Book Review: My Ex-Imaginary Friend by Jimmy Matejek-Morris

I like reading middle grade books every now and again. The stories have to be so much crisper and more deliberate when the author cannot rely on sex or violence, as is the case in so many adult novels (at least these days). This was a magical story about what it means to be a friend – and to be a family – and about the line between reality and imagination and how often it blurs.

George is a delight. Matejek-Morris does a lovely job making him the most real character of the entire story. The balancing act between his insecurities and his overwhelming love for Jack was managed with a delicacy that I found endearing but never overdrawn. Jack himself is a marvelous encapsulation of the contradictions of his age – mature one minute, a child the next – and felt wholly believable. His struggles with his family – both real and imaginary – were relatable and resonated with me as an adult, but I can also see how they would resonate with a child, in a different fashion.

To me, that’s the true beauty of what Matejek-Morris has achieved here: this is a story that an adult AND child can read, both can enjoy and relate to, and both can take appropriate lessons from… This was a truly lovely tale and I can’t wait to share it with my daughter!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.