Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1102 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-01
• Released on: 2007-05-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
"Yoo's cover art is enchanting."--Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (blog) "A coming of age fantasy story that sympathizes with typical teen girl awkwardness and insecurity, highlighting courage, resourcefulness and the importance of famiyl ties as key to overcoming them."--Carol Platt Liebau, author, in the New York Post

About the Author
Madeleine L’Engle (1918–2007) was born in New York City and attended Smith College. She wrote more than 60 books, the most famous of which is A Wrinkle In Time (1962), winner of the Newbery Award in 1963. L’Engle continued the story of the Murry family from A Wrinkle In Time with seven other novels (five of which are available as A Wrinkle In Time Quintent from Square Fish). She also wrote the famous series featuring the Austin family, beginning with the novel Meet The Austins (1960). L’Engle revisited the Austins four more times over the next three decades, concluding with Troubling a Star in 1994. The story of the Austins had some autobiographical elements, mirroring Madeleine’s life and the life of her family. Madeleine L’Engle’s last book, The Joys of Love, is a romantic, coming-of-age story she wrote back in the 1940s, and is being published by FSG.

Customer Reviews

Emotionally gripping
Somehow I missed reading this book as a child and recently read it on the recommendation of a friend. From page one this book grabbed me and pulled me in. I was so intrigued by the beautiful writing and almost tangible descriptions that I felt like I was standing beside Meg as the story unfolded. I felt Meg's fear. Her overwhelming love for her youngest brother and her entire family. Her innocence. Her strength. In fact, I was blown away by the plethora of emotions I felt. This book has become one of my all-time favorites. I highly recommend this timeless classic!

Madeleine L'Engle Did A Superb Job
I have heard of the title of this book spoken before (couldn't remember when or where). But I passed by this book in the bookstore many times, even picked it up a couple of times. So, finally, one day I decided to stop passing it by, purchase it, and read the book. I'm glad I did.

This book has very strong characters, and Madeleine L'Engle developed them very well. I understood them and learned their personalities. Meg is the name of the lead character, and she is a teenager. She has troubles in school, and she is impatient, rash at times. But she is clearly a loving child and cares deeply about her family. Her brother's name is Charles Wallace, and at first, I felt Madeleine L'Engle made him almost unbelieveable, no young child of his age can be or talk like that (like they've been living in the world for 80 years). But I had to remember, this was a fiction novel, and you CAN create a little boy that is unbelieveable. Charles Wallace was very special, and eventually, he won me over. He became my favorite character. He was very much connected to Meg and his mother purposely. He clearly adored his big sister. And then there is Calvin, popular at school, fitting in well, but is different. To me, he was like a mixture of Meg and Charles Wallace together. He had something magical or special in him like Charles Wallace, but like Meg, he was trying to find his own way through the world, too, dealing with his own difficulties at home. He was better at it than Meg, though. Then there are the "stars", I call them, and I think they made the story sometimes funny and mostly interesting.

Madeleine L'Engle did a great job with imagery. Her words made it very easy for me to picture Camazotz, the haunted house, and Meg's own home. Really, every place the children went, I had a clear picture in my mind. I didn't have to wonder what she was trying to get me to see. The writing was perfect, and I appreciated that I could follow with my own imagination without much difficulty.

I really liked how religion, magic, and science are just mixed in to this book, as well. I believe it is very difficult to write a book that has all three of these elements in it, and have it flow without each one disproving the other. It was like you need the science to travel to these magical places that has scientific names, and you need the religion to help you through these magical places. In our own real life, the three doesn't really go together. Science is suppose to be practical. Magic is suppose to be fantasy, not tangible, and religion is suppose to teach belief and faith.

Overall, Madeleine L'Engle did a superb job. I found it a breath of fresh air, in its own way very brave, and right on point (creates a wonderful escape from the real world). I really enjoyed it, and I am glad to have read it.

Thank you.

Okay by Today's Standards
This is considered a classic by many and, in its time, perhaps it was the best thing out there for children. However, this genre has exploded of late and Wrinkle would probably have a hard time being published today. Sure, after some major editing it would likely hit the shelves, yet I shouldn't think it would ever become a best-seller. I haven't dwelled on the characters at all since finishing the book. (This, to me, is the real test of a good book--I still ponder what Meggie from Inkheart, Bilbo Baggins, Harry Potter and Charlie Bucket are up to lately). I also found myself liking the supporting characters--that clever little brother and the three aliens--more than our leading lady. All in all, still an okay work.