Scan barcode
A review by futurama1979
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
5.0
Disclaimer: this was assigned reading for my MG and YA class.
So, basically, holy shit. Every single thing about this book is so perfectly given purpose and space and narrative time and there’s so much I want to talk about and think about. I’m so glad this was text for this class - I would have never read it as an adult otherwise.
The first person POV, which kept us realizing things at pretty much the exact same time as Miranda did, was so well done, and got me into the story so well. Like, I literally was guessing that the wrong person left the note right up until Miranda figured it out. And the way that we realize things, when not right with her, right before her. I made a note connecting Miranda's mom's veil quote to the realizations at the end of the book and wrote that down and literally a page or two later, Miranda brought the veil back up. So, so, so well done. Probably the best example of keeping the reader along with the story (rather than just observing) that I’ve ever read.
The parallels with [b:A Wrinkle in Time|33574273|A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1)|Madeleine L'Engle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507963312l/33574273._SX50_.jpg|948387] were so well done and added so much to the story. I need to read that book again now, because it really added a whole nother layer to Miranda and her narrative.
Lastly, paired with the themes of figuring things out and that changes how you see events/people and learning that reaching out with kindness is a better way to live your life, the way that all the small, day to day conflicts were so consuming and so important to her until she was able to get some distance and take a step back and realize that they really weren’t that important. And there were ways to do things so much better and so much kinder. That's my favourite narrative trope of all time - when characters realize that the things they were so set on don't need to be that way and another way is better, maybe.
What a message. What a book. And so, so full of love.
So, basically, holy shit. Every single thing about this book is so perfectly given purpose and space and narrative time and there’s so much I want to talk about and think about. I’m so glad this was text for this class - I would have never read it as an adult otherwise.
The first person POV, which kept us realizing things at pretty much the exact same time as Miranda did, was so well done, and got me into the story so well. Like, I literally was guessing that the wrong person left the note right up until Miranda figured it out. And the way that we realize things, when not right with her, right before her. I made a note connecting Miranda's mom's veil quote to the realizations at the end of the book and wrote that down and literally a page or two later, Miranda brought the veil back up. So, so, so well done. Probably the best example of keeping the reader along with the story (rather than just observing) that I’ve ever read.
The parallels with [b:A Wrinkle in Time|33574273|A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1)|Madeleine L'Engle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507963312l/33574273._SX50_.jpg|948387] were so well done and added so much to the story. I need to read that book again now, because it really added a whole nother layer to Miranda and her narrative.
Lastly, paired with the themes of figuring things out and that changes how you see events/people and learning that reaching out with kindness is a better way to live your life, the way that all the small, day to day conflicts were so consuming and so important to her until she was able to get some distance and take a step back and realize that they really weren’t that important. And there were ways to do things so much better and so much kinder. That's my favourite narrative trope of all time - when characters realize that the things they were so set on don't need to be that way and another way is better, maybe.
What a message. What a book. And so, so full of love.