What if you were a 12-year-old girl and you start receiving mysterious notes telling you to write a letter in order to save your friend’s life? This is exactly what Miranda does in When You Reach Me. The only child of a single mother, she has the same trials and tribulations of most children that age, but add to it this remarkable occurrence, and the book becomes one of wonder and intrigue.
Author Rebecca Stead tells this story in the voice of Miranda, and as such, it is fluid and very easy to read. We grieve with Miranda when she seems to lose her best friend Sal and rejoice with her when she finds new friends Colin ad Annmarie. But beyond all this preteen angst are the mysterious notes. They seem to know things about Miranda that nobody should know, even things that haven’t happened yet.
It is this hook that will keep you reading. Who is this mysterious person and how can he or she possibly know these things? But more importantly, what should Miranda do about it?
When You Reach Me is a fast, easy read that will keep you engaged until the end. Young adults will love it, but adults will also find it entertaining.