I enjoyed this 2010 Newbery winner, but it's kind of taken me a little time to warm up to it. I liked it less when I first finished it a few weeks ago than I like it now. That's kind of unusual for me. Most books don't grow on me so much as I think about them. I either really like them when I read them or they stay in the "eh" category. They don't often move up. The Mysterious Benedict Society did that for me, too, and interestingly, these two books are a little similar.This book also has a mystery and it's one that's solved by kids. unlike the MBS, this book also has a sci-fi component, but I don't want to say much about that as it might be a spoiler.
Miranda, a 6th grader, begins receiving random warning notes. The reader and Miranda together are made to try and put things together to figure out what they mean, and it requires some effort on the part of both. I think perhaps that's why I didn't bond strongly with this book immediately. I was too busy trying to figure things out to love it. I was working! Now that the mystery is solved - although even at the end you have to do some serious inferring - this book is NOT for the faint of heat or mind - I can reflect on the story itself and take more time to enjoy it.
I'd recommend this book for readers who like to engage their brain as they read. Fans of A Wrinkle in Time, a book which Miranda adores and reads constantly, are also sure to enjoy this one. Currently available at Multnomah County Library, but I am ordering it for our library, of course.
Posts
