A Wrinkle in Time Reveiw

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle is a middle grade science fiction book (first in the Time Quintet). {I know it is often categorized as a children’s book, but as the main character is 12, I felt it appropriate to change it to a more modern genre} It is about a young girl named Meg Murry. Her life seems to be falling apart a bit. She doesn’t fit in at school, she feels ugly and out of place, her family is misunderstood, and (biggest of all) her scientist father is gone and hasn’t been in contact with them in almost a year.  Then she, her youngest brother Charles Wallace (a genius boy), and an older boy named Calvin O’Keefe are together pulled onto a fantastical quest through space to find and help her missing father.

This review is a little different for me because this is a re-read. I read this book back when I was about 12 or 13. I didn’t remember much (or really anything) about it, but also don’t remember liking it all that much. With the movie coming out I decided to read it now to refresh my memory on what the story is about and see if I would be able to appreciate it more as an adult.

I ended up giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did enjoy reading it and there were many good points about it. However, I wasn’t all that impressed by the book. Maybe it is lingering feelings from when I read it as a kid. I kind of liked it, but that’s it.

The writing style is really strong, compelling and literary (which I really enjoyed reading). The style reminds me of that used in the old “classics” and I am a big fan of the classics. The characters are all unique and complex. I liked them right away and was eager to get to know them better and see how they would change as the story progressed. However, I am sorry to say that I didn’t feel like there was much character development through the book, the opportunity was there, but they just didn’t grow like I would have expected.

I did enjoyed Charles’s whimsical, genius, hidden depths personality and how Meg was also a slight genius but still dealing with very human struggles. Only some of those struggles seemed to resolve themselves too quickly. But I think Calvin is my favorite: so open, friendly, caring, cheerful and of a strong protective nature, yet fairly content to kind of be in the background. Mrs. Who was quite a unique character talking in (almost exclusively) quotes. I find it an interesting trait now, but see how it could have been frustrating for me when I was young (especially when done in other languages).

The plot was pretty basic (the foundation) but I felt that it was well done. However, the story gets through a good quarter of the book just building more and more questions with very little to no answers (and even those just adding to the questions). I can see why I may have disliked this book as a young girl. As Meg is somewhat kept in the dark and only learns things a little at a time, because we are following in her perspective, that is how we learn and what we know. I am not always a fan of being kept in the dark especially when cryptic hints are being thrown around but solid answers being delayed “for later”. I think the story works better upon a re-read (with previous knowledge of the story) or as I am reading it: an adult slowly working my way through it.

That being said, I felt there were many profound ideas expressed here (even if just touched upon in one sentence, they were meaningful). I also appreciated the Christian references and the foundational Biblical concepts expressed through the story. And I was impressed with her showing how science and faith can (and should) go naturally hand in hand. This wasn’t necessarily a “Christian” book, but the author’s faith clearly played a big part in her creation of the story. In some ways it reminds me of C S Lewis’s space trilogy (primarily the first book Out of the Silent Planet). As it is written with a young audience in mind, I feel it could be categorized as a Christian middle grade science fiction work.

Overall, it is a good book and a fairly enjoyable read. I am glad I gave it another chance. And, who knows, I might like some of the later books in the series even more.