Madeleine L'Engle

Madeleine L'Engle's ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic, now a major motion picture. It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger. "Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract." A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem. A Wrinkle in Time is the winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal. It is the first book in The Time Quintet, which consists of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. A Wrinkle in Time is now a movie from Disney, directed by Ava DuVernay, starring Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling. This title has Common Core connections. Books by Madeleine L'Engle A Wrinkle in Time Quintet A Wrinkle in Time A Wind in the Door A Swiftly Tilting Planet Many Waters An Acceptable Time A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle; adapted & illustrated by Hope Larson Intergalactic P.S. 3 by Madeleine L'Engle; illustrated by Hope Larson: A standalone story set in the world of A Wrinkle in Time. The Austin Family Chronicles Meet the Austins (Volume 1) The Moon by Night (Volume 2) The Young Unicorns (Volume 3) A Ring of Endless Light (Volume 4) A Newbery Honor book! Troubling a Star (Volume 5) The Polly O'Keefe books The Arm of the Starfish Dragons in the Waters A House Like a Lotus And Both Were Young Camilla The Joys of Love

A Wrinkle in Time

A midnight visitor escorts Meg, Calvin, and Charles across the barriers of space and time to another world.

Veronica Overholt

“No!” She cried triumphantly. “Like and 

You see, though we travel together, we travel alone. 

Hika

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

elizabeth

This review is a tough one to write because I think at one point, this was five stars for me. I originally read this book in middle school, then again about six years ago when assigning it to a group of eighth graders, and again now. I think it's lost its shimmer, but I still think it's worth a read.

In terms of what the book "says," this book gets big time points for its embrace of mystery and the intangible; Meg learns that it's curiosity--not understanding--that's worth pursuit, and love sometimes is more impactful than logic. It celebrates nonconformity and individuality, but I'm wondering if it might also praise individualism in the process, which I'm less enthusiastic about. On a similar notw, I don't know if it totally goes there, but like a lot of 50s-60s sci-fi and dystopian lit, this book imbues a certain communist-ness to the bad side of the good vs. evil dynamic, and I just don't think it's that interesting. 

And about that: the good vs. evil dynamic is disturbingly clear-cut. Yes, this one is more of a book for kids, so I don't want to be too hung up on a lack of nuance. But, then I think of The Golden Compass, which totally complicates notions of good and evil and is totally consumable by children. Wait, AWiT and TGC is actually a really interesting pairing with so many layers...If I ever teach again, that's a whole ass unit. 

Anyway. There's something about this book that's unplaceable in time and genre. There's also something about this book that feels necessary in terms of its heroine; she feels real and odd and not in a look-how-quirky way.

Vicky  Nuñez 

This book was eye-opening. I had forgotten and this book reminded me. Long time ago I start reading for a reason: to get away from the world around me. This days reading was much like a task, a task I still enjoyed, but not with the same innocence & hopefulness that I did in my childhood. 
It reminded me of all I had lost & all the hope I had, therefore I recommend it to everyone, so it can open your eyes as it did with mine.
An enchanting read for all ages; for children to rejoice in its magical tale & for those who had lost hope to give it a second chance.

Baca ini karena dimention di When You Reach Me. It's rather insufferable, i don't like the MC. I was a bit touched by the climax but overall i'm not super impressed about anything.

Stephanie Denton

I enjoyed it, and will probably read the others in the series out of curiosity. It seemed to have quite a few things that went unexplained, but maybe that's why it's a series.

This is the closest I’ve ever gotten to the feeling of reading Narnia for the first time. The creepy eeriness of Camazotz reminded me so much of Charn. The whole thing felt very Narniaesque. I very much appreciated the biblical references. 

I thought I wouldn’t like this at all because the trailers for the 2018 film looked really bad. I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this. 

Marina McLain 

This is the closest I’ve ever gotten to the feeling of reading Narnia for the first time. The creepy eeriness of Camazotz reminded me so much of Charn. The whole thing felt very Narniaesque. I very much appreciated the biblical references. 

I thought I wouldn’t like this at all because the trailers for the 2018 film looked really bad. I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this. 

Gabe Cortez

Laura Mauler

Loved it when I was a kid, love it now. It mentioned God, which was a little off-putting, but it IS a fantasy book so I'll let it slide.

Even if it’s a children book, it’s so imaginative and has been the inspiration for so many contemporary fantasy that it should be on every fantasy’s lovers list💗

Evan Carter

Alissa Maloney

Nostalgia at it's finest

I remember loving this book as a kid. Revisiting the Murrys and Aunt Beast and Camazotz as an adult was a fun adventure. Having a different perspective, I can understand why I was so drawn to this story as a child. Madeleine L'Engle didn't dumb down or skip the science. She explained it in a way that if you understood, you understood, but if you don't, you still understand enough to continue the story. Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace are flawed, beautiful, realistic children you can relate to and I think that is such a wonderful quality. ♡

Briar's Reviews

A Wrinkle in Time has been a book I've been chasing for quite a while. It's labelled as a classic, so OF COURSE I had to try to pick it up and see what all the hype was about. Sadly, I didn't get the magic of the tale - I really wish I would have read it through the eyes of a child.

The first two chapters of the book pulled me in, but the remaining chapters pushed me away. I can see why children find it so magical and daring, but the adult reader in me was bored and didn't get it. I couldn't connect and feel the magic I had so hoped would be present. It just doesn't hold up (in my opinion) if you haven't read it as a kid. There's lots of conversations that are pointless to the story, and scenes I felt just didn't need to be there. I didn't feel I even understood the conflict that was going on or how it was going to be dealt with.

This was a tough read, but I'm glad I picked it up!

Two out of five stars.

Erik Wallace

I loved this book as a kid and just reread it to see if my opinion had changed over the years. Minus seeming a bit dated (having been written in the late 60s?) I was impressed at how complex scientific ideas were blended into a story for children. The premise is very imaginative and I could see now why I liked the book when I first read it.

Krystyna 

I know that my opinion of this book is definitely in the minority. I feel like if I had read this book as a child I would have enjoyed it more but it was one of those childhood classics that I never picked up. I never really got completely engaged in the story. I didn't latch on to any of the characters. I found Meg to be quite annoying, actually. There were times throughout the book that I was just ready for it to be done because at times the writing was kind of confusing and choppy, although it was simplistic to read. Overall, this book was okay but it wasn't really for me though. I know a lot of people adore this book but it just wasn't up my alley. I don't see myself continuing on with the series.

Colleen

** spoiler alert **
           This reviews contains some spoilers about the themes of the book, although I tried to leave any major plot spoilers out.

I believe I was thirteen the first time I read A Wrinkle in Time. It captivated me instantly, and I fell in love with it. I love it even more now. This is one of those wonderful books that grows along with you. Each time I read it, I learn something new. I appreciate its complexity more. Like The Chronicles of Narnia, it goes from a fun adventure to deeper lessons on life. The more you explore, the more you discover the brilliance of this book.

To start with, A Wrinkle in Time was very much ahead of its time. It is quite well known that L'Engle was rejected by numerous publishers who told her it was too different, too difficult for children, or that no one would want to read a Science Fiction novel with a female lead character. But L'Engle persevered, and the world is a brighter place for it.

L'Engle did us the great service of NOT dumbing down the writing just because it was geared toward a younger audience. So many YA books (and even many adult books) are so watered down, simplified, and mainstreamed that they have no chance of advancing or challenging a young mind. Whenever someone uses "It's just a YA book!" as an excuse for mediocre writing, I refer them to this book. It is absolutely possible to write an exciting, successful, intelligent book! 

This book is also true Science Fiction. It has content based on real scientific theories. Many books and movies that are referred to as Science Fiction contain no threads of science and are therefore really works of Fantasy. Although some of the information referred to in A Wrinkle in Time has changed since the time this was written, it still provides an open door to real life science. I was never a huge Science Fiction or Fantasy fan (and I still only like those genres sparingly), but this book captivated me. After I read it the first time, I was inspired to pick up the nonfiction Wrinkles in Time to learn more. Granted, I didn't understand most of it, but I tried. I would also fondly think back to this book years later while taking Physics and Astronomy classes.

Meg Murray is still one of my favorite heroines. From the first pages, I wanted to be her or at least be friends with her. She is so easy to identify with. Glasses, braces, ugly duckling, unpopular. The quintessential underdog. But she is also smart despite the school labeling her as dumb. She is brave and loyal. She is not afraid to stand up for her convictions or to punch a bully in the face. She is rough around the edges, but that is what makes her such a compelling character. 

And then there is Calvin. Sweet, kind, quirky, big-hearted, brave, protective Clavin. Who wouldn't fall in love with him?? Keep your sparkly, douchey vampires! Calvin O'Keefe wins any day!  Sigh

While this book is probably just as fun for boys, I think it is particularly poignant for young women. It goes beyond your standard coming of age story. The evil IT that is trying make everything in the universe conform and lose all individuality. And so individuality becomes an asset and a weapon. All the things that make Meg stand out are what are most important to her resistance of IT. One thing that particularly stood out to me this time was that Mrs. Whatsit gives Meg the Gift of her flaws. She is not sent on her quest with sword or armor or magical items. She is sent with what is already inside her mind and heart. She has to look inside herself and figure out on her own how her flaws can make her mighty. That is an amazing journey of self discovery and empowerment. 

Part of Meg's journey is also learning that your parents are not infallible. She has to learn to move past that, forgive them for being only human, and also learn to do things on her own outside of her comfort zone. It is another import set of lessons that everyone needs to learn.

This book certainly has religious undertones, but I do not think they are preachy. It has a strong message of good versus evil. But when the children are listing people fighting the Darkness, they list not just Christians, but Gandhi and Buddha as well as several scientists and artists. All you need to fight the darkness is to use your heart and your mind. IT cannot abide creativity, individuality, ingenuity, or intelligence. Or love. Love is the ultimate weapon. Much like in the Harry Potter series (some say J.K. Rowling was strongly influenced by this book), love is the ultimate weapon. 

This is a timeless classic. Although it was first published in 1962, it does not feel dated. There are a few times when Calvin sounds like an extra from Happy Days, but it fits his quirkiness. There is nothing to stop it from being as powerful for today's young readers. I think A Wrinkle in Time is just as poignant now as it was five decades ago and will continue to be so for many decades to come.

It’s amazing how more than 50 years later, this book is still a fun read ☺️

Ali Angco

Lacy W

Title: A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeleine L’Engle
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Format: own paperback book
Series: A Wrinkle in Time Quintet
Star Rating: 4 stars

 this is an updated review. i am going back and editing these reviews as part of my throwback thursday posts on my blog. 

Please note that this is a review from 2016. At that time, I did not keep track of trigger warnings so apologies. Young Lacy did not know what she was doing back then. 

Oh my gosh. What an absolutely adorable and fun book! I had heard about this series but never read it or, in all honesty, had the desire to read it. I'm not much into fantasy so I didn't think that I would enjoy it. But I have the entire series that was given to me and I figured that I needed to see if I liked them so I knew whether or not to give them away. Plus I told myself that I needed to start reading more classics. I consider this book series a classic. 

I am so glad that I gave this book a chance and read it. Giving a synopsis of this book seems silly since everybody knows about it so I'll just give a small one. It's the story of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin and their adventures in time traveling and going to rescue Meg and Charles Wallace's father from another dimension. Seems pretty straightforward but obviously, there is more to it and things become complicated for the group. 

Even though this book is written for a younger audience, I’d say it's a middle-grade book, I still related to it and felt all the pain and excitement throughout the book. The characters are really well developed and I can't wait to see them develop further as they get older. The plot was excellent and it really worked with the time-traveling. Sometimes time travel books can be a little iffy and confusing. I’m looking at you Time Traveler’s Wife. But this wasn’t confusing at all. 

I am not going to lie, I shipped Meg and Calvin basically the moment they met (even though this book is for a younger audience as I mentioned). He didn't seem like that typical athletic popular boy. He seemed deeper than that. He saw Meg for who she was and respected her as a person. He didn't care that she was considered weird by everybody at school. He saw the good in her and saw that, beneath all that anger, she was just a girl struggling with the loss of her father. I loved that about him! We need more boys that are sensitive and just actually basic human beings. Not these tough macho men that think they are so tough. 

Even though I am not that big into fantasy, I still enjoyed this book. I think this was the perfect introduction to that genre that I have spent so long avoiding with the exception of reading Ender's Game (although that is probably more sci-fi than anything). After I finish this series, I am going to try another fantasy book. Perhaps I'll try Throne of Glass or something similar to that. The time-traveling or "wrinkling" was really well done. It was quite descriptive and I for sure do not want to be trying that ever.

I highly recommend this book to people of all ages even if it is written for a younger group. The characters are all relatable at any age. The plot, itself, is strong and very well written. It's a very well-written classic and I'm pretty mad at myself for not reading it sooner. Not to mention that is easy to read as a classic. Although technically it’s a bit newer for a classic, it’s still one of those timeless books that needs to be read by everyone.

A wrinkle in time

Beatrix Haase

4.5/5

God this book was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. I love Meg she was so much fun to read about. This is one of my favorite classics that I have read. 

xoxo,
Bebe

I only wish that I had read this sooner. My younger self could have identified so much with Meg. 

Ivy X

Jeannette Ordas

I think I would have loved this more had I been 12, but I did quite enjoy this book. I really loved the first half of the book describing the family and school and friends and then the space/communism part was fine, but not really my cup of tea. If the other books spent time with this wacky family then I'd definitely be inclined to read the rest of the series.

Alexandra Sklar

I last read this as a kid, and it didn't make much of an impression on me. Same now- wonderful book, not one of my favorites ever. I think the moral lessons in it are worthwhile, though it was tough to see the main character suffer so much insecurity and weakness, and then for her strength to arise so late in the plot.

Isabel Nelson

Hah, I remember my mum would read this to me over and over as a small child, but I read it Myself when I was eight. Fabulous book, but I would recommend this not for one specific age range, because it is a book all ages of people could read. I am currently reading a wind in the door (sequel)… took me long enough! Doing a book report on it currently.

I think it was second grade when I read this and remember it being amazing.

Christine Bruce

Not as great as I remember it. But as a middle school outcast, it was life changing. And that’s what really matters. Glad for the reread. But definitely better for the other Meg’s- 14 year old misfits with an understanding and appreciation of science yet called dumb Just Because she’s not smart in the right way.

Kirsten Simkiss

This is more like a 3.5 star read for me, but I’m rounding down because it will bring the average ever so slightly closer to my true rating.

The last time I read this, I was in probably fourth or fifth grade. It’s been a LONG time since I read it, but some images from this book have always stuck in my head. However, I found as I reread it that there was a lot I had forgotten. I had forgotten the grey planet. I had forgotten Calvin entirely. I had forgotten how Mrs. Which spoke.

I had also forgotten how much religious stuff is stuffed in here. Guardian angels, quotes from the bible, Jesus as a being of the Light - it’s nigh constant. Heavy handed? Maybe a little more than I loved, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever read. L’Engle did make a point of including things from other religions, but it’s clear that Christianity is the religion most important to this story. I warn you here, in case that isn’t your cup of tea.

As a book about characters dealing with a problem, I’m not sure how well this book succeeds at that either. The characters are fine, but they aren’t exciting. Lovable? Maybe occasionally, but often they’re simply the vehicles of the story where L’Engle shows off her world - or in this case universe - building.

The philosophy and the setting are where this book really succeeds. The juxtaposition of the imperfect world we know of as Earth, where people are sad sometimes but also happy sometimes, with the world of Camazotz, where no one feels anything so no one is sad but no one is happy either, is particularly interesting. As a child, the bouncing ball scene always struck me as a frightening mental image more than anything in that book. The different worlds that the children visit are all different and curious, ranging from a world without color to a world of flying centaurs. It’s an interesting universe, to be sure, and the imagery described in the book is definitely wild and fascinating.

So, to be clear, the religious overtones bugged me, but ultimately I still enjoyed the reread. I’m not sure if I would recommend this to others, seeing as most people read it in grade school, but I wouldn’t stop them if they showed interest either.

PS: If you’re a kid looking for a review that says whether or not the 2018 movie is good enough to get out of reading your book, here’s your answer: The movie is CRAZY inaccurate and you will fail your quizzes on it if you go by the movie. I’m not joking. I’m giving it to you straight. It’s like they read the book while on acid and cherry picked the parts that stuck out to them. I think there were like three scenes that followed the book closely and that was it. There is an older movie - way older - but it’s been years since I last watched it so I can’t comment on that one.

A Wrinkle in Time

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