In 2018, the novel version of the popular musical Dear Evan Hansen was published by Val Emmich. Three years later, the author has published Maybe We're Electric, a young adult fiction novel set in Edison, New Jersey, where two students on the opposite ends of the popularity spectrum find themselves stuck inside the small Thomas Edison museum during a snow storm.
The Situation: It is 5:52pm and Tegan Everly is done with her mother. After an argument, Tegan races from her home and decides to hide out in the Thomas Edison museum. The museum may be closed, but Tegan has access, having worked there over the summer. She knows all about it, the exhibits, and the person it was built to memorialize. Tegan is looking forward to being alone, but then popular jock Mac Durant enters with a strange request. It is both surprising and annoying, especially when the realization hits that the snow storm outside is gathering strength, and Tegan and Mac may be stuck in the tiny museum together for awhile.
The Problem: At school, Tegan is known as the shy and quiet girl, while Mac is popular, well-liked, good-looking, and good at sports. Tegan has always observed Mac from afar, being both mesmerized by his presence and annoyed by how easy people like him seem to have it. Due to a physical disability, Tegan tends to withdraw into herself, hiding from anyone outside of her small group of friends. Being trapped in a small area with Mac seems like a terrible situation to be in, but that is until the two teens begin to get to know each other. Tegan is surprised to hear that Mac has problems too, real ones. But with that information comes an awful realization that Tegan may have contributed to Mac's current misery.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in the township of Edison, New Jersey, with most of the action taking place in one night. A snow storm is what keeps both Tegan Everly and Mac Durant inside of the Edison Museum, though it is family issues that drive them there in the first place. For the most part, it is Tegan's limb difference, and her observations of how people react to it, that keep her from reaching out more. For Mac, making friends comes easy, though he can feel that no one really knows him. The book is told from Tegan's point of view, moving through the night, while occasionally jumping back in time to briefly recount what happened in the hours before the storm. Also included are emails Tegan has sent her dad, and small sections that reveal more of her history and why she made the decisions she made.
My Verdict: This is one of those books that I really wanted to like, but it fell short in so many ways. The first issue is with the character of Tegan. Sure, she is flawed and has made some bad choices, but even more than that, her overall attitude and outlook on life can be grating. And by the end of the novel, the lessons she learned are not quite enough. The second issue is that neither she nor Mac or all that interesting as characters. Despite the very real issues the two are dealing with, they come across as standard and flat. And the third issue, and probably the worst one of all three, is that the plot is often boring and uninteresting. Plus, it is one we have seen many times before. The book is a light read, and not so terrible that it should be avoidable at all costs. But there were certainly areas that were disappointing.
Favorite Moment: At a certain point, Tegan has to reflect on how unfair she has been to her mother.
Favorite Character: Even though he is not technically in the novel, I liked the character of Tegan's father. He is a professor at Rutgers who has a way of understanding the people around him that he tries to teach to his daughter.
Recommended Reading: I recommend two David Arnold novels: Mosquitoland and Kids of Appetite.
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