Miranda, the protagonist sixth-grader, is likeable as she rambles around New York City in the late 1970s. She lives with her quirky single mother, who is obsessed with going on the TV game show $20,000 Pyramid. Miranda's life gets complicated when her best friend, Sam, inexplicably pushes her away and she begins to receive mysterious notes with messages that are important to the future, but have no context in the present, such as "I'm coming to save your friend's life, and my own." The story circles back on itself and you may end up wanting to re-read it to make sure everything holds up.
Even though it's a mystery with a sci-fi time-travel bent, it's a quite realistic read overall and uses the time-travel angle poignantly. If you're a fan of L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, you'll enjoy this one, and if you need further convincing, When You Reach Me won the 2010 Newbery Medal.
