When You Reach Me

I finished Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me last night, and my immediate reaction was, "Man, I wish I wrote that!" It's a fabulous middle grade realist fantasy that owes a debt to Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which plays a central role. It's set in New York in 1979, and one of the most enjoyable parts of the novel is the setting. I was reading L'Engle in 1979, too, and Stead's evocation of the time seemed just right to me. That setting is so well crafted is particularly appropriate for a novel about time. Stead's description of the causal loop theory of time is especially good. If anyone out there is still looking for holiday gifts for middle graders or grown ups who were middle graders in the late-70s, I highly recommend When You Reach Me. Along with the great setting, the characters are vivid and real, and the narrative is gripping and suspenseful. It's a great read and wonderfully thought provoking.