Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time - Time Quintet Book 1

This book is really nostalgic for me, and probably why I love it so much. My mom read this to my brother and I when we were kids, and it's one that has stuck with me surprisingly well. I remember several parts of the story really vividly (and was actually really impressed with what I remembered of the story). This one got the Disney treatment, but the movie is terrible in comparison.

Meg's father is gone. They don't know where he is, when he will return, or if he's even all right. People in town are starting to talk, and kids make fun of Meg (and they're met with her fists). All of that changes when Charles Wallace, Meg's younger brother introduces them to three exceptionally odd ladies: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who. The ladies set the children (who are joined by Calvin, their neighbor) on a journey to rescue Meg's father from a galaxy-consuming darkness.

Like I said, I can't help but find this book really fascinating. I remembered portions of the novel very vividly, like the little boy bouncing the ball out of sync with the other children and the final confrontation with IT. But let's dig into some of the writing.

First of all, this book is old, and its age is showing. Some of the way the author writes about some things is very dated. The Christianity aspect of the novel is a bit heavy handed, but I thought that the combination of that with science was interesting.

I didn't love Meg's character overly much. She is extremely whiney throughout the whole story. She almost needs the validation of her younger brother, and relies on Calvin for protection. She assumes that as soon as she finds her father, everything will be perfectly fine again. She doesn't really grasp that the main issues in the plot are bigger than just finding her dad. I think some of this gets fixed by the end, when Meg realizes that she is the only one who can save Charles Wallace from IT, and that scene is probably her most redeeming moment.

I like the plot of the book, even if it is a bit simple. Really, this is a middle-grade chapter book, and so yes, the plot is going to be a little simplistic. I love the good vs. evil fight that's presented, and the novel is really fairly well paced. I would say that I felt the beginning was a little slow, but it doesn't really take long before you're thrown into the central conflict.

I rated this book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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