When You Reach Me

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I think Mom put it best when she said this book turns you on your head!  As a lover of A Wrinkle in Time, I really enjoyed how the plot was rooted in the classic.  It didn't take long for me to guess that time travel might be involved, but I like to suspend my disbelief when I read and discover it when the author wants me to.  I do have to say that the resolution was a total surprise to me (I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it yet) and I was completed delighted by it.

More than the fun plot, I really liked Miranda's coming-of-age story and the theme of friendship.  We see easy friendships, friendships born of helping the picked-on girl, overcoming prejudice and befriending an old nemesis, and learning how to move on and let the "best" friend become one of many friends - not the only one.  I think I can relate to all of these types of friendships and cherish each one.  In the end, When You Reach Me wasn't really about time-travel, but the fantastical and nostalgic plot served as a facade to pull your attention away from the masterful relationships being subtly woven throughout the 197 pages.  This writing tactic leaves the reader so satisfied with the character and who she has become, more so than if the relationships where front and center and explicit.  Besides Miranda's relationships with her peers, the reader also sees how she grows in relationships with her mother, her mother's boyfriend, Sal's mother, and even the corner grocer.  All in all, this was definitely a Newbery-worthy book for me!  What did you think?

(P.S. - I apologize for not getting around to this review earlier in the month.  I got lazy with having guest reviewers for the last couple of months!  Love you all!)