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WORK TITLE: The Museum of Us
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Washington D.C.
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | n 2017050189 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/n2017050189 |
| HEADING: | Redd, Tara Wilson |
| 000 | 00303nz a2200109n 450 |
| 001 | 10534453 |
| 005 | 20170818163214.0 |
| 008 | 170818n| azannaabn |n aaa |
| 010 | __ |a n 2017050189 |
| 040 | __ |a DLC |b eng |c DLC |e rda |
| 100 | 1_ |a Redd, Tara Wilson |
| 670 | __ |a The museum of us, 2018: |b ECIP title page (Tara Wilson Redd) |
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Reed College, graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and librarian. Works in libraries in Washington, DC.
AVOCATIONS:Traveling.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Tara Wilson Redd is a writer and librarian based in Washington, DC. She holds a degree from Reed College. In an interview with Joyce Lamb, contributor to the Happy Ever After website, Redd discussed the various inspirations behind her works of fiction. She stated: “I’m the most ridiculous dilettante on the planet, which is something I’ve been ashamed of most of my life but is kind of perfect for a writer. I may not be an expert on anything, but I’m interested in everything. I think the weird juxtaposition of studying Middle Egyptian culture, getting distracted by the Franklin expedition and then running off to practice rapier is almost certainly the driving force behind my creativity.”
In 2018, Redd released her first novel, a book for young adult readers called The Museum of Us. Its protagonist is Sadie, a teenager hiding the fact that she has an imaginary friend named George. After a traumatic car crash, her secret is revealed. Sadie is sent to the psych ward, where doctors help her confront her mental health issues. Meanwhile, Henry, her boyfriend, and Lucie, her best friend, sort through what they have found out about Sadie.
In an interview with Beth Edwards, contributor to the YA Books Central website, Redd commented on the most difficult parts of her writing process. She stated: “The book is completely skewed into Sadie’s perspective, and so walking a line between presenting Henry as she sees him, and presenting him as a rounded and fully realized character was really difficult. This was also a serious problem when writing the adults in the book.”
A critic on the Dear Author website offered a mixed assessment of The Museum of Us, stating: “Most of the other characters are not as fleshed out as Sadie and remain two dimensional at best. The writing is good but … Sadie’s story deserved more long term attention.” Other assessments of the volume were more favorable. A reviewer on the Teenreads website commented: “Tara Wilson Redd has written a beautiful, important debut novel about mental illness. The way that Sadie has come to use her imaginary world to cope with traumas from her real life will speak to anyone who has ever wanted to escape their own reality. In other words, she wrote a book that resonates with real readers.” “Redd’s debut novel strikes a tender, poignant, and ultimately positive chord,” asserted Debbie Carton in Booklist. Jennifer McIntosh, contributor to Voice of Youth Advocates, suggested: “Redd has written an emotional, poignant story that is difficult to put down.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2018, Debbie Carton, review of The Museum of Us, p. 50.
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2018, review of The Museum of Us.
Publishers Weekly, April 16, 2018, review of The Museum of Us, p. 93.
School Library Journal, May, 2018, Amanda Foust, review of The Museum of Us, p. 100.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2016, Jennifer McIntosh, review of The Museum of Us, p. 62.
ONLINE
Dear Author, https://dearauthor.com/ (June 27, 2018), review of The Museum of Us.
Happy Ever After, https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/ (June 27, 2018), Joyce Lamb, author interview.
Tara Wilson website, http://www.tarawilsonredd.com/ (September 4, 2018).
Teenreads, https://www.teenreads.com/ (July 11, 2018), review of The Museum of Us.
YA Books Central, http://www.yabookscentral.com/ (July 7, 2018), Beth Edwards, author interview and review of The Museum of Us.
bout
Photo by Angeline Rasby
Tara Wilson Redd, a graduate of Reed College, grew up all over the United States, including in St. Louis, Seattle, and Central Oregon. An impenitent dilettante, she is interested in everything, but especially language, travel, and animals. When she is home from her adventures, she lives in Washington, DC where she works in libraries.
QUOTED: "Redd's debut novel strikes a tender, poignant, and ultimately positive chord."
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Print Marked Items
The Museum of Us
Debbie Carton
Booklist.
114.16 (Apr. 15, 2018): p50+. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Museum of Us.
By Tara Wilson Redd.
June 2018. 288p. Random/Wendy Lamb, $17.99 (9781524766870); lib. ed., $20.99 (9781524766887); e-book, $17.99 (9781524766894). Gr. 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.--Debbie Carton
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Carton, Debbie. "The Museum of Us." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2018, p. 50+. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537268169/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=2dd0eeec. Accessed 12 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537268169
QUOTED: "Redd has written an emotional, poignant story that is difficult to put down."
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Redd, Tara Wilson. The Museum of
Us
Jennifer McIntosh
Voice of Youth Advocates.
41.2 (June 2018): p62. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
Redd, Tara Wilson. The Museum of Us. Wendy Lamb/Penguin Random House, June 2018. 288p. PLB $20.99. 978-1-5247-6688-7.
4Q * 4P * J * S
Armed with a road map and her beat up old Ford, Sadie is ready for one last perfect day with her secret best friend, George, before the demands of school start up again. Everything goes well until Sadie slams into a tree and is rushed to the hospital screaming George's name, but George is nowhere to be found. Worried that her accident was intentional, doctors keep Sadie in the psych ward of the hospital where she is forced to confront the truth of her relationship with George--the boy that only she sees. Sadie's secret world is revealed slowly, even as she desperately tries to hide it from the hospital therapist and her loved ones. Her boyfriend, Henry, and her real best friend, Lucie, have always known that Sadie was often distracted, in her "own little world," but they have no idea how real that world is to her.
The Museum of Us is a thoughtful look at mental illness and one girl's struggle to overcome it. Flashbacks and journal entries accompany Sadie's time in the psych ward and tell the story that is too difficult for her to admit. Sadie's delusions are so realistic and Redds writing is so strong, that readers will begin to question what is actually real. Redd has written an emotional, poignant story that is difficult to put down.--Jennifer McIntosh.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
McIntosh, Jennifer. "Redd, Tara Wilson. The Museum of Us." Voice of Youth Advocates, June
2018, p. 62. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545022916 /GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=539e94fc. Accessed 12 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A545022916
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Redd, Tara Wilson: THE MUSEUM OF US
Kirkus Reviews.
(May 1, 2018): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Redd, Tara Wilson THE MUSEUM OF US Wendy Lamb/Random (Young Adult Fiction) $17.99 6, 26 ISBN: 978-1-5247-6687-0
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)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Redd, Tara Wilson: THE MUSEUM OF US." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2018. Book Review Index
Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536570977/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=0aae16ca. Accessed 12 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536570977
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The Museum of Us
Publishers Weekly.
265.16 (Apr. 16, 2018): p93+. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Museum of Us
Tara Wilson Redd. Random/Lamb, $17.99
(288p) ISBN 978-1-5247-6687-0
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 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. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Museum of Us." Publishers Weekly, 16 Apr. 2018, p. 93+. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536532797/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=d1f65c5a. Accessed 12 Aug. 2018.
5 of 7 8/12/18, 8:26 PM
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Gale Document Number: GALE|A536532797
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REDD, Tara Wilson. The Museum of
Us
Amanda Foust
School Library Journal.
64.5 (May 2018): p100. From Book Review Index Plus.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Foust, Amanda. "REDD, Tara Wilson. The Museum of Us." School Library Journal, May 2018,
p. 100. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536988054 /GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=649bc040. Accessed 12 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536988054
7 of 7 8/12/18, 8:26 PM
QUOTED: "Most of the other characters are not as fleshed out as Sadie and remain two dimensional at best. The writing is good but ... Sadie’s story deserved more long term attention."
REVIEW: The Museum of Us by Tara Wilson Redd
JayneBook Reviews / C ReviewsFirst-Person / mental health / mental illness / YA / Young-AdultNo Comments
Secrets are con artists: they trick you into letting them out.
Sadie loves her rocker boyfriend Henry and her running partner and best friend Lucie, but no one can measure up to her truest love and hero, the dazzling and passionate George. George, her secret.
When something goes wrong and Sadie is taken to the hospital calling out for George, her hidden life may be exposed. Now she must confront the truth of the past, and protect a world she is terrified to lose.
Dear Ms. Wilson Redd,
I asked to review this book on a whim mainly drawn by the lovely cover. I did want to know what was Sadie’s secret, who George was and what was about to come crashing down. The book is mainly about Sadie and is more teen fiction than YA romance. The plot also has little to do with the blurb. YA isn’t what I generally read so I’m sure that I missed some tropes and I’ve also never read any Harry Potter books nor seen any of the movies (I know – gasp, right?) so the chapter titles culled from Pottermore went straight over my head.
Sadie’s parents had barely taken off for a classic car show in Germany when she’s involved in an accident. Once the paramedics have determined that there wasn’t anyone else in the truck with her and her friends have denied all knowledge of anyone named “George,” Sadie begins to be questioned about why she was frantically calling that name at the scene. Who is George and why doesn’t anyone know about him? Sadie desperately tries to hide her secret but the painkillers needed because of her broken leg aren’t helping her. The child psychiatrist gently picks away at Sadie’s silence and another patient warns Sadie that this place will steal her secrets and take them away. Can she hold onto George or is it time to let him go?
It took me a little while to get my bearings. The book is told alternately from first person and third person PsOV. Sadie has such a rich and deep daydreaming universe that she can literally dive into it to the point that she loses herself there. Who knew there’s actually a term for this – maladaptive daydreaming. In this world, Sadie has lived through countless adventures around the world, in different times and alternate universes. It’s the person who has joined Sadie in these escapades who she wants to protect and keep secret.
I think most of us have had our daydreams but Sadie takes hers to extremes. Once it’s revealed why she began sinking into this alternate reality and who “George” is, it makes sense. Yet I ended the book not sure why she was still in need of all this. Her perfect real life boyfriend and best friend are loyal and true to her and she’s found her place in school. Her parents seem understanding as does Sadie’s coach.
And I also wasn’t sure about the psychiatric aspect of the book. Sure let’s get Sadie back into the real world but does this require medication or would delving into why Sadie felt the need to invent this world be sufficient? The book takes place over the course of two weeks which seemed fairly quick to wrap things up. There is a second patient we meet who gives another view of mental illnesses but her story seemed truncated as well. Most of the other characters are not as fleshed out as Sadie and remain two dimensional at best.
The writing is good but I feel that Sadie’s story deserved more long term attention. In a world that seems to thrust medication at mental health patients in place of discussions and dialog, I wonder at Sadie’s long term benefit from it. I would also have liked for the other characters besides George to be more than cardboard cutouts. C
~Jayne
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QUOTED: "The book is completely skewed into Sadie's perspective, and so walking a line between presenting Henry as she sees him, and presenting him as a rounded and fully realized character was really difficult. This was also a serious problem when writing the adults in the book."
Author Chat with Tara Wilson Redd (The Museum Of Us), Plus Giveaway!
Saturday, 07 July 2018
Beth Edwards, Assistant Blog Manager
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Today we're excited to chat with Tara Wilson Redd, author of The Museum Of Us.
Read on for more about Tara and her book, an interview, plus a giveaway!
Meet Tara Wilson Redd!
Tara Wilson Redd, a graduate of Reed College, grew up all over the United States, including in St. Louis, Seattle, and Central Oregon. An impenitent dilettante, she is interested in everything, but especially language, travel, and animals. When she is home from her adventures, she lives in Washington, DC, where she works in libraries. The Museum of Us is her first novel. Visit her online at tarawilsonredd.com.
Website * Instagram * Tumbler
Meet The Museum Of Us!
Secrets are con artists: they trick you into letting them out.
Sadie loves her rocker boyfriend Henry and her running partner and best friend Lucie, but no one can measure up to her truest love and hero, thedazzling and passionate George. George, her secret.
When something goes wrong and Sadie is taken to the hospital calling out for George, her hidden life may be exposed. Now she must confront thetruth of the past, and protect a world she is terrified to lose.
"A teen learns to use her rich interior world to fight trauma, but is this the only way out? This honest, heartfelt tale is deep and mysterious as imagination itself." --Judy Blundell, author of What I Saw and How I Lied and Strings Attached
"You'll inhale as you skid into the first chapter and only exhale as you cling to the last. A beautiful book about longing and loss . . . and what is real." --Teresa Toten, author of The Hero of Room 13B, winner of the Governor General Award, and Beware That Girl
Amazon * B & N * Indiebound
~ Author Chat ~
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel. The title was changed pretty late in the game. It was originally called "George," in part because the file names for all the novels on my computer are things like "Egypt Book," "Boar MG," and "Detective Novel" and I just get used to thinking of them that way.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
It's a tiny thing, not even a full scene, but I love Sadie's definition of melodrama. I feel so very dorky, but also so proud because it's like, "Look! I did a literary thing with a name, and I put it in this book!" I was so proud of myself I'm pretty sure you can see me grinning on the actual page.
YABC: What was your favorite book in 2017?
For YA, it was Turtles All The Way Down, no contest. I think it slid in right at the end of 2017, so I will say I also really liked The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily. Also, didn't the 4th Jackaby book, The Dire King, come out in 2017? That was awesome too.
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
I can't give it away, but the very last scene at the very end of the book absolutely gutted me. All the feels.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
Every character that isn't Sadie, but particularly Henry. The book is completely skewed into Sadie's perspective, and so walking a line between presenting Henry as she sees him, and presenting him as a rounded and fully realized character was really difficult. This was also a serious problem when writing the adults in the book.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Revising, for sure. I hate writing drafts, actually. I think I'm an editor at heart. I feel like this would have comforted me as a young writer, so let me say: my first drafts are trash. They're such trash that I won't even acknowledge them as numbered drafts. I file them as "draft zero" on my computer.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I have a few, but the one I'm most proud of today is information organization. I'm really interested in things like note-taking and the ways we've historically encoded and organized information in an attempt to understand the universe, which turns out to be a really valuable skill when you're trying to, say, organize the plot of a novel or see a draft in a new way.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
Oh, quite a few. I've working in libraries for more than ten years, and libraries need all the support they can get. I'd also say, support your local pet adoption charity! My cat Dudley came from Homeward Trails in DC, and she's a treasure. A monster, but also a treasure. But also a monster. Yeah, mostly a monster. You know what? Support thelibraries, books don't bite you and wake you up at 4AM. Jerk.
The Museum Of Us
By: Tara Wilson Redd
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Release Date: June 26th, 2018
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QUOTED: "I’m the most ridiculous dilettante on the planet, which is something I’ve been ashamed of most of my life but is kind of perfect for a writer. I may not be an expert on anything, but I’m interested in everything. I think the weird juxtaposition of studying Middle Egyptian culture, getting distracted by the Franklin expedition and then running off to practice rapier is almost certainly the driving force behind my creativity."
Interview: Tara Wilson Redd, author of ‘The Museum of Us’
By: Joyce Lamb | June 27, 2018 12:01 am
Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Tara! Please tell us a bit about your new release, The Museum of Us.
Tara: The Museum of Us is the story of a girl, Sadie, who is in love with her own imagination. When she crashes her truck, Sadie has to choose between the worlds in her imagination and reality. It’s a book for people who find themselves lost in stories, like most readers!
Joyce: What inspires your book ideas?
Tara: I’m the most ridiculous dilettante on the planet, which is something I’ve been ashamed of most of my life but is kind of perfect for a writer. I may not be an expert on anything, but I’m interested in everything. I think the weird juxtaposition of studying Middle Egyptian culture, getting distracted by the Franklin expedition and then running off to practice rapier is almost certainly the driving force behind my creativity.
Joyce: Is there an idea out there that you wish you’d thought of?
Tara: I love Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife. It unexpectedly became one of my favorite books, and while I think it’s really the writing that makes it great, the concept explored in the novel is just such lovely poetry in itself. Same for A.S. Byatt’s Possession, another favorite.
Joyce: What do you do when you get stuck?
Tara: I study my own book. I basically take everything apart, the same way I would a novel I was studying, and then I put it back together again. I mean, that’s what I do as an author. Before that I drink a lot of negronis and cry.
Joyce: What distracts you the most when you’re trying to write?
Tara: Dewey, my cat/dæmon, who saw me through my first novel, died last year and it absolutely broke me. She was a good writing partner. My new cat, Dudley, is a distracting little sadist who launches sneak attacks from under my desk and loudly chews on cardboard boxes while I’m attempting to work.
Joyce: Is there a TV show that you’ve recently binge-watched?
Tara: Not exactly binge-watching, but I have been getting up at 6 a.m. to watch The Terror. I swear this show was written specifically for me. I obsess about it. I read about the Franklin expedition and I even have a little arctic puzzle with polar bears to distract me from the fact that I can’t binge-watch it.
Joyce: What’s your ideal scenery while you’re writing?
Tara: The black interior of a hermit’s cave.
Joyce: What would be your dream vacation?
Tara: I would love to go on a Nile cruise. I think I may be picturing a Nile cruise in, say, the 1920s, though. I’m also enamored with luxury trains.
Joyce: What do you do in your spare time?
Tara: Time is never spare, but when I’m not writing, I love going to the zoo, hiking, reading and following whatever random subject I’m passionate about that week down whatever rabbit holes it takes me into all the many wonderlands that exist beneath the surface of the day-to-day if only you take the time to look.
Joyce: What are you working on now?
Tara: I’m working on my next YA novel, as well as a detective story that’s very dear to my heart. I had way too much fun with the pastiche scenes in The Museum of Us … and so now I have some deep need to continue writing genre stories.
Joyce: Thanks, Tara!
About The Museum of Us:
Sadie loves her rocker boyfriend, Henry, and her running partner and best friend, Lucie, but no one can measure up to her truest love and hero, the dazzling and passionate George. George, her secret.
When something goes wrong and Sadie is taken to the hospital calling out for George, her hidden life may be exposed. Now she must confront the truth of the past and protect a world she is terrified to lose.
About Tara
Tara Wilson Redd, a graduate of Reed College, grew up all over the United States, including in St. Louis, Seattle and central Oregon. An impenitent dilettante, she is interested in everything, but especially language, travel and animals. When she is home from her adventures, she lives in Washington, D.C., where she works in libraries. The Museum of Us is her first novel.
Find out more at tarawilsonredd.com.
Tara Wilson Redd, YA, Author interviews
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QUOTED: "Tara Wilson Redd has written a beautiful, important debut novel about mental illness. The way that Sadie has come to use her imaginary world to cope with traumas from her real life will speak to anyone who has ever wanted to escape their own reality. In other words, she wrote a book that resonates with real readers."
The Museum of Us
by Tara Wilson Redd
[Buy this book at IndieBound]
[Buy this book at Amazon]
[Buy this book at Barnes and Noble]
THE MUSEUM OF US by debut author Tara Wilson Redd is a thought-provoking and beautifully written ode to the secret worlds of imagination that occupy the minds of authors, readers and dreamers alike, as well as an acknowledgement of the dangers of such worlds.
Sadie Black occupies two worlds. The first is her real life, with her parents, her boyfriend Henry and her best friend Lucie. She’s an average high school student who loves Harry Potter and old movies and runs cross country. The second is the one in her mind, where, with her friend George, she can be a wizard, a spy, a detective, preparing for the Triwizard Tournament or escaping an ambush from deadly enemies. She and George are best friends, inseparable. The only problem? He’s not real, and no one else knows about him.
Both of Sadie’s worlds come crashing down when she’s in a car accident and is found calling George’s name. Now the world that has brought Sadie solace from the stresses of her real one is threatened.
"Tara Wilson Redd has written a beautiful, important debut novel about mental illness."
The structure of the novel is something that is immediately unique. The chapters alternate between the days that Sadie spends in the hospital after her accident, told from her point of view, and chapters either spent with George, Henry or Lucie in the past, told from a third person narration. At first, there seems to be several components missing from the story; several aspects of the present don’t quite make sense, but the two narratives weave together perfectly, filling in the missing puzzle pieces as the novel progresses. I’ll admit that the two narrative styles were jarring at first, but as I grew used to them they blended together seamlessly, and it makes sense why the author chose to vary the style later on.
Sadie is a great character. She is quirky and odd, but in an endearing and relatable way. She loves old movies and reads nonstop, able to quote hundreds of different films and authors on a dime. She’s awkward and beautiful. The narrative style works such that when we hear from Sadie directly, we are able to understand her point of view, her coping mechanisms and how hard it would be for her to give up George and their imaginary world. Though this, we are able to sympathize with her. Her relationship with George is equivalent to a really good book that you never want to end. She’s convinced that she is nothing special, so she’s cooked up this world where she can be anything she wants. Who hasn’t wanted to do that before? Redd shows through Sadie, however, that when it comes to mental illness, the true key to getting better lies within one’s own willingness to do so. The novel is about Sadie’s journey to accepting help.
The little details that Redd incorporates into George make him just as real as the other characters, if not more so. By the end of the novel, readers come to recognize his little habits and sayings. The relationship he and Sadie have is heartbreaking in that we know that for Sadie’s sake, it has to be fleeting.
But Redd developed Sadie’s relationship with Henry, as well. Henry is such a sweet character who clearly loves and cares about Sadie. He was also really well fleshed out considering that he sometimes had to take a backseat to George.
One aspect of the novel that might have been a bit more developed is Sadie’s other relationships. Her parents are pretty absent for most of the novel, and I think for the ending it would have been more powerful to explore the dynamic among the three of them more. The same goes for Lucie, who only gets to be present in three chapters. Overall, I would not have minded if the novel was longer in order to allow for the developments of these characters and their relationships to Sadie, though I understand that George and Henry are clearly the two most important people to Sadie’s story, so they needed to be the most prominent.
Tara Wilson Redd has written a beautiful, important debut novel about mental illness. The way that Sadie has come to use her imaginary world to cope with traumas from her real life will speak to anyone who has ever wanted to escape their own reality. In other words, she wrote a book that resonates with real readers. I would recommend this novel to fans of Rainbow Rowell and Francesca Zappia, or anyone who has ever felt lonely in their need to escape reality sometimes. If that’s you, then I hope you pick up this book if only to discover that you are not, actually, alone.
Reviewed by Cat on July 11, 2018
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The Museum of Us
by Tara Wilson Redd
Publication Date: June 26, 2018
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary, Romance, Social Issues, Young Adult 14+
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
ISBN-10: 1524766879
ISBN-13: 9781524766870
https://www.teenreads.com/reviews/the-museum-of-us