Imaginary Enemy

I loved the idea of the imaginary enemy--I thought this was quite an original concept. I also loved the quirky family next door with their passion for music, and I loved Jane's friend Emma. I think Jane's character could have been more fully developed, and some of the plotting seemed a bit contrived, but overall it was a fun read.

You. MUST. Read. This. Book. I'm serious. I'm so in love with this book that directly after finishing it, I picked it back up and started re-reading from the first page. (What can I say? I had a lot of time on my hands.) Even the beginning was good, which is hard to say for most books I read. It has an original take, and its structured like each chapter is for a certain age (from elementary to high school) which makes it so good. Jane's been writing to Bubba, her imaginary enemy, since elementary school. Bubba is the one who's constantly getting Jane into trouble--it's not Jane's fault if Bubba makes her get bad grades or do terrible things like put dish-washing soap into the neighbor's lily ponds. One day, however, she receives a letter from Bubba, who claims that he's sick of taking responsibilities for Jane. How can an imaginary friend exist? And isn't it just about time that Jane stop blaming her problems on others, but herself? Despite her many faults, Jane is charming, witty, smart and dumb at the same time, and laugh out loud hilarious. If I were ever invited to one of those dinner parties where you had to take a fictional friend along, Jane would be my choice. She'll most likely end up ruining the dinner party with her antics and attitude, but at least I'd be amused the entire time. The book is completely relatable, yet completely outrageous at times, but that balance is what makes it so good. Most of the time, I find myself nodding in agreement, and other times, I'm thinking, "Damn, I'm so glad I'm not Jane!" or "Uh oh. This doesn't look so good," when I know Jane's about to do something stupid. In the end though, it's also a balance of oh, I love and hate this character at the same time. Because you'll hate Jane for being such a brat and a troublemaker, but love her for her wit and how she has matured in the end. It's definitely one of the most entertaining and delightful reads I've had in a long time.

If you're looking for a fun, quirky book where not a whole heck of a lot happens, then Imaginary Enemy is the book for you. Jane White is as average as her name. She is the oldest product of her father's second marriage. She has an older half-brother, Luke, that she idolizes. She has two younger full siblings, Zander and Carmella, that drive her slightly batty. She's not exactly one of the popular kids in school, but she's no dork either. She's never the teacher's pet, but she doesn't require summer school. In other words, Jane falls middle of the road in just about everything she does, but she does have one eccentricity. Instead of an imaginary friend, Jane has an imaginary enemy named Bubba, short for Beezlebub. Since the second grade, Jane has taken to writing to Bubba under the pen name Gabriel whenever her life feels unjust. Jane doesn't want to take responsibility for much of anything. She'd much rather have the carefree attitude of a total slacker. Of course, that's what makes Jane's life difficult. While she would like to have an I-don't-care attitude, she does care. She worries about what her best-friend Emma thinks of her. She worries about what the deMichael boys next door think about her, particularly what Sharp deMichael thinks about her. She worries about having the right hair. She even worries about what her parents think of her, not that she'd tell them that. And she really starts to worry when her imaginary enemy writes back to her. How can a figment of her imagination be responding to her letters, and how is it possible that Bubba wants to meet her face to face? Can Jane handle the responsibility of dealing with her lifelong foe? After all, it's not as if Jane's had much practice taking responsibility for anything in the past. For the rest of this review and others, visit my site.

Looking for a fun book? This one is for you. Many people grow up having had at least one imaginary friend. Jane White has an imaginary enemy. It all started in second grade when Jane began writing to Bubba. Whenever life would throw her a curve ball to upset her or embarrass her, she would sit down and write Bubba a letter to complain. Bubba was always there to collect the blame or abuse Jane tossed in his direction. Imagine her surprise when one day she received a letter addressed to her from Bubba. Named after an eccentric aunt, Jane hates her name, and finds herself constantly battling her strange family and friends. There is the half-brother who suddenly decides to leave his mother's house and move in with Jane's family. There are younger siblings who constantly annoy Jane. The family's father figure suffers a mid-life meltdown only to quit his job and begin a new career. Add to all that a bunch of odd neighbors who home-school their children and "collect" sounds. Jane's problems are actually quite typical, but her creative way of dealing with them makes her story well worth reading. Author Julie Gonzalez expertly combines all this in a fast-paced story that will hold the attention of middle grade and teen readers, as well as any grownup who remembers their own roller-coaster ride to adulthood. This comic novel is a fine addition to any individual or library collection. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"