Here’s my review for When You Reach Me.  Miranda, 12, starts receiving letters from someone anonymous. These letters change her life.  There are four proofs, things that Anonymous knows will happen.  Anonymous says he is coming to save Miranda’s friend’s life as well as his own. He asks Miranda to write him a letter, beginning from when Miranda’s friend Sal gets punched and casts her away from his life.  In a well-paced middle school adventure, you really want to know; 1. Why did Sal stop talking to Miranda? 2. Why are these letters coming? 3. Who is writing the letters?

What I thought about it:

Rebecca Stead is amazing.  I saw her at the Texas Book Festival at A Wrinkle In Time panel.  I have not read  A Wrinkle In Time, but I like time-travel, so my Mom took me to hear the talk.   A Wrinkle In Time is Mirada’s favorite book, and she carries it around everywhere.  I loved this book; time-travel comes alive and becomes real, and gives you an idea of how bad Anonymous felt -enough to go invent a time machine to go back and fix things even if it means great sacrifice.  A very moving story that is a must-read.  Brilliant work by Rebecca Stead, and I will read her other books.  So, who wrote the letters?  Read When You Reach Me to find out!

XanderStars:

Note: I am adding some new categories for XanderStars: well-paced, and page-turning.  Some books, like this one, can’t just be judged by action and suspense.

Action: 6 out of 10 XanderStars

Suspense: 7 out of 10 XanderStars

well-paced: 9 out of 10 XanderStars

page-turning: 9 out of 10 XanderStars

My Overall Rating: 9 out of 10 XanderStars

My next review will be Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger.  Remember, comment on what books I should read and review!

Xander