The Museum of Intangible Things

February 17, 2014
Wunder (The Probability of Miracles) tackles friendship and mental illness in this nuanced second novel about two best friends: intelligent, grounded narrator Hannah and charismatic Zoe, who has bipolar disorder. A strong setting roots the narrative as the girls bide time in their dead-end New Jersey town. When Hannah’s alcoholic father steals her meager college funds (earned selling hot dogs), and a playboy mistreats Zoe, prompting a manic episode, the two girls embark on a cross-country road trip. Wunder believably escalates Zoe’s mania, documenting her lack of sleep and appetite, racing thoughts, grandiosity, and belief that she communicates with aliens. Along the way, Zoe attempts to instruct the ever-practical Hannah in such intangibilities as audacity, insouciance, and love. As Zoe’s illness escalates, so does the danger, and a perceived betrayal causes Zoe to desert Hannah; to find her, Hannah contacts her crush in New Jersey, introducing a first love storyline. A cast of well-rounded and memorable characters and a realistic perspective on mental illness make for a thought-provoking story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Shandler, Alloy Entertainment.

March 15, 2014
An unexpected love story with a wild road trip to boot. Type A Hannah and bipolar Zoe have been inseparable friends since they were 10. Hannah is known around their New Jersey lakeside town as "the hot dog girl" since her alcoholic weatherman father refuses to pay for college, forcing her to earn money "selling meat in the shape of a phallus to predatory commuters on the way to the city"--she's accustomed to putting her own needs last. But all of that is about to change. In episodic chapters characterized by frank dialogue and Hannah's biting wit, Zoe's depression turns to mania, and faithful Hannah rides across the country with free-spirited Zoe as she chases the weather. While Hannah helps Zoe work through the episode, Zoe gives Hannah "intangible lessons" in insouciance, audacity, betrayal, destiny, luck, and how to live and feel. And while Hannah starts to try out these new feelings on longtime crush Danny, the real love here is between Hannah and Zoe. In a finely crafted blend of heartbreak and humor, Hannah begins to see the reality of Zoe's disorder. A touch of magical realism throughout leaves the bittersweet ending open to interpretation and allows readers to overlook a few improbabilities. Fans of the author's The Probability of Miracles (2011) will discover more of life's possibilities and wonder. (Fiction. 14-18)

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March 1, 2014

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

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* This isn't just a road-trip book. Or a novel about mental illness. Or an exploration of first love or damaged families or the lust for a bigger, more important existence. But Wunder (The Probability of Miracles, 2001) expertly weaves all these timeless elements into a crisp, beautifully crafted story of adventure, love, and the limits of friendship. Dependable Hannah and unpredictable Zoe have spent their entire childhood taking care of one another. The Museum of Intangible Things follows them as they try to reroute their futures by running away from their run-down New Jersey roots and heading west, even though the odds are stacked way against them. As they travel together, Zoe and Hannah both have to find meaning in the fresh experiences and new self-discoveries as they escape the outer boroughs, a guarded IKEA, one despondent truck stop, several tornadoes, a cowboy encounter, and, ultimately, the law. And us readers? We're lucky to ride along with them in Zoe's clunky LeMans and listen to their perfectly clever, never clich'd conversations. Wunder masterfully depicts an intimate bond between two memorably contrary young women: one with a viselike grip on reality and another slowly descending from all reason.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
As Hannah and best friend Zoe (diagnosed bipolar) embark on a cross-country road trip, Zoe gives Hannah "intangible lessons" (e.g., Hannah learns insouciance when they overnight in an IKEA). When Zoe's irrationality gets scary, Hannah learns betrayal and, later, forgiveness. With each lesson, Hannah becomes more confident, building her own distinct identity. Meanwhile, Zoe is a complex character--intelligent, loyal, and funny.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2014
Seventeen-year-old Hannah's best friend Zoe is "like a bullet just waiting for someone to pull the trigger." Zoe, who refuses to accept a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, is never boring, whether she's chasing boys or creating art installations designed to teach intangible emotions to her "Aspergery" little brother. When Zoe begs Hannah to join her on a cross-country road trip, Hannah agrees, disillusioned by the behavior of her alcoholic father and by the mixed signals she's getting from her crush, Danny. As they leave their down-and-out New Jersey town behind, Zoe gives Hannah her own "intangible lessons." So Hannah learns insouciance when they spend the night in an IKEA; audacity when Zoe cuts through the ropes tethering the Kermit the Frog Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon to earth; and luck when they hit a winning slot machine in Vegas. When Danny unexpectedly meets her in Wyoming, Hannah learns love. And when Zoe's irrational beliefs get too scary to ignore, Hannah must also understand betrayal and, later, forgiveness. With each lesson, Hannah becomes more confident, building an identity that's distinct from her friend's. Meanwhile, Zoe is a complex character who in addition to being bipolar is also intelligent, loyal, and funny. Tragically, however, it's Zoe's illness that brings this outstanding novel -- and an inspiring friendship -- to a heartbreaking but inevitable conclusion. rachel l. smith

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)