English
When you reach me is a novel by Rebecca stead and winner of the 2010 Newberry meal. The book opens the door into the world of friendship and the complications that accompany the delicate balance of friendship. Sal is Miranda’s best friend but abandons her for no clear reason after getting hit by Marcus. This forces Miranda to find friendship in other people in this case Annemarie and Colin. The novel reveals the need of not only children but also adults to identify with their peers and form bonds of friendship. The novel also reveals how the loss of friends affects the psychology and behavior of people. After Sal starts ignoring Miranda, she is forced to be more active in school activities in an attempt to fill the void left behind by the loss of her best friend. “Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible,” says Miranda alluding to how life is not as clear as we may think it is and we may not truly be aware of what is right in front of us.
The novel builds up tension in its readers. When Miranda starts getting letters from an unknown person the audience gets just as anxious as Miranda to get to the bottom of this. The most shocking thing is the nature and the content of the letters. “I am coming to save your friend’s life as well as my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter,” says one of the letters. This clearly builds up suspense and anxiety in the audience.
Personally I find the book very educative and it makes the concept of time travel not as farfetched as one would think. The book reveals insight into the world of children who live their lives with minimal adult supervision. It is very interesting to see how these children cope with the world on their own. “I don't know. I just feel stuck, like I'm afraid to take any steps, in case they're the wrong ones,” says Miranda alluding to the fact that she made most of her decisions despite being a child.
Works Cited
Stead, Rebecca. When you reach me. Groningen [etc.: Noordhoff, 2012. Print.
