The Museum of Intangible Things
Gr 9 Up—Hannah and Zoe are smart and creative teens living in a New Jersey lake community. Unfortunately, neither girl has the same fun-filled, picturesque lifestyle typical of other teens in the area. Hannah looks after her alcoholic parents and works hard selling hot dogs to save money for college. Zoe has bipolar disorder and struggles with manic and depressive periods. Their school is underfunded, with minimal academic offerings, so the girls sneak into the attic of an upscale private school in order to listen to classroom sessions and get a look at the lives of the rich. Things begin to spiral out of control after they crash a party hosted by a student at Sussex Country Day. Zoe enters the depressive phase of her illness and faces an uncertain future. Hannah discovers that her father drained her savings account for his own use. Then Zoe shifts into total mania and urges Hannah to travel with her on a cross-country car trip where they can escape, find adventure, take risks, and discover themselves. The pace of the plot increases exponentially from this point as the girls find themselves on a journey of increasingly wild experiences. The often-humorous cultural references to clothing styles and retail stores, music (especially Bruce Springsteen), national landmarks, and television will resonate with teens who are trying like Hannah and Zoe to manage life's challenges. The characters are well developed, and Hannah's fluid narration will keep the pages turning until the novel's complex and bittersweet conclusion.—Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH