When You Reach Me

 When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me tells the story of a young girl called Miranda, living in the Upper West Side of New York City, with her mum. When her best friend Sal is punched by a boy he doesn't know for no apparent reason, he starts to shut Miranda out of his life. Things start disappearing and all of a sudden Miranda starts receiving strange notes, that know things no person knows, and about things that have not happened yet, causing Miranda to believe that only she can prevent a tragic death.

The varying storyline of this book makes it so enjoyable to read, in particular the constant twists and turns. Through the book, three storylines are followed - the appearance of Miranda's mum on a game show, Sal not talking to Miranda, and the appearance of a laughing man. The book is action-packed, and constantly enthralling and it's also filled with cliffhangers, so once you start reading you won't be able to stop.

This book isn't actually that long (in comparison to some other books I have reviewed), but it is definitely as good! The only thing I would change would be to make it longer, but that's only because I love it so much! What is also really great is that it's suitable for a wide range of ages, I would say anyone older than 9 or 10 could read this and enjoy it, however the older you are the better you may understand the book so perhaps I would recommend it to 10 or 11 year old's and older.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebecca Stead, Sharon Creech, E B White

About the author: Rebecca Stead is an American writer, who writes fiction for children and teens. For When You Reach Me she won a prestigious award, and has won other prizes for her various other books.

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Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

This story is just so moving. It’s the only way I can describe it.  I don’t normally cry when I read a book, ok maybe inside, but I had to let my emotions flow after reading Rooftoppers.

As stories go, this is a pretty good one. I first read it quite a while ago, probably when I was about eight, but have re-read it since and enjoyed it more than I did previously. This may be to do with the fact that I knew of some of the content, but I think I also understand things like adoption and guardianship much better now, which both play key parts in this novel.

The novel begins with a flashback of sorts, informing the reader of how Charles became Sophie’s guardian. It is around one chapter long, but later on in the book, some of the information in it is referred back to so don’t skip it!

Sophie is one of the only known survivors of a shipwreck that took place on what was probably her first birthday. Charles Maxim found her, wrapped in a Beethoven symphony, floating inside a cello case. Everyone tells Sophie she was orphaned in the shipwreck, but she is convinced her mother also survived the ordeal.

On a midnight outing, Sophie encounters Matteo, a boy who lives in the sky and runs across rooftops. Soon Sophie joins him and some fellow rooftoppers to try and find Sophie’s mother, before it’s too late.

This story can be boiled down to one moral. Charles reiterates this to Sophie and she uses it to convince him to help her search. I bet you can’t guess? Never ignore a ’possible’.

This expression is very motivating and a beautiful story has been weaved around it. Filled with emotion, like the different colours of wool, this book is one I will never forget.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebeca Stead, E.BWhite 

About the author: Katherine Rundell writes teen and adult fiction and was inspired for this novel by summers spent working in Paris, where this story is set, but also her own experiences, trespassing on the roofs of Oxford university.

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