What could've been a great book, was just an average book. I felt the writing was very simplistic, and even though the story was written from the point of view of the imaginary friend, it was still just a little too simple.

This is an important book. It paints an authentic picture of a child who is "a little different"--a child who prefers to be alone, a quiet child who is content within himself, but worries his parents. He has an invisible friend, who helps him to be brave and to take real action when it is vital. This a book teachers and parents should read.

Matthew Dicks has created something marvelous and original, the story of the life of an imaginary friend. Imaginary friends are limited only by... you guessed it, the imagination. Budo is lucky; he looks and acts like a real little boy. His friend Max, imagined him with a level of detail that most imaginary friends lack. Sometimes it's just ears that they are missing, but other times they are just a hair bow with eyes, so they can't speak, not even to other imaginary friends. Budo is special in other ways as well. He is old for an imaginary friend. Some imaginary friends only live a few minutes or hours. Some last a year or even two. Budo has been alive for five years. And he's smart too. Max imagined him as very smart. It's possible that Budo has been alive for so long because Max is autistic. He has trouble interacting with people; even people he loves like his parents, and his favorite teacher, Mrs. Gosk. Whatever the reason, Budo has learned a great deal and is concerned because he has watched imaginary friends fade away when their human friends stop believing in them. He is afraid of the moment when he fades away as well. But when Max is placed in danger and there is little Budo can do to help him, he learns that there are worse things than fading away. With heart-felt creativity, Dicks tells the story of love and loss, sacrifice and heroism, all through the lens of an imaginary friend. His tale is funny. It is sad. It is suspenseful. It is exciting. It is the story of a life. It is the story of the lessons we learn and the lengths we will go to to help someone we love.

A very unique "voice" narrating this book, and at times I couldn't put it down. unfortunately, towards the end it verged into "fantasy" a bit too much for me, and it took away from the whole thing. I'd still recommend it, and it was good, but with a bit more editing it could have been truly great, imo.

On the way through, I loved this book. Really enjoyed reading it. Budo, the narrator and imaginary friend of the title, is fantastic. Unfortunately, the unlikeliness of the premise spoiled the book for me. Honestly, I couldn't suspend my disbelief as much as is required. I get that Mrs Patterson was unhinged yet wily; but I couldn't buy that she could afford all the preparations she made, for one thing, or that the ending could happen in the way it did. I just don't buy it. All that being said, the characters (apart from Mrs Patterson) are phenomenal and the book is a very enjoyable read, if you are prepared to cut the plot a LOT of slack.

This is truly a book I could not put down. In parts I laughed and in other parts I cried.

I loved this book. I couldn't stop reading it - such a different perspective.

Do not read anything about this book before you read this book, not even the inside cover! It is amazing how one can become so attached to an imaginary character that you cry at the thought of the end of his "life". At times heartbreaking with suspense that kept me up until 2 a.m. Especially meaningful for anyone who has every worked with children.