Synopsis: (from publisher)
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.
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.
My hopes were high for this book, as I was extremely intrigued by the original premise. Unfortunately, either the book as a whole disappointed me or it was simply not a good fit for audio. I will give the author the benefit of the doubt and say it was the audio.
If I had the option of speeding up the sound on the CDs, I would have taken full advantage. As it was, I had to stop myself from fast-forwarding through some parts of the book. For example, when Budo is finally in the house where Max has been taken, Budo looks for him in all the bedrooms. As he goes through the house, the descriptions of each and every room are painstakingly detailed, which go beyond suspenseful and fall into downright frustrating. Maybe this was on purpose to remind readers that this is an imaginary person, created in the mind of a boy who is both young and autistic.
My expectations were exceeded, however, with Max's character. I found the author's approach to Max to be genuine and heartfelt, without becoming too sentimental. Matthew Dicks's career as a world-class teacher shines through in his understanding of this autistic boy, and the challenges his parents and teachers face. The frustrations and fears, the celebrations and the love - it's all there as only someone with true understanding could portray.
As I said, the audio did not work for me, but that is not to say it won't work for you. This book has been compared to Emma Donoghue's ROOM, which I thought was a masterpiece, but not a book I would have listened to on audio. If you don't like a slower reading style, skip it, but if it's something that you feel will lend depth to the reading, go for it and come back and tell me how wrong I am.
So, even though I wish I would have read the text version of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend instead of listening to the audio, I did find the idea interesting and Max's character genuine.
Whenever a book doesn't work for me, I try and provide my readers with some other points of view from book bloggers that I respect. Feel free to visit their reviews as well (links below).
Other Blogger Reviews:
Literate Housewife (on audiobook)
Books on the Nightstand
Crazy for Books (on audiobook)
Jenn's Bookshelves
Book Extras:
Author Website, Facebook, Twitter
Publisher Page
Goodreads Page
About the AudioBook:
Matthew Dicks (Author), Matthew Brown (Reader)
About the Author: (from publisher)
MATTHEW DICKS is a writer and elementary school teacher. His articles have been published in the Hartford Courant and he has been a featured author at the Books on the Nightstand retreat. He is also a Moth storyteller and a two-time StorySLAM champion. Dicks is the author of two previous novels, Something Missing and Unexpectedly Milo. He lives in Newington, Connecticut, with his wife, Elysha, and their children, Clara and Charlie.
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