Title: I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200

Author: Robert Brockway

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Kill-Your-Imaginary-Friend-ebook/dp/B0DPV2F9FW/

Summary

To bright and anxious eight-year-old Kay Washington, the worst thing in the world is being alone with the quiet. That’s why Eddie Video makes the perfect imaginary friend: He’s smart, he’s loud, he loves pulling pranks, and he’s always there to chase away the silence.

To mid-forties, down-on-his-luck Ivan, the worst thing in the world happened when he lost his imaginary friend. Now cursed with the ability to see everyone else’s, Ivan makes a living by killing the imaginary friends of adults who couldn’t let go. His only rule: No kids. But when one of Eddie Video’s “pranks” goes too far, Ivan agrees to make an exception and help Kay.

Only Ivan will soon learn that Eddie Video is nothing like the talking ostriches, star bears, and goblin princesses he’s encountered in the past, and it’s going to take a lot more than clumsy haymakers and steak knives to bring him down. A balance of comedy and catharsis, this dual-narrative tackles both the fear of growing up and the scars our childhood leaves behind.

My Review

5/5 Stars

Kay Washington is what you’d best describe as an “ipad kid.” She doesn’t fit in at school and at home, her mom is busy more often than not. So Kay fills the silence the only way she knows how: by watching videos from a mysterious online figure known as Eddie Video. But the more she watches, the more she fuels something far less harmless than a distraction—until Eddie steps out of the screen and into her world. And he’s no ordinary imaginary friend. Worse, he doesn’t have Kay’s best interests at heart.

What starts with humor and sharp, relatable observations quickly deepens into something much heavier. The book balances its funny moments with an unflinching look at childhood trauma and how it lingers, shaping a person. By using the idea of imaginary friends, the author highlights the quiet damage that can come from emotional neglect and distracted parenting. On the other end of the spectrum, Ivan—fully grown yet still burdened by unresolved pain—drives home just how crucial it is to confront that trauma rather than carry it.

I went into this book with little idea of what to expect. The title and cover caught my attention, and I’d heard just enough buzz to make me curious. What I didn’t anticipate was the emotional ride that followed; a story that swings between laugh-out-loud moments and gut-punch realizations.