Psychological Thriller
A Mentor and Her Muse by Susan Sage
Under the guise of mentor and muse, a frustrated writer and her ambitious teenage protégé take an illicit summer road trip fraught with racial and sexual tension. This is a compelling psychological novel about social norms, artistic ambition, and obsession.Maggie Barnett works in the media center of a school in Flint, Michigan where she meets Taezha Riverton, an aspiring teenage writer. After discovering that Maggie is also a writer, Taezha turns to her as both mentor and friend. Although Tae’s mother has nothing against Maggie, she is less than thrilled when Maggie proposes to take her daughter on a summer road trip. Permission is never explicitly granted, but shortly after school is out for the summer, Maggie and Tae head for the Southeast.
Psychological Thriller Is
A Confusing Trip of Discovery and Hope
I just finished reading this compelling psychological novel, A Mentor and Her Muse by Susan Sage. I found the cover of this book to be as thoughtful and provoking as the contents were creative and artistically written. The main character, Maggie a fifty-something frustrated writer works in the media center of a school in Michigan. At work is where she meets Tae, an ambitious teenager with a difficult home life. Tae is an inspiring writer and when she discovers that Maggie is also a writer she looks to her for guidance. Maggie becomes both mentor and friend.
Although warned by coworkers against it, she spends time with her after school and on weekends. It’s not enough for Maggie to take her muse to restaurants, bookstore cafes, and poetry readings so she proposes to take her on a summer road trip. Quintana, Tae’s Mother, isn’t happy about it but also doesn’t say no, so shortly after school is out for the summer, Maggie and the fifteen-year-old head for the Southeast. Will the illicit summer road trip, tinged with racial and sexual tension, land Maggie in legal trouble? Will Maggie come through for Tae and save her from her misery while helping her develop as a writer? I enjoyed the vivid descriptions and emotional detail of the author’s writing as she answered these questions and took me on the road trip along with Maggie and Tae. I would recommend this book to my friends and family as well as all others wanting to escape for a while with a well-rounded read. More Book Reviews.