When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead

Rebecca Stead is the author of When You Reach Me, a book that chronicles the life of Miranda Sinclair, a twelve-year-old girl, who lives in NYC with her mother. Miranda receives some cryptic anonymous notes asking her to track her future actions.  She is unsure what this will mean but does becomes more conscious of her actions. She also pays attention to what happens to her good friend, Sal, who mysteriously removes himself from regular contact with her after being beaten up by fellow classmate Marcus after school one day.  While on the home front, Miranda’s mom and her boyfriend, Richard, spend time prepping her to be a contestant on the TV game show The $20,000 Pyramid.  They believe the winning funds would help them escape their current financial challenges, living in an apartment complex that is falling apart.  Miranda meets and engages with a homeless man, whom she dubs the “laughing man,” who later plays a pivotal role when Sal runs away from Marcus.  The “laughing man” saves Sal’s life when he runs in the street to an oncoming truck but loses his own.  Miranda realizes there is more to this man’s presence and starts to reflect on the cryptic notes she received earlier.  With the help of the concept of time travel, Miranda eventually realizes that Marcus and the “laughing man” are one in the same!  There was a lot put into this story, and it seems pretty complicated for a book aimed at young teenagers.  I did enjoy the chapter titles, which were the same as the categories in the $20,000 Pyramid.  Otherwise, a lot of build up for a story that just wasn’t all that interesting.