Book Review: When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me
By Rebecca Stead
Review by Renata

Main character Miranda begins to receive mysterious notes from someone claiming to be from the future. She’s sceptical, but when the messages begin to predict future events with uncanny accuracy, Miranda’s intrigue grows – especially when the note-writer claims that: “I am coming to save your friend’s life and my own.” This Newbury medal-winner succeeds as both a cleverly plotted time-travel mystery and a nuanced study of pre-teen friendship and connection. Stead drew inspiration from an enduring classic in the junior sci-fi canon – Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time – and her book has become a breakout hit of its own. Behind the intricate structure lies a poignant exploration of a transitional age in which we learn that loss is as much a part of life as success.