“BUDO is a good friend to eight-year-old Max. When the woman who works with Max in the learning centre is about to do something terrible, Budo is the only one who can save him.
But even though he narrates this eccentric novel, Budo is not real. He is imaginary. And Max is the only person who can see him.
Max may have Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder characterized by problems with social interaction and sometimes intense interests in mechanical things. Dicks shows us through Budo what it's like for a young boy who lives in his head. More than anything, Max likes to be alone and he loves his Lego and toy soldiers. His parents argue constantly about how to deal with him.
Memoirs is told from Budo's point of view. This is a little challenging because readers must find a way to wrap their heads around the concept that the story is being told by someone who does not really exist. On the other hand, because Max isolates himself from people and lives mostly inside his own head, having Budo tell the tale seems appropriate and clever."
I remember my imaginary friend. The premise that they really exist and can interact with each other grabbed my imagination. Budo helps Max learn to deal with life. This was a fast read and an enjoyable one for me. Like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time it was interesting to get inside the mind of someone with Asperger’s/Autism. I have since read all the other books by Matthew Dicks. Imaginary Friend is not my favorite but he is now one of my favorite authors.
My Rating: 4 stars
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