“None of it makes sense! But all of it is true.” These thoughts of Miranda Sinclair, the protagonist in Rebecca Stead’s “When You Reach Me”, perfectly describe the events of the book. Complex and intricate, the book has many twists and turns. Miranda’s relationships have many ups and downs. Although each character’s perspective is different and causes misjudgement, they are able to learn from their mistakes. Her relationships with Sal, Marcus/The Laughing Man and Julia are the main gateways to Miranda’s better understanding of life. The first main relationship she has is with Sal. Sal is an old best friend of Miranda’s; they were very close when they were younger but eventually drifted apart. The phrase “Sal and Miranda, Miranda and Sal” is continuously applied throughout the book to show how close they used to be. Sal and Miranda’s different perspectives creates a block between their understanding. During their preteen years, Sal starts pulling away from Miranda. For a long time Miranda was confused why he had suddenly stopped talking to her. They were on different levels, with Miranda trailing behind. Towards the end of the book Miranda confronts Sal; Sal explains how they had no other friends and their understanding becomes mutual. Together they’re able to …show more content…
Miranda’s view of Julia in the beginning of the book is one-sided: rich, snobby, and rude. Miranda and Julia had never gotten along, especially because of their backgrounds. Because of her past experiences, Miranda has a biased opinion on Julia and is opposed to the way Julia does things. Although they have very different personalities, Miranda tries to understand Julia better and realizes she is a compassionate person who has an interest in science and is very protective of Annemarie. They are able to get past their differences and have a mutual relationship of