From the Bookshelf of Parallel Magic…

A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)

Madeleine L'Engle

Start date: January 15, 2018

Finish date: February 25, 2018

Discussion: Fantasy

Why we're reading this: Prep and discuss for the upcoming movie!
[close] Prep and discuss for the upcoming movie!

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Showing 2 of 3 topics — 11 comments total

Fantasy

Houses
By Jonas · 5 posts · 9 views

last updated Mar 28, 2018 08:31AM

AWIT - Genre?
By Jonas · 2 posts · 4 views

last updated Mar 28, 2018 06:47AM

What Members Thought

Mar 02, 2019 LeatheHatless rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, read2019

Honestly, I liked it.

I liked the characters, the story was compelling. I really enjoyed the way the author was able to tackle very complex topics like travelling between dimensions and quantum mechanics and simplified it so that everyone understood. I feel it also has important messages about love and family.

For the first book in a series, it was pretty good. Overall rating: 3,90 stars.

5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 09, 2018 Kate M. Colby rated it really liked it

This is one of those books that I wish I had read as a child, as I think I would have enjoyed it much more then. That being said, I came to this novel as an adult, knowing it is a beloved classic for many and anticipating the new Disney movie.

Overall, A Wrinkle in Time is charming and imaginative children's book. Though the themes (self-acceptance, individuality, using your faults as strengths, critical thinking, familial love) are heavy-handed, they're good messages for children and feel organi This is one of those books that I wish I had read as a child, as I think I would have enjoyed it much more then. That being said, I came to this novel as an adult, knowing it is a beloved classic for many and anticipating the new Disney movie.

Overall, A Wrinkle in Time is charming and imaginative children's book. Though the themes (self-acceptance, individuality, using your faults as strengths, critical thinking, familial love) are heavy-handed, they're good messages for children and feel organic within the context of the book. The writing is precise, with lovely imagery and a developed vocabulary that I imagine would inspire young readers to expand their own.

While A Wrinkle in Time is a quick read, I found the action and pacing to be slow throughout the first half of the book. The second half, when the rescue mission for Meg and Charles Wallace's father really began, went much faster... but then the ending felt rather abrupt and anti-climactic.

I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, as Meg seemed very immature (her age is never stated, but it's implied that she is in high school and should, therefore, be at least 14), Father seemed surprisingly unemotional about his children showing up on an alien planet, Charles Wallace was unrealistically intelligent (and though they hinted that he is special somehow, it was never fully explained), and Calvin felt mostly like filling. Likewise, the trio of Mrs. seemed rather distant and ethereal, and the villain didn't engage me. I think Aunt Beast might have been my favorite character (though it does bother me a little bit that all these aliens happen to speak English... I know, I know, necessary for the story, advanced technology, etc.)

All in all, A Wrinkle in Time is a quirky and creative children's book with fascinating new worlds, intelligent writing, and nice moral messaging. However, the cast of hipster children and inconsistent pacing kept me from having an emotional investment in the story. As I said above, I think I would have enjoyed it more as a child, and I'm disappointed I missed out on the experience. ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Samantha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a re-read for me. The last time I read it, I was probably nine or ten years old. What I remembered: Charles Wallace the super-smart little boy, Meg was just like me, and cool creatures. What I'd forgotten/didn't notice then: overt Christianity, messy pacing, that Meg's father is a terrible father.

I read it aloud with my eleven year old which was really fun! We both enjoyed the cool creatures and spent quite a lot of time drawing after reading, trying to explain to each other how we had ...more

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Jul 02, 2014 Jonas Lee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, space-time

By far one of my favorite books growing up. This epic journey took my young mind to places I never imagined and is still a recommendation I have for readers old and young alike.

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