Friday Spines Book Review Number 22:
First of all, I have a confession. This picture isn't of the cover of my edition, as it usually is. (I couldn't find a high quality picture of my cover, so I picked a different one--it's lovely though, isn't it? :)
A Wrinkle in Time is one of Madeleine L'Engle's many science fiction series for young readers. This book isn't narrated by Meg Murry, the daughter of two brilliant scientists: Her mother is a gorgeous microbiologist, and her father (a physicist who's researching the space-time continuum) has been missing for some time. "It was a dark and stormy night," begins the book, and gets only less stereotypical from there.
Meg and her 5-year-old brother Charles Wallace, a clairvoyant, incredibly smart and open-minded boy who she's fiercely protective of, meet Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit on the dark and stormy night. The three mysterious old beings (who may take the shape of traditional witches, winged centaurs, shimmering forms, and mismatched humans) are on a quest to rid the universe of the Dark Thing, and after informing Mrs. Murry that "There is such thing as a tesseract," whisk Meg, Charles Wallace, and Meg's redheaded friend-and-maybe-more Calvin on a journey through space to find Mr. Murry.
Tessering, or "wrinkling" the ground, so that instead of walking 20 feet (or light-years) you step right from where you are to where you're going, is revealed to be what Meg's father has been experimenting with, and it apparently went wrong for him when he encountered IT, which is part of the Dark Thing. IT is a giant brain-like creature that takes control of people and makes them "equal", as it says, but as Meg realizes, "alike and equal are not the same thing at all".
The story of Meg's missing father, the battle with the Dark Thing, and Meg's struggles with herself are not only interwoven but connected. The author goes deep into her main character's personality to connect her personal dilemmas with the widespread push-and-pull between good and evil, as well as her tangled feelings about the search for her father.
This book is excellent for readers aged 7 and up. The excellent storytelling will captivate younger readers intent on the action, but don't dismiss it as uninteresting: A Wrinkle in Time is one of those children's books that have a lot to offer to adults as well, and it's a wonderful book to discuss with a younger reader.
Other things I like about this book:
- Madeleine L'Engle blends stereotypes with fresh personality traits to create interesting, relatable characters.
- Charles Wallace's mild "telepathy" is present and defined, but not overdone.
- The imagery is bold--it's easy for younger readers to take in, and the author's vivid descriptions of other planets are fairly believable.
- Although the straightforward is and the syntax fairly consistent, the book will keep you engaged through the whole story, and leave you referencing it for years after you finish it.
See everyone Friday--happy reading!
M. Gabrielle
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