Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend Audiobook By Matthew Dicks cover art

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

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Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

By: Matthew Dicks
Narrated by: Matthew Brown
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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.

©2012 Matthew Dicks (P)2012 Macmillan Audio Coming of Age Contemporary Fantasy Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Paranormal & Urban Memoir Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Feel-Good Mind-Bending

Critic reviews

“Matthew Brown gives a winning performance as Budo, the imaginary friend of 8-year-old Max…Brown's uncanny reproduction of Max's high-pitched hysteria makes Max completely believable.” —AudioFile Magazine

“A novel as creative, brave, and pitch-perfect as its narrator, an imaginary friend named Budo, who reminds us that bravery comes in the most unlikely forms. It has been a long time since I read a book that has captured me so completely, and has wowed me with its unique vision. You've never read a book like this before. As Budo himself might say: Believe me.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Sing You Home

“When 8-year –old Max gets kidnapped by his troubled teacher, the true-blue pal he's dreamed up comes to his rescue.” —People Magazine
Unique Perspective • Heartwarming Story • Perfect Casting • Lovable Characters • Imaginative Concept • Emotional Depth
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Nice, light-hearted, easy read but enjoyable. And a relatively original idea. If we can forget Drop Dead Fred ever happened. Lots of similarities to the The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime. If you liked that, you'll probably like this.

Nice, light-hearted, easy read but enjoyable.

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This is such a sweet story and as a mental health professional such a beautiful representation of a kid on the spectrum and the joys and challenges that brings to the parents and educators in his life

Creative and heartwarming

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Excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated it's unique way of bringing perspective to autism and life. I wish it had left the F words out. It would be a beneficial read for my students!

So thoughtful

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What does it mean when an adult is about to cry at work while listening to an audiobook about imaginary friends? I didn't really have one. I made up twin imaginary friends who lasted about 2 days. But this book, wow. I just may believe in them again. I laughed out loud and I had tears and sad faces during a few parts. How can something "not real" (both fiction & imaginary friends) give you so many feelings? I loved it. I loved the different characters and how it suddenly became a suspense. Don't mind me, just get this book.

Nothing Imaginary About This Friend

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very happy with this book and happy with the actor actress that read it and I have recommended it to several people

unexpected

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

It would depend on the friend's interests, but this is not a book I would recommend to everyone.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The imaginary friends were very interesting. The story was just very slow and took a long time to get through.

Was Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend worth the listening time?

Not as long as it took to get through. I like the story, but I think it could have been told in less words/less time.

Any additional comments?

This was a tough listen. I wanted to get through it but it took me a very long time (months) because it just wasn't capturing my interest. It was very slow and boring at first. I did enjoy the story overall, but it was hard to get through.

Slow, took awhile to catch my interest

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An absolute joy to listen to! Great insight into the mind of a child “like Max” and beautiful flow from scene to scene. Presents an unusual and fascinating concept of an all new world to ponder.

Couldn’t Stop Listening

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What made the experience of listening to Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend the most enjoyable?

I think the voice of the narrator (and the voice of the performer) really carried the story forward.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Oh, it was impossible not to like the main character.

What does Matthew Brown bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well, he changes the voices for the characters, bringing a new quality to the characters, adding another level of character to them.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was driving, and I admit that there were a few times where I was practically on the edge of my seat, which is kind of dangerous. There were a couple times where I was yelling at the console in my car like a football fan yelling at the TV. It was kind of exciting.

Any additional comments?

This is a unique story. The ending could use some help. The resolution moved a bit fast. It was a bit unnecessary. There was a shift in character that didn't seem necessary to me. But okay. Still, it's worth a read.

This one is worth it, even though the ending needs

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Would you consider the audio edition of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print, but I really enjoyed the narration, so I'll just say yes.

What about Matthew Brown’s performance did you like?

When I was listening to him play the main character, I totally forgot I was listening to some random man. When he was playing Max or the other imaginary friends, I forgot they were all technically the same person. Every character had a distinct image in my head.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The reunion. I cried the happiest tears a book has ever made me cry.

Any additional comments?

I love the angle of this book. I thought it might be cheesy, but it was really well planned out. Just read it; ad some creative happiness to your life.

Keeper

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I enjoyed this reading. It was entertaining and such a great idea for a story. The idea of writing a book from the perspective of an imaginary friend really caught my attention. I would recommend this story to anyone. Especially someone who had an imaginary friend when they were little. :)

A Sweet Story

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