The idea of telling a story from the perspective of an imaginary friend was interesting in itself, but beyond this the story deals with autism on a very intimate and personal level. As someone who has grown up in a family that cared for several foster children with varying degrees of autism, I could relate to much of what the story dealt with, and really appreciated how the author acknowledges how difficult it can be for families and others to understand and relate to kids like Max. I would recommend this story to anyone interested in autism, whether or not you know much about it. Aside from being informative, though, the story is also quite entertaining and the reader does his job well. The only criticism I would offer is that some of Budo's narration is a little redundant. Overall, definitely an audiobook worth listening to. I recommended it to my mom and she loved it!

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.

Ididn't read it. I just bought the audio book

Teeny, Because she seemed to help move the conscience of the characters in the right direction.

The bathroom stall. Great payback for bullying. I bet he will think twice before that happens again.

Oswald, I would love to ask him what it was like to feel lost and alone.

I almost stopped listening in the first hour of the book. So glad I didn't. The bully scene was what stopped me. It was a charming story. I never had an imaginary friend. It is great to imagine what it is like for kids who do. How in the world could the author write a story from this perspective. It was great!

I loved this book. It was so fresh. Like nothing I had read before. I was so attached to the characters, on the edge of my seat about the ending and always wondering how anyone has the imagination to think of what "life" would be like for an imaginary friend. The mark of a great book is I miss the characters now that they are gone.

Near the top

I liked the concept. The story presents a look at the problems of childhood and the "special child" from a new perspective. The view of the world through the eyes of an imaginary friend is told in a consistently believable way that keeps the reader in the mood of the story. There are none of the jarring That Wouldn't Happen moments that often spoil stories like this one.

Although this is a suspense story that keeps one wanting to know what happens next, the tone throughout is gentle, reflecting the love and concern the imaginary friend feels for his child friend. The reading of Matthew Brown sets this mood early in the story and even when the narrator is upset and concerned the mood remains. This is a perfect listen for a winter day. Grab a cup of tea, an afghan and a big soft chair and enjoy!

No.

Would have liked to see a couple of changes in the ending. Would have liked to know what happens to the "villain".
Also, the continued use of "dance with the devil in the pale moonlight" caused this evocative phrase to lose its impact and eventually become an annoying distraction. But that is a very small flaw in an otherwise enjoyable tale.

This was an excellent story. As a teacher of young children with special needs, I found the story very true to real life. The only part that I didn't understand was the very end. What happened to Budo?

I really liked Oswald because he had such a huge heart and he wanted his existence to mean something even if his acts ultimately would be his demise. And his example teaches Budo to do the same. He ultimately gives Budo the courage to do the right thing.

The book almost had me convinced that imaginary friends are real and they have lives and thoughts of their own outside of the world of what the human imagines. I like that they can only do things they are imagined that they can do at their creation. Is it too late to get an imaginary to be my cheerleader throughout the day?

This is one of the most memorable books I've listened to. Such a unique concept. I think parents who's children have or had imaginary friends will enjoy it, especially parents of children with asperger's or autism.

I picked this book as I have an interest in Asperger's Syndrome and I used to be a teacher, so I was drawn to the idea of the book. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the point of view through the eyes of the imaginary friend. However, his perspective is rather childlike and it often seems as if the book was written for children. On the other hand, the primary theme of this book is accepting death and our inevitable mortality. The exploration of this subject makes this a very adult themed book. It was uncomfortable to me to have this childlike perspective and deep themes of death enmeshed together. Perhaps this was the author's intent. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and found it very thought provoking.

yes, there are many oints i would like to review regarding autism and imaginary friends

Boodo, of course, but Oswald and Mrs Gosk are close seconds

Pacing, as an audio book, I can't jump ahead which is my evil tendency

Dee or Sal so we could eat "fast food"

i like books that open up child's minds. Like "Room" or "The Curious Case of Dog at Night' and this was a winner in that genre.