. It's well thought-out, and while it might be for somewhat younger audiences, it reads pretty well for adults. It reminds me of that time in my life, even though I didn't have the same problems, or an imaginary friend.

Let's be honest -- how many adult books are there about, let alone narrated by, imaginary friends? This book has originality. Budo talks like a third-grader, but has more sense than third-graders, which allows him to narrate at an adult level. He does over-explain his limitations as an imaginary friend a bit too much after the half-way point; if the reader doesn't get it by then, they're not going to get it at all. However, the explicitness of these explanations makes the book accessible to third or fourth graders. It is a story that could be read out loud in a classroom, which was probably some of the author's intent, seeing as he is a teacher himself. That the author knows kids so well is evident by the forms of the imaginary friends, by the questions from some of the imaginary friends (especially Oswald), and by Budo's thought processes. The story is a good reminder to adults what kids are all about, why they do or think as they do, and why imaginary friends are important. I'm not fully sure of the purpose of Dee and Sally in the story. What would be lost if they are removed? No matter, it's an adventurous story that pulled me along easily. (Great narration in the audio version, too.)

I loved this book. It sounded a little too...what? Gimmicky? when it first came out, but I wish I'd gotten past that and read it sooner. You know that experience you have when you look at the world from a different angle? This book is that. Through the eyes of a young boy's imaginary friend, you learn so much about people and why we really do what we do. The story revolves around Max, a young boy on the autism spectrum. He has an imaginary friend, Budo, who helps him through the the ordeal he becomes involved with. The story has suspense, whimsy and profound truth expressed very simply. It is deep, in an uncomplicated way. I was entranced by the descriptions of other imaginary friends, by the relationships between the characters, real and imaginary. I fell in love with Max's teacher, and felt profound empathy for Max's parents. I was *in* this book in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. I loved this book. I wish I could read it again without knowing what would happen.

I loved this very imaginative book. My only criticism is that it could have been better edited. IMO shorter would have been stronger.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Matthew Dicks, author; Matthew Brown, narratorWhen I noticed this book, I thought it was about the struggles of the family and child with autism to adjust and to fit their world into the universe. However, the diagnosis of autism, never actually occurs; instead it is presumed. The book turned out to be so much more than I expected because it sensitively and brilliantly, I think, touched on how often we humans, as well, misread each other because we cannot communicate appropriately. It opened my eyes to the challenges faced by a child who does not fit the expected mold and to the trials of the family that is sometimes in denial, sometimes can’t face the child’s shortcomings and so does not concentrate on the child’s gifts. Using Max’s imaginary friend, Budo, the author deftly illuminates the trials of life, real and imaginary.Max imagined Budo five years ago. He is defined by the way he was imagined by Max. Max gave him the ability to think logically, assess situations, move around and interact with other imaginary friends while at the same time these abilities Max has endowed upon him also give Max the ability to function more readily in the world. Max has a protector; Max has a friend, a friend that warns him of danger, even if he doesn’t always listen to that advice. He has a friend that will not abandon him, will always be loyal to him and will always help him in his time of need. He has a friend with whom he can communicate although he lacks the skill to communicate with other humans. When Max encounters situations that threaten him, from which there is no escape, he may begin to scream and eventually become blocked. When he is blocked, he is no longer present and remains unreachable until he recovers. Often, Budo can calm him down and keep him safe and comfortable preventing the crash. The reader will identify with Budo and worry with him, rejoice with him and suffer with him when his helplessness as an imaginary friend causes him to fail. The reader will see the parallels with real life as they often are frustrated and unable to change situations even with the best of intentions.The imaginary friends in this book come in all shapes and sizes. They recognize each other and understand the purpose they serve for their humans. They love their humans and are extremely loyal to them. There are puppies, fairies, giants, pop sticks and paper dolls to name a few. All exhibit different powers. Budo can walk through walls and travel around by himself. Some can fly, some can move things, some are smarter than others, some are small and some are huge. It really depends on the qualities the human bestows upon them with their imagination.Using Budo, it becomes clear that the emotional detachment of Max, coupled with his lack of guile and need for structure and repetition, makes interacting in his real world very difficult. His social and emotional skills are undeveloped. Budo does well socially with his “friends”, and Budo even learns to feel emotion, slowly and painfully, in the same way as Max does, but Max always reverts to his state of distance while Budo seems to continue to develop a little more. Max learned to react to situations from what he learned in school and read in books. He was bright, but often froze in fear and could not behave appropriately. It was difficult for him to adjust his needs to the world around him, and those around him had to do it for him if he was to succeed. Sometimes his imaginary friend seemed to enable the behavior that he was incapable of performing. Just as Max’s parents struggled to understand his needs as they loved and cared for him, Budo had to deal with his own shortcomings when it came to helping Max. Through Budo, we also viewed a window into a world of human frailties. Max’s world and the human world were both fraught with danger requiring certain skill to navigate well.Max, in third grade, is well loved and well taken care of with his various special needs addressed. However, his world is complicated for him, his parents and his teacher. His mother wants to kiss him, but he does not like to be touched so she does it after he is asleep. Although his father wants him to go sledding or swimming, he simply can’t engage in those activities. Intellectually he seems gifted. He loves reading and has the ability to completely focus on his task. He loves organization and operates his life on a strict schedule. He follows rules carefully. He wears only 7 items of clothing each day and will only eat breakfast before 9:00 AM. He can only play video games for a certain amount of time after a certain time of day. He loves and relies on Budo; he believes Budo is real. The unending questions that children have and the difficult concepts they need to learn about, are dealt with sensitively and with great insight as the relationship between Budo and Max is thoroughly explored and examined down to the most minute detail. As Budo travels on his own, day and night, even when everyone sleeps, because Max didn’t imagine him with the need for sleep, the very real dangers of the world are cleverly illuminated. He visits gas stations, hospitals, and attends school with Max. He cannot do anything that requires physical interaction, but he can think and feel to some degree. He witnesses violence, a robbery and a shooting. He witnesses bullying. He experiences loss when his friend Graham disappears. He is attacked by another imaginary friend, he thinks about illness and death, and the events he witnesses makes him wonder and fear the loss of Max’s friendship and his “life”. He watches the disappearance of imaginary friends as their humans no longer need them and he wonders if it hurts, are they afraid.When Max is kidnapped, the author deals with the fears, hopes and expectations, in the wake of trauma, for humans and imaginary friends, cleverly and with a sensitivity that is perfectly appropriate for all ages.This touching tale offers a conclusion that even imagines a vision of life after death. The author intimates that Budo, the imaginary friend, will meet a human he had once visited stealthily at the gas station, of course, unbeknownst to her, whom he missed greatly after her death. They will finally be able to interact with each other. The author explores many of the important issues of childhood and examines them with insight and a true depth of emotional connection, even though the child, Max, is disadvantaged when it comes to emotional connection. It points out the enormous divide that exists in the world for a child with autism. The imaginary friend provides that necessary link for Max, throughout the book, as various issues are confronted. How does one deal with questions of life and death, friendship and loyalty, compassion and courage? All of these issues are explored, as each of these topics is featured in some way in the story, using Budo’s travels and encounters, since Max is not able to navigate the world freely. The imaginary friend compares the real world to his and he notes that even grown people can get locked like Max, grown people can have the same reactions as Max, but in certain situations it may seem more, or possibly less, acceptable for adults to behave in the same way. For instance, during a robbery, the adult, Sally, crippled by fear, curls up on the floor and remains there, unable to move. There are many parallels between the worlds of Max, Budo and humans.There are so many characters but the narrator defines each so well, so singularly, that it is a pleasure to listen to him read. Oswald sounds like a tough guy, Graham sounds like a sweet little girl, Teeny sounds like a gentle and kind fairy. Each is defined by a specific voice and personality for the listener, and I think the book is best as an audio because it comes to life with the narrator’s portrayal.***An imaginary friend is created by a human to help him navigate the world when it seems too difficult to do it on one’s own. Children and adults create them, although I think, in an adult it would be viewed more as mental illness. Many years ago, my nephew created Bingo. Bingo lived in the ceiling of the rooms he entered, but especially his bedroom. He would throw down “gings” to attack anyone who might threaten him. He would warn you that Bingo was present if you entered his room. Bingo didn’t last long, but it got him through the night safely and happily. Mostly, he was viewed with amusement by his family and my nephew was not ridiculed. This book makes it clear that an imaginary friend serves a more serious than humorous purpose for its creator.

IT has taken me a while to write a review for this one - I just wanted to think about it and savour it. I loved the book. It was a clear and deceptively simple story which was very well written and made me think long and hard about what I would do if I was in Budo's imaginary shoes. This would be a great one for book clubs - there is so much to talk about!
All I want to say is READ IT!! you won't regret it :)

The story is told by the imaginary friend of a boy who is on the autistic spectrum. It's an interesting perspective and an intriguing premise - that there is a parallel world of imaginary friends who can interact with each other and who have lives apart from their connection with their "imaginers". The narrative dragged a bit for me, though, and then the ending was somewhat rushed. I'm not sure if the boy's behavior during the climactic moments of the story was realistic. Couldn't help but compare the imaginary friend's selfish concerns about his existence and how to balance what was best for him versus what was best for the boy with real-life parents' similar concerns.

This is the first book in a long time that I truly devoured. I kept thinking up excuses to drive places (I was listening to it my car) so I could listen more, but at the same time I didn't want it to end. There was a lot of exposition in the beginning, but don't let that stop you. This far-from-ordinary story has many twists and turns in store.

Whoa! More later!

A clever book with very lovable characters. 4.5 stars.

Most of the complaints that I have seen about this book is that the writing is childish. The concept of the story is that it is told from the point of view of a child's imaginary friend, who admits that he really can know about as much as the child knows. His "childish" behavior is completely appropriate for this type of story and I absolutely loved it.The main character in this book is the imaginary friend of a child with autism. The imaginary friend is the one who tells the story and it is a touching one, but also has moments of suspense and drama that really keep you reading at the end, not in a heart-pounding way, but in an emotional way.As an educator, I found myself wishing that this message could be delivered to a younger audience because the way it is written (minus the adult situations and occasional swearing) is very conducive to helping younger children understand a peer with autism.I had a hard copy of this book and I left it on a cruise ship for others to discover because I felt it should be discovered by many. The audio version was expertly performed I didn't want to stop listening, just as I didn't want the story itself to end.

Author Matthew Dicks tells this story in an unusual way - from the point of view of a five-old-year. But this is not your typical five-year-old child. Budo was born out of the imagination of eight-year-old Max. Max has some problems dealing with people. He may have Asperger's, but maybe not. But there is definitely something not quite right, and so Budo is always there to help him get through the day. As long as Max believes in him, that is. But then something terrible happens, and even Budo with all his strange power cannot fix everything. Or maybe he can, with a little help from some other imaginary beings. This tale of selflessness and true giving in relationships that go beyond the norm is a work of art. Though devils are all around us, so are heroes, even when we can't see them. A marvelous story, masterfully written, thought-provoking, heartwarming, sad yet hopeful.

Readers of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend slot it into the following categories: Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Young Adult, Adult, Adult Fiction, and Magical Realism. The uncertainty of what this book is might be one of the reasons why I struggled to love this book, its narrator, its plot, and its characters. I questioned several times whether I was truly the intended audience for this book. With that said, I read the book quickly. As I finished, though, I imagined that the only folks I would likely recommend this book to would be middle school readers or parents looking for a book to read to their elementary school child. When I discovered that the author was, in fact, a fifth grade teacher, it made perfect sense to me. Although I know many adults have read this book, even as part of a book club, the book is written (intentionally) in short, choppy sentences from the unique view point of an imaginary friend of a third grader. Kudos to Matthew Dicks for the creation of the creative narrator! But the straddling between reality and fantasy was a tough sell for me - I would have been a much happier reader if Oswald had not intervened in the plot line. I wanted to see just Budo and Max figure this problem out by themselves. In the end, this book left me in the middle of the road.

This book had a cute premise but I really couldn't tolerate the writing. The idea of the book was the story of an imaginary friend that an autistic child has created to be his companion and help him in situations that upset him.Cute concept, but the writing was too, too…childish.

I think the danger in using a child (or childish) narrator can be that the narration can be childish. That's what I felt happened here. I listened to this as an audiobook and I think that added to the childishness of it. Parts of it felt repetitive and the sentences felt short and broken. On the other hand, it was a suspensful plot and I did love the imagination of the whole imaginary friend world. It also was sort of cool that the story took place in my hometown...which I didn't know until they started listing restaurants I'm familiar with. Apparently the author lives there.

In the voice of an eight-year-old, this novel tells the story of the in-existence-for-five- years Budo, the imaginary friend of Max, an autistic first-grade child. At the opening of the book, Budo clearly explains the differences in Max from a "normal" child, but shows such a loving understanding in doing so that it made me want to jump into the story to also befriend Max. Max is an only child whose parents tend to differ in how best to handle him. Max's idol is one of his teachers, Mrs. Gosk.When Max suddenly disappears from school, no one knows what to do except Budo, who is determined to figure out what happened to Max. Budo's adventure is so imaginative that it becomes a quest to right a wrong. Due to the simple narrative, I consider this a young adult book rather than an adult novel, but the story is so endearing, I recommend it for all ages. .

A beautiful, original story about the power of friendship. I adored this book. Sweet but not sappy, funny but not witty, clever but not too clever, Dicks hits all the right notes. The idea that there's a whole parallel world inhabited by imaginary friends is worth the price of admission all on its own. And there is so much more here. The boy, Max, who is on the Autism Spectrum, is portrayed with skill and love. Even when this story made me sad, and it did, it was a happy sad. You get that, right?

This was such an unusual and creative premise for a story, unlike anything I've seen in ages. It is written in the voice of the imaginary friend of a young autistic boy. Dicks is an elementary school teacher himself, which, I believe, lends an measure of authenticity and understanding to his insights into the characters. But more than that, he manages to create believable dialogue and characters who are honest and innocent in ways that are at once surprising and credible. Humour, empathy and suspense carry this story throughout and in the end, the reader really cares about what happens.

Certainly a unique protagonist we have here in Budo, the imaginary friend of young Max, a child who otherwise has no friends. Teachers will especially appreciate the uncanny depictions of the inner workings of an elementary school and everyone will be at the edge of their seats when the action picks up mid-way through the book. You'll be rooting for Budo (and Max) every step of the way.

What a great Read! A quick book, very interesting view from the imaginary friends perspective! I absolutely loved this book! Sweet, funny, full of suspense, sad, touching and heart warming. Good Read!

I absolutely loved this book, and would recommend listening to it on audio if at all possible--the narration was great! The story is told by Budo, the imaginary friend of eight-year-old Max. Budo has a surprising preoccupation with his own mortality, as he's lived a lot longer than most imaginary friends he's met and has watched some of his closest friends disappear once their children no longer need them. Max's Asperger's Syndrome has led him to continue to rely on Budo for years, but Max's parents and teachers are constantly pushing Max to engage more with the "real" world, and this makes Budo very nervous. He absolutely loves Max and wants the best for him, but is terrified by the prospect of "poofing" out of existence and being forgotten. When Max is placed in extreme jeopardy and seems to need Budo more than ever, Budo faces some VERY tough choices about what to do. The book is incredibly imaginative and Budo's world is peopled with a wide range of memorable friends, both imaginary and real. And it's a tearjerker...I think I cried throughout the entire final hour of the audiobook!

From my blogI really enjoyed this novel, very unique, Matthew Green has a special talent. I enjoy stories that allow us to hear what the characters are thinking but not actually saying so to get a story told from the imaginary friends point of view, it was brilliant in my mind, very clever. Imaginary friends usually have a short lifespan but not Budo, he is five and counting. I believe Max to be autistic even though this was not confirmed. Max and Budo have a great trusting relationship, when this is tested is for the best. His mom and dad are good parents even though they are struggling with deciding to get Max help or as his dad says, wait, he is a late bloomer. This book made teachers look wonderful, I appreciated this as early educators are usually the one's that are remembered the most. The author is also a teacher which comes across while reading. One teacher had a special interest in Max, she was his paraprofessional and this relationship became a crime. The book had me engaged and very intrigued with the imaginary friend world but once the crime took place the book took on a suspenseful adventure, loved this. We knew who done the crime but the when they will be caught, if they will be, by who was edge of your seat worthy, almost makes you want to skip ahead because you just have to know how it ends, very well done. I loved how Budo was struggling through out the book on when imaginary friends and himself will die and that their person is in charge of your destiny with continuing to believe in them. My only issue is it felt a little repetitive at times and I felt like the author considered changing who Budo's audience was. When he was talking to other imaginary friends I got it but when he was speaking to the reader it felt patronizing, as if I was five. eg. I feel like the elephant in the room. This is an expression that means there is something two people know that is as big as an elephant but no one wants to talk about it. On Kindle at 25% Such an engaging read, I think many will enjoy this novel.