A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle

“Well, then, someone just tell me how we got here!” Calvin’s voice was still angry and his freckles seemed to stand out on his face. “Even traveling at the speed of light it would take us years and years to get here.”
“Oh, we don’t travel at the speed of anything,” Mrs. Whatsit explained earnestly. “We tesser . Or you might say, we wrinkle.” (page 42-43)

Since the new A Winkle in Time movie came out yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to do a review on the original book.

Enjoy, and happy tessering!

Meg Murry’s father has been missing for almost a year, and everyone but the Murry family expects he’ll never come back. Then one day, three otherworldly women take Meg, her baby brother Charles Wallace, and school jock Calvin O’Keefe, to find Mr. Murry. The three children embark on an adventure that spans multiple universes and dimensions, meeting up with strange creatures along the way.

I tried to like this book – it didn’t work.

Meg is a crybaby, Calvin does nothing for the plot except act as the arm Meg can lean on, and the three “witches” irritate me to no end. Maybe it’s because I’m a wanna-be-writer and listen to so many dang writing podcasts, or maybe it’s because it’s a cliché, but I actually grimaced when Meg looks into a mirror and describes herself. Also, there is far too much telling instead of showing character’s emotions and I’m not a fan of science fiction and fantasy mashups.

I will however, fight the “Black Thing” within me and end this post with a bit of positive about the book. Although Madeleine L’Engle described herself as “a writer who is struggling to be a Christian.” A Wrinkle in Time is full of biblical references. From Jesus and angels fighting “the Black Thing”, to quoting Isaiah 42 10-12, this book has enough Christian (and occult) references to land itself on the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books list from 1990 – 2002, reaching as high as number twenty-two. I did enjoy reading about the dystopian society of Camazotz, the real science behind tesseracts, and the world hopping Meg and the others do – just not together, in one book.

Overall, it’s a good book for younger readers who enjoy science fiction stories and wouldn’t mind some fantasy elements.

For More Information about the Book and Author Click: HERE

Age Range: 6 – 12

Cautions – *Contains Spoilers*

Violence: We are told Meg beat up an older boy who insulted Charles Wallace. Calvin’s mom yells at, and hits one of her children with a cooking spoon. A boy is reprogramed by means of physical torture.

Sensuality: Calvin kisses Meg. Meg’s love for Charles Wallace defeats IT.

Profanity: none.

Other: Meg is disrespectful to her teachers. The Happy Medium uses a crystal ball, and three women who help the children are referred to as witches (although they aren’t.) It disturbs me that Jesus – the ultimate defeater of “the Black Thing” – is said to be the “(light) for us to see by.” along with Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Bach, Beethoven, Madame Curie, Einstein, Gandhi, Buddha, St. Francis and many others. If Madeleine L’Engle had only said the names of the artists I would have been fine with them being listed as “lights”, but having the name of Jesus Christ thrown in with the “big names” of our world felt sacrilegious to me.

Personal Rating: 0 ½ out of 5 stars
Cleanness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars