I first read this book when I was in grade 7 and loved it. True, I didn’t understand everything but I loved all of the characters with their unique personalities. I don’t know why I decided to read it again now. Maybe I was just trying to relive the magic of it from when I originally read it. Maybe I was trying to glean some more depth from it. Either way, I reread it and here is my review.
Meg has always felt out of place. Her mother is a beautiful scientist, her twin brothers are athletic and popular, and she is none of these things. Everyone thinks she isn’t smart and isn’t pretty. She is stubborn to a fault, especially when it comes to her father who disappeared many many years ago; although everyone tells her that he won’t come back, she and her family are firm in the belief that he will return. The only person who believes her is Charles Wallace, her youngest brother, who is far more intelligent than even most adults! One night, when Meg can’t sleep, an unexpected visitor arrives: Mrs.Whatsit. Dressed in shabby clothes, she seems eccentric and a bit scary to Meg. But Charles Wallace welcomes her and speaks to her as if she is an old friend. When Mrs. Whatsit leaves at the end of the night, Meg thinks nothing more of it. But she soon finds herself going on an adventure to save a planet and her father from something only referred to as the Evil Darkness.
Even though I read it after such a long time, the story still held a lot of charm. It is a quirky book in itself; sometimes the writing style feels child like and other times it sounds very adult-ish. This isn’t a book that just anyone can read and I can understand why many people I grew up with disliked this book. Parts of it can be confusing, especially since the author really tries to integrate many of Einstein’s theories into a children’s story. But all in all, I really did enjoy it and will probably read the rest of the books in the quintet. If you haven’t had a chance to read it before or if it just seems interesting, do give it a go. I can’t tell you if you will like it or not but I promise it is worth giving a chance!
Happy reading ~