Ten year old Hannah is being bullied at school by someone leaving notes that say nobody likes her. One of her two best friends seems to be avoiding her, and on top of all that, her parents seem to fight all the time.

The story is primarily narrated by Hannah, but there are also sections that reproduce the school counselor's notes, and sections narrated by inanimate objects (in Hannah's voice.)

Hannah is a sympathetic character that I easily cared about. The story was weakened though, by two gimmicks the author used. First the aforementioned talking objects - which sometimes narrate a chapter, and sometimes Hannah relays conversations she has with these things in the chapters she narrates. The other is the gimmick that gives the book its title. Hannah very frequently in her narration says, "If this were a story then..." and relays some nonsensical thing that would never happen in a story and bears no relevance to what is happening to her.

A good book that could have been a lot better if it had just been told more straightforwardly, without the affectations. ( )

Read this book aloud to DD who is 9. This should be a must read for every child/teen/adult. ( )

This story for young adults dwells on a girl who is very introvert and has numerous imaginary friends but very few real ones. She has many sad thoughts and cannot focus well in school class. But events eventually bring into friendship with others as she matures and most of her imaginary friends are nearly forgotten. The last imaginary friend eventually falls silent as she has picked up loyal real friends. By the end of the book she is much more well-adjusted, happier, and has garnered respect among her parents, the school administration, and her classmates. She has mastered the ability to fit into middle school life. ( )