more about: When You Reach Me

Well, Kristin H called it in the comments last week: Marcus traveled in time and left the notes for Miranda. I saw that coming, too, at a certain point and honestly? I was slightly annoyed about it.

Don’t get me wrong: I think this is a remarkable novel, all the more so considering its slim size. Stead packs quite a bit into her pages. I was nearly moved to tears as Sal hurtled toward the truck, and touched by the scene in which Miranda becomes Alice’s bathroom partner—not to mention her first, tentative kiss with Colin (awww). I was brought back to age 12 in ways both good and, frankly, mortifying—and it’s been a long time since a novel affected me that powerfully.