When You Reach Me

I read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead this summer in one day. And then I read it again. It grabbed me and kept me hooked all the way through. It is a tightly written story that requires the reader to hang in there until all the pieces fall into place. And when the pieces fall, you will too. That is fall in love with this intriguing tale. There is an air of mystery and suspense that is terrific part of the novel's appeal. Another key to the story's success is the 'genuineness' of the characters even though they possess a Spinelli-like implausibility. This implausibility becomes increasingly more important to to the unfolding of a magical story. But that's all I can really say. I do not want to give away a single clue. I highly recommend When You Reach Me for 10-year olds to adult. I'd like to say more about the writer's craft, the inexplicable narrative pieces that are in fact clever and crucial whiffs of information and foreshadowing, the perfectly fitting pieces in the final chapters, and the lingering questions. But I'd rather go back and reread this book again. I'm betting you will want to read it again too. by profreader