Margaret N. says "'Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend' explores the boundaries of real and imagined, and what is, or should be, accepted behavior. Matthew Dicks has created a narrator so believable in Budo that I was stunned and saddened to learn that I had created, and disappeared, an infinite number of imaginary friends while playing make believe."

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.

Read an interview with the author HERE.

Margaret N. says: 
"I never had an imaginary friend. In the late 50's - early 60's neighborhood I grew up in was so bursting with kids you would be more likely to imagine alone time.  So it was with great interestmthat I began reading the memoirs of Budo, the imaginary friend of 8 year old Max. At five, Budo is old for an imaginary friend because so many cease to exist during kindergarten.  Although specialists disagree as to the diagnosis, I assume Max is dealing with Aspergers.  Max needs Budo to navigate through the day at school and at home with his parents.  His father badly needs Max to be 'normal' and his mother wants Max to change.

One of the problems with being an imaginary friend is that only your own human can hear you.  When Max is kidnapped,  Budo can only go to other imaginary friends for advice.  He has to find a way to save Max, but also himself, because if Max dies or stops thinking about him, Budo will disappear.  Budo has already witnessed both the loss of another imaginary friend and a violent crime against a human and knows this is serious.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend explores the boundaries of real and imagined, and what is, or should be, accepted behavior.  Matthew Dicks has created a narrator so believable in Budo that I was stunned and saddened to learn that I had created, and disappeared, an infinite number of imaginary friends while playing make believe.  It took several hours for me to realize that Budo's is a fictional world and not a rule book on imaginary friends.

Funny and heartbreaking, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is one of my favorites this year and one I will be recommending to customers, co-workers and friends for months to come."