My biggest misgiving is that I read this book before reading A Million Little Pieces. I think my connection with and understanding of characters would have been deeper had I read the first part.
Regardless, I enjoyed this book. It was poignant, deep, emotionally coercive. The disconnected thoughts and his consciousness, that a lot of readers found troublesome, made it easier for me to connect with the protagonist. His loss was so powerful and profound. It was beautiful, in a tragic way.
But I have still given the book only 3 stars because the book did not have enough character development or details of his relationship with Leonard or Allison, for me to give it a higher rating.

After reading James Frey's first book, A Million Little Pieces, I became fascinated with the friendship that James formed with Leonard. My Friend Leonard gives the reader an in-depth look at their friendship and will cause the reader to laugh and smile. The end of the book is certainly a tear-jerker. I cried for the last ten pages or so. This was an excellent book.

Frey had always been a favorite of mine! Every book of his has been an absolute heartbreaking treat. I wish he identified as a fiction author, though. I did too much research into his exaggerations of the truth that I lost all respect for him as a nonfiction/memoir author.

I read both this and Million Little Pieces back when the hoax was first revealed. "Hoax" probably seems like overly strong language to those of you who like Frey.
My theory is this: James Frey had some problems with drugs and alcohol in High school and college, bad enough that he went to rehab. But he also was a fabulist who spent a lot of time watching old movies--film noir and things like the Godfather, reading, especially books about crime and gangsters, and watching old TV shows. He first shopped Million Little Pieces as a novel and couldn't get it published, so decided to jump on the memoir fad gravy train. This is a fairly common pattern with questionable books, such as "Communion", by Whitley Streiber.

I think that Leonard is his fantasy father. Leonard is always there when Frey needs a friend, a job, some money. He takes Frey and his friends out to lavish dinners, where everybody gorges themselves on food to make up for the booze and drugs they have sworn off of. Leonard doesn't ask much in return.

Remember that the vast majority of the characters in Frey's 'memoirs" have conveniently died or disappeared.

even better than million little pieces. There is one part of this book where a certain something gets killed that made me bawl like a baby.

It was absolutely amazing.
I cried at the end.
Oh my God, so much better than a Million Little Pieces, but they were both amazing.

Being inside the head of an ex-con who loses his gf to suicide, and then continues to work in the mob business while dealing with his grief. Suprise ending.. tears were flowing..

Loved this book! In my opinion, the better of the two books. Made me cry, love a great book that makes me feel real emotion. If you even remotely liked A Million Little Pieces, read this!

made me cry. i loved this book.

must read a million little pieces to give a crap though.

This book had a interesting ending!

I was actually crying, tears and all, three times during this read... and everyone that I know who has read this book has said the same thing... soooo good!

If you read or listen to this book on audio, you really should read, "A Million Little Pieces" first. In order to know about Leonard, read the other one first.