<<There are, I suppose, stories full of brilliance, hilarity, and longing--the stories in MB Caschetta's terrific Pretend You're My Friend are full of all these things--but I can't remember when I've read a collection so full of life. Actual life: the bad jokes, the astounding velocity, the sweetness and darkness. You will love the characters here the way you love your own family: complicatedly, with tenderness, understanding, and consternation. The only difference may be how willing--and eager--you are to introduce them to friends. Good heavens, this book is good. >> --Elizabeth McCracken, author of Thunderstruck