Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

This is a very unusual book about imaginary friends. The main character, Max, who apparently has undiagnosed autism, has invented a friend, Budo, to help him through school. The book describes their relationship and envisages a separate independent identity for the creations of our imaginations. Whilst this is an interesting idea the framework of the plot and the writing made it a difficult concept to accept, perhaps because there was no acknowledgement that the novel involved a fantastical element so instead of feeling drawn in to a new world the reader feels almost as though they're being made a fool of.
Having said that, the writing is very good and the characters excellently developed.  There are some very touching moments, particularly between Max and his parents. The second half of the book is a lot more exciting and easier to engage with than the first half as the plot picks up pace and the writing improves. I did definitely enjoy this book but there was something about the way the whole concept was portrayed which I found difficult to swallow.