A review by heatherhira
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
4.0
I'd be hard-pressed to say I enjoyed this book, being that much of the premise requires a specific sense of dread that is ever-present as you read. It is not the dread of a thriller or a crime novel, but something I associate with time-travel and with the inevitability of growing up. Yet, I was drawn to the story in the same way I feel towards an Agatha Christie novel.
Written in a vignette style, the pacing and plotting are particularly strong. This book was exactly as long as it needed to be to tell the story,
Woven into this time-travel story are themes of people experiencing homelessness, wealth inequality, elder care, constant incarceration and over policing, racism, and prejudice, all becoming a touching point for future conversations. That, I think is what books for young readers should be.
As an adult, I found it frustrating to see so many hints of deeper issues without explicit discussion, I could see the plot machinations, but ultimately I think that serves a purpose. The lessons we learn when we are young are meant to be discovered.
Written in a vignette style, the pacing and plotting are particularly strong. This book was exactly as long as it needed to be to tell the story,
Woven into this time-travel story are themes of people experiencing homelessness, wealth inequality, elder care, constant incarceration and over policing, racism, and prejudice, all becoming a touching point for future conversations. That, I think is what books for young readers should be.
As an adult, I found it frustrating to see so many hints of deeper issues without explicit discussion, I could see the plot machinations, but ultimately I think that serves a purpose. The lessons we learn when we are young are meant to be discovered.