I really enjoyed this book. The story, though it may seem quirky and somewhat comical at first, quickly develops into something haunting and mysterious. I quite liked the mixture of realistic fiction and time travel, even if I'm not as much a fan of Madeleine L'Engle's books as the main character. Mostly, though, I identified with Miranda and loved the shifting layers present in the plot: in When You Reach Me, nothing is what it seems.

What a great book - don't let the target audience fool you. This book is seriously engaging, real in how it portrays the issues of friendship that crop up at this age and has a nice suprise in it too. Beautiful. Wish all the books I read were as well written as this one.

<3 this bk :P

Why do time travel stories make me cry? This was my first question when I finished this book, and then I realized that I was thinking of The Time Traveler's Wife, and that the similarity between the two is in the depth of the characters. So what makes me sad about time travel is that you care about these people and then they grow old and die (shoot, was that a spoiler?). What I liked about this book was the slightly historical nature of NYC in 1979; the growing relationships between most of the characters (really, everyone grows up a bit by the end); the realistically portrayed nature of 12 year olds and their ever-changing understanding of friendship; the puzzle of the book itself, which I began to glimpse, but which threw me for a nice surprise when it all came to a head. What I didn't like? Nothing, except for the fact that a lot of adults and even older teens will not go near this book since it's about kids. It's their loss.

Gotta love a children's book where I didn't figure out the end before I got there. Everyone else probably figured it out but it snuck up on me.

Amazing book confusing at beginning but at end makes sense really good book.

It's cool and funny! I think everyone shuld read it!

The plot was complicated in a good way, i really LOVED it! It's surprised me in every way.

All the hype made me very wary in reading this book. Now, I can see why it's won a Newbery, and why many MG authors have sung its praises: it's plain clever. Hints and foreshadowing are everywhere; that the second time you read it through, you'll marvel at all that you missed... which may be a derogatory feeling for some. The way time-travelling integrates itself seamlessly is remarkable. Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is an excellent clue into this aspect, and Miranda's love of this book also helps to develop her character. Overall, however, I didn't feel any real connection to Miranda. Because the book was so fast-paced, also, it seemed that she wasn't the focus of the story. It's the piecing of the puzzle together at the end that will really delight readers, and a historical middle-grade is a rare entity indeed. The length of When You Reach Me also makes it suitable for reluctant readers.

I thought this book will be really good at first, but It's confusing at the begining. Then, it gets ok, but boring at times. I abandoned it halfway...