In Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me), Jay Ellis takes a very innovative approach to telling the story of his life's journey so far. By speaking not only from his direct lens but also from the perspective of his imaginary friend who helps him to understand and navigate the world around him.

While you might expect mostly comical stories, there is a lot of depth to this story and several areas that are calls for introspection covering incidents of peer pressure, violence and racism.

Fans of his work will be entertained and inspired by the path that led him to his current success. I always appreciate a transparent biography and this one is filled with truth with the right amount of levity.

Thank you NetGalley and Rabdom House Publishing Group for the Arc!

I’ve been a fan of Jay Ellis since seeing him on Insecure and this memoir made me like him even more. Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me) gives you the best boost of nostalgia and even though I never had an imaginary friend, I definitely would’ve liked to have one like Jay’s if I did!

Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (Or Just Me)?: Adventures in Boyhood by Jay Ellis is a nostalgic and deeply personal collection of life stories reflecting the experiences of a Black boy growing up in the '80s and '90s in the U.S. Jay, born to young married parents with a father in the military, shares his journey as an only child who relied on his imagination to cope with the challenges of frequent moves and transient life. His stories, from a brief stint as a gang member to his first heartbreak, resonate with readers who grew up in similar circumstances or simply appreciate the power of imagination. As an only child myself, I connected deeply with Jay's tales, recalling my imaginary twin sister. This book is a heartfelt and relatable read for anyone who values the significance of creativity in shaping one’s childhood experiences.

DNF after a solid 25%, which was a VERY good try considering how much I didn't enjoy this book from the first page. I didn't have an imaginary friend growing up, but I thought the stories Jay included would still be pretty relatable. And if not relatable, at least funny.

I was way off. I'll attribute it to my not having imaginary friends, I guess....

Also want to mention that typically I'd give a book more than 25% before DNFing, but this was essentially story after story about his imaginary friend. If I didn't care about his IF yet, I wasn't going to.

{Thank you to Goodreads Giveaway for the print copy I won! And another thank you to NetGalley, Jay Ellis, and publisher for providing an eARC in e,change for my honest review!}

Reading Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? by Jay Ellis was such a treat! The moment I saw the cover adorned with references from my own coming-of-age (Dwayne Wayne, the pager, and the floppy-disk), I knew this book would be one I could relate to.

Jay Ellis makes it known in the beginning of the book that it isn't a memoir. He even reminds us later in reading that he hasn't "lived enough" to consider this book a memoir. That has no bearing on how solid these childhood stories are. I was entertained from beginning to end, even scared a few times (especially during that melee at the movie theater). Ellis recounts stories of growing up with his imaginary friend, Mikey, so vividly, I pictured a precocious little boy running alongside him through every adventure shared.

While readers won't find much about the onset of an acting career for Jay Ellis within these pages, we do see that his bright imagination was an inspiration from the start. Isn't that the stuff creatives are made of? I can remember claiming to have an imaginary friend through the early years of elementary school, but nothing as close and consistent as Mikey. Mikey went to pre-school with Jay, wreaking havoc. He moved across states with Jay, as he was a military kid who changed schools quite a bit. And he even caught the blame for many bad decisions Jay made throughout his younger years. With each essay, I looked forward to reading what Mikey would get Jay into next.

Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? is an exciting gift for those of us who have found safe spaces in imaginary friends and/or wild imaginations. Jay's stories lure you in and keep you excited for "the good part," wondering how Mikey will show up and how much damage he will cause. Even as Mikey begins to fade away and Ellis gets older, we see how much of an affect an imaginary friend has had on Ellis.

Also, seeing that celebrities with a star as bright as Jay's still get anxious about sharing their work was affirming. We all feel that same vulnerability when sharing parts of ourselves that can easily be dismissed, ridiculed, or shamed. Jay Ellis, I am glad that you shared your "imaginary friend" story during the pandemic. It is the reason I was able to experience such a beautiful book that I won't soon forget. I hope you continue to write and share even more of your stories + creative works.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC of Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? by Jay Ellis. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.

4 Stars

Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend... is a conversational memoir in essays. It was an enjoyable read, exploring the humorous and heartbreaking events in Ellis's childhood to teen years. However, this is one where the audiobook would be a much better experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Random House | One World, Jay Ellis, for this ARC of "Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just me)" out tomorrow, July 30th!

I have been a fan of Jay Ellis since watching Insecure. When I saw his book was coming out and I got selected to read it before release I was so excited! I wasn't sure what to expect but this was a cute book of stories about his life growing up. I liked that there were pictures for each chapter and we got to see him during the age of that year. Less than 200 pages and a pretty quick read, I'd recommend if you are a fan of his. I hope they release an audiobook because if so, I will listen to it if he's the narrator and would possibly increase my rating too. I usually enjoy biographies when the person writing is also the person narrating it.

⭐️Overall Rating: I'm rounding up 3.5 stars to 4!

This novel was provided by the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.

“Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend? (or Just Me): Adventures in Boyhood” by Jay Ellis is the 45th book I’ve completed this year.

From the very beginning everything about this book was giving nostalgia, hence why I took this picture at the playground. Jay makes it clear that this book is not a memoir, but a series of vignettes from his childhood, documenting life with (and later without) his imaginary friend named Mikey. Jay and I are opposites in a lot of ways: He’s an only child and I have five siblings. He moved around a lot because his dad was in the military, and I’ve lived in Maryland my whole life. He remembers vivid details about his childhood, me not so much. I say all that to say that while I never had an imaginary friend, I could see why a child growing up like he did would. Sometimes books by celebrities can just be filled with stuff that you can find on their Wikipedia page, and that was definitely not the case with this book. I found this to be a fun read with some serious moments and life lessons sprinkled in. 80s and 90s babies will especially appreciate the cultural references in this book. You definitely don’t have to be a fan of the genius that is Insecure to enjoy this book. (Though if you haven’t watched Insecure, I need you to get on that.) This is Jay Ellis’ first book but I hope it won’t be his last.

I enjoy this book. I went into this thinking this was a memoir, but it was more of collection of short stories about Jay Ellis' journey group up with his imaginary friend Mikey. It's the first chapter he lets you know that early on so it didn't feel like I was falsely advertised. The stories were funny, heartwarming, and sometimes sad. As a fan of Jay Ellis' this was interesting to read and gave a little glimpse of him outside of what we know. Him and Mikey definitely had a time. It was interesting to read how his relationship with Mikey and his stream of consciousness changed as he got older. It was also nice to know that having an imaginary friend that you relied wasn't as uncommon as I thought. I will say I think I would've enjoyed this more as an audiobook narrated by him. I think I will revisit when the book officially releases.

This is a sweet little memoir in essays from a celeb. There isn't anything here about his life as an actor or his journey to becoming one. It is all about his childhood, which he tells us clearly from jump. It isn't a life changing book, but it is also totally unoffensive and readable, with some fun antidotes stories, and childhood mess ups.

Jay Ellis captured growing up in the 80s/90s in such a way that it unlocked memories for me. This was a relatable celebrity memoir to read. I loved that it wasn't a "celebrity book" that was filled with name dropping. Jay was open and honest about his child and being an only child who is also a "military brat".

I forgot about my imaginary friend, until reading more and more about Jay and Mikey. Mikey was Jay's right hand man and had a hand in shaping him into the person he is today. As Jay reflects, we learn the life lessons along with him on how impactful Mikey was and also when Mikey started fading with age.

This is a book that I'd recommend to any parent figure, especially one that has a little one with an active imagination!

I’m so glad he started this off letting us know it was not a memoir (which is what I wished for originally). Instead it was a very creative way to tell stories of his upbringing and what I gathered about his imaginary friend Mikey is that he was his voice of reason rather that be good or bad and as he grew up he didn’t need him as much because he started to trust his own voice. Jay Ellis has been a fav of mine since Insecure and I loved how he told his stories of boyhood in a light and relatable way. Would def recommend to male young adults.

Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (Or Just Me) by Jay Ellis Book Review


In Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (Or Just Me), Jay Ellis has written his autobiography feeling his tall tale adventures with his imaginary friend, Mikey. Readers will recognize Jay from his tv acting. He stars in the HBO series Insecure. He compares his friend to become someone he could trusts and count on. Mikey was like his older brother who would protect him at all costs. He explained that he loves to learn and he was always a student at heart. He would often take classes in between his acting roles. Instead of a superhero role, he choose him to be a young black man who dressed in the latest trends and had a fresh haircut. He was calm, curious, and easy going. He grew up as a only child and was alone most of the time. He came from a traveling military family. He shared how he came to him during a bad storm when he was about four years old. He was trapped in a swamp surrounded by crocodiles and he couldn’t even go to his parents room in fear that he would be eaten. He opened up about how he stayed with him through his high school years even. He was around through the crazy teenager experiences. Mikey taught him how to trust his instincts, having a spirit of play, and accepting who you are.


I would recommend this creative book on imaginary friends mixed with his life story. I liked how he shared about his experiences with gangs, first kiss, dating, getting pulled over by the cops a few times, and much more. He has some fun and exciting stories to share. What was surprising to me was the fact that his best friend stayed with him throughout his schools years until he faded away. In writing this book, he learned that others have also experienced an imaginary friend. I remember playing pretending when I was younger but my imaginary friends would have had superpowers and they weren’t and every day looking person. I also am an only child so I can relate creating someone to bring you comfort through life experiences. I think he did an excellent job in detailing what he went through growing up and how his imaginary friend was there through it all. I also liked how he enclosed pictures throughout the book to bring the book even more to life and relatable.

Jay Ellis, born Wendell Ramone Ellis Jr., tells the adventurous story of growing up with an imaginary friend. As a military brat, Jay was the perpetual new kid shuffling from school to school. He was an only child used to making shit up—hence, imaginary friend Mikey, who was part Dwayne Wayne, part Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Mikey was there through birthday disappointments, pop culture, hoop dreams, gang jump-ins, road trips, young love and so much more.

Jay Ellis had me at the title: Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (Or Just Me)? I absolutely did have an imaginary friend that everyone had to acknowledge. Set a place at the table, buckle the seatbelt, pull a chair out and include in conversations. My imaginary friend kept me company, gave me courage and evolved into adult consciousness. So it was not just you, Jay Ellis. Thanks for validating imaginary friends!

Judge this book by the cover! It is colorful, fun and totally for 80s babies who came of age in the 90s. Whether you recognize him as Lawrence from Insecure, Bryce on The Game or as the talented Black actor (now author) he is, add this nonfiction book to your reading list this summer. You will deep dive into the content, laugh in agreement and get lost in the childhood memories. Told through the voice of your homeboy, this memoir was unputdownable and oh so enjoyable!

Happy Early Pub Day, Jay Ellis! Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (Or Just Me)?: Adventures in Boyhood will be available on July 30.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

I really like Jay Ellis so I was excited to check this out.

This is described as a vulnerable memoir... but it's mostly surface level, not deeply vulnerable, and Ellis himself says in the first chapter, "This ain't a memoir. I haven't lived enough life for that. This is a book filled with vignettes of childhood."

There are interesting coming-of-age stories, and the lessons learned from them. But I'll be way more interested in a true memoir that covers more of his life and adulthood and is more vulnerable and insightful.

I did really like the '80s and '90s references as an '80s/'90s kid myself and pop culture lover.