Sometimes I read a book as an adult that heals childhood me in some way. This is one of those books. From the title, I thought this book was going to be a magical realism adventure. It wasn't, but the book was still magical in its own way.

Vanessa and Bailey have been friends for years, but for some reason, Bailey hasn't been much of a friend lately. In fact, it seems like Bailey doesn't want anything to do with Vanessa anymore. Vanessa finds an abandoned museum, and it becomes her own project. At first, she just cleans up the debris, but soon she's started adding small exhibits about her friendship with Bailey. Before long, it becomes apparent that she isn't the only one that is visiting the museum, though, and she's not the only person who wants to create their own exhibits.

The Museum of Lost and Found is a realistic portrayal of some of the pain of growing up and shifting friendships. Vanessa learns how to make new friends and connections, recognize her own faults, and consider how someone else's perspective of an event can be completely different than her own. In the book, characters are complicated and evolve in the same ways they do in real life. Vanessa certaintly feels like a preteen going through the changes, drama, hopes, and fears that are typical at this age.

Overall, I loved the experience of reading this book, and I was delighted with the conclusion and how many characters learn to understand other people better and realize that sometimes there isn't a good guy or a bad guy. Sometimes people are just people, and if we can figure out how to connect with them, we'll be able to find out something we thought we lost but was there all along.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy to review.