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IMAGINARY ENEMY by Julie Gonzalez

IMAGINARY ENEMY

by Julie Gonzalez

Pub Date: March 11th, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-385-73552-0
Publisher: Delacorte

Bubba, short for Beezlebub, is Jane’s imaginary enemy, the responsible party for all the misfortunes of her life from second grade onward. Since her enemy is powerful, Jane sends him cantankerous epistles detailing her complaints, signing them “Gabriel.” A member of a complicated family living next door to an equally complex though compatibly aligned family, Jane feels she’s the oddball out when all those around her seem to be blithely dancing to their own unique tunes. Little does she realize that her own ability to confront Bubba is what shows readers she fits in quite nicely with her own brand of style. As Jane grows into adulthood, the rich details and large cast of characters simultaneously give Jane’s perspective on events and allow glimpses between the lines. Gonzalez shows how a myriad of plot lines click together in a satisfying and deceptively low-key resolution illustrating Jane/Gabriel’s prankish playfulness and her growing acceptance of responsibility for her own choices. (Fiction. YA)