When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
Published in 2009
Faye Laramie
House: Ravenclaw
I chose this story because I love it to death. It's partly homage to A Wrinkle In Time, but most of all, it's something very unique and very special--a little sci-fi, a little historical, a little mystery. It's not quite middle-grade, but not quite young adult, and adults could read this and love this. It was purposely set in 1970s New York, a time when young children had more independence than their modern counterparts. It's also unconventional. I wanted to see if (or how) Campbell's theories still applied.
Heroine
The heroine of this story is Miranda. When You Reach Me is remarkable in that, in not very many words, it makes you care about a lot of characters. But Miranda, quiet, thoughtful, inquisitive Miranda, is the narrator and protagonist. When Annemarie invites her to her apartment, Miranda begins to notice things like class difference; when she starts working at the sandwich shop with Colin, she experiences first inklings of romance. She's the one who solves the puzzle, writes those letters, makes sure things happen the way they should--and her actions save two lives (and guarantee the successful time travel of one!).
Plot Summary
When You Reach Me is a novel beyond description or classification, but I'll try. In 1970s New York, a sixth grade girl named Miranda grapples with the typical pre-teen angst, including the struggle of making new friends. But one day, things change: Miranda's best friend Sal gets randomly punched by a boy at school, and then no longer wants to speak to her. The emergency key to the apartment is stolen. Miranda's mother receives the opportunity to be a contestant on the $20,000 pyramid. And most of all, she receives a note which says:
I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
Short and cryptic, more of these messages being to arrive. The writer seems to know things about Miranda, even things that haven't yet happened. Each one leads Miranda to believe that these messages are from the future, and that she plays a key role in preventing a tragic death. Meanwhile, Miranda befriends Annemarie, the wealthy girl at school, who's having a fight with her friend Julia. She also gets to know Marcus, the boy who punched Sal, who seems to know a lot about time travel.