Miranda and her best friend and neighbor Sal have been navigating their 1979 New York neighborhood since they were little kids. They know who is friendly, what parts are dangerous, and how to avoid the crazy guy on the corner. But things are changing in Miranda's life, especially her relationship with Sal. After Sal get punched in the face for no reason, he starts to ignore Miranda. In addition, her well-hidden house key is stolen, the crazy guy on the corner gets crazier, and strange notes appear anonymously. At the moment, the only thing Miranda can count on is her well-worn copy of Madeleine L Engle's A Wrinkle in Time that she carries around (she "had probably read it a hundred times, which was why it looked so beat-up"). The mysterious notes lead Miranda to believe that it is up to her to prevent a tragic death. But will she be too late? "When You Reach Me," is part science fiction, fantasy, magical realism and a great coming of age story all in one. As readers reach the conclusion, they will want to start all over again and catch what they missed the first time around.