The Museum of Us

April 16, 2018
Sadie, 16, knows George is a figment of her imagination, but that doesn’t stop her from being drawn to him over and over again. Together, they have explored the amazing Star Palace, danced a perfect waltz, and examined a beautiful museum filled with their shared memories. In this intriguing debut novel that draws a delicate line between imagination and insanity, Redd paints a stunning yet disturbing portrait of a teen whose escape into fantasy is beginning to affect her day-to-day life. During the past several months, it has become increasingly challenging for Sadie to keep George hidden from her parents, her best friend, and her devoted boyfriend. Then, after a car accident, Sadie is rushed to the emergency room and cries out George’s name. Her secret is out, and she has some explaining to do. Dreamlike sequences of Sadie’s escapades with George alternate with less romanticized scenes from Sadie’s past and present, including her sessions with a hospital psychiatrist, and the suspense grows as George’s origin, and his connection to a traumatic event from Sadie’s childhood, comes to light. In a story of heartwrenching goodbyes and brave new beginnings, Redd offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a troubled teen as she begins the healing process. Ages 14–up.

May 1, 2018
Something bad happened to 16-year-old Sadie Black.Waking up in the hospital, she learns that she was calling out for George, her best friend and occasional Prince Charming. Her other best friend is Lucie Washington, a black girl from her cross-country team. Sadie's friendship circle is small, and there is something special about her relationship with George, something she fears others won't understand. Sadie, a white girl who has been running away from her problems, now finds herself dealing with the fallout from another incident five years ago. Readers enter the mind of a teenage girl who has mastered the art of keeping secrets and exploring imaginary worlds and stories, save for moments when it gets out of her control and she must fight to rein herself back in. With prose that pulls you into the story, debut novelist Redd leads readers through the worlds conjured by Sadie. The complicated but loving relationships between Sadie and those who orbit her world are shown in empathetic ways. The angst and anguish of Sadie's loss, grief, and confusion are evident. Still, the handling of the mental health themes leaves much to be desired: Some of Sadie's problematic views are not fully resolved or explained, and the therapist reads like a prop who does little to help her heal.A novel that will prompt readers to contemplate their own methods of escapism. (Fiction. 16-adult)

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April 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 Sadie's life looks pretty wholesome from the outside, with devoted rocker boyfriend Henry, best friend and running companion Lucie, loving parents, and an increasing sense of confidence following her awkward childhood. But Sadie's got a secret: she has an invisible (to others) boyfriend George, with whom she travels on marvelous fantastical adventures. After a car accident, Sadie keeps calling out for George in her confused state: an action that lands her in a mental hospital. Here she must confront the interior world she's created. The text alternates between Sadie's hospital journal and flashbacks that reveal George's genesis and her family history. With iconoclastic, seemingly confident but confused protagonists and clever dialogue, many teens will see themselves?or who they perceive themselves to be?reflected here. Redd's debut novel strikes a tender, poignant, and ultimately positive chord in its depiction of a young woman with delusions, joining a welcome trend in books both normalizing open conversations about and promoting wider acceptance of mental illness.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from May 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Sadie seems to have it all: loving parents, a supportive boyfriend, and a best friend. But she's only going through the motions. She's rarely present; instead she spends increasing periods of time in her hidden world of daydreams with her love and hero, George, who doesn't actually exist. After an accident, her adventures with George are threatened, and Sadie must make hard choices about how and with whom she wants to live her life while confronting trauma and memories from her past. The author deftly blends genres as readers delve in and out of Sadie's fanciful adventures with George. Redd's writing and character development is particularly strong for a debut author as she tackles a wide range of heavy topics, including mental health, ongoing trauma, and sexuality. While Sadie is always at the forefront, teens are often taken directly into Sadie's secret world, where the supporting characters are each richly developed and integral to the story. VERDICT This is an impressive debut novel and an author to watch. Readers will identify strongly with Sadie and her journey as she struggles to cope with trauma and let go of her secrets.-Amanda Foust, Douglas County Libraries, CO

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