taken from Goodreads:
By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.
But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:
I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late."
People sometimes wonder why I spend so much time reading YA (young adult) fiction, and it's completely because of books like this. This lovely little book is a quick read, which is great, because you can read it all over again once you finish the first time. Stead has created a perfectly magical book; readers are pulled right into Miranda's life, and the ups and downs of 6th grade are rendered in a way that makes you feel like you're right there alongside her. I was reminded a bit of Harriet the Spy with this one, which has always been one of my favorites. When you combine that with Stead's homage to A Wrinkle in Time (one of my all-time favorite novels ever), what you end up with is one smart, funny, sad little novel that I can't recommend highly enough.
