Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

On December 13, 2012, Chestermere Public Library’s Novel Book Club met to discuss the book “Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend” by Matthew Dick. This is a unique book in that it is narrated by Budo, 8 year old Max’s imaginary friend. Max is a little different than other kids. He doesn’t have friends. He doesn’t like to be touched. He doesn’t even allow his mom to kiss him, although she has a way around that. Max’s father can’t accept that his son is different, and it causes some tension in the family. Budo protects Max the best he can, but also questions his own mortality and considers himself to be real, not imaginary. He wonders what happens to imaginary friends when their “imaginer” no longer needs them? The club members were split on whether they liked the book or not. Being narrated by Budo, who is 5 years old, made the dialogue fairly simplistic, and some club members were waiting for an adult voice to take over the story. Many found the beginning of the book to be slow, with the second half moving quicker. However, the creativity of the author’s imaginary friends and their world is impressive. They ranged from Budo, who looked like a real human, to a talking spoon, a fuzzy blob on the wall and even a pink hair bow that could only communicate by blinking. Max and Budo are challenged by a crime committed by Max’s teacher, Ms. Patterson and as a result both grow in unexpected ways. Although the book has a happy ending, you may find yourself wondering about the fate of the imaginary friends of your childhood. The book is a quick read, taking only two days for most club members to finish.
The next book discussion meeting will be on Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 7:00pm. The book to be discussed is “Up and Down” by Canadian author, Terry Fallis, which was suggested by Marilyn. This is a humorous novel about public relations and NASA.
Are you interested in joining the discussion for this book? All that is required is your Library membership. The book is available for pick up at the Library – ask for the current book at the desk. If you would like to be on our book club email list, please send a request to jzambory@marigold.ab.ca.