A Wrinkle In Time
By Madeleine L'Engle
If this isn't the best sci-fi book in the world, I don't know what is. It's engaging, exciting and suspenseful all at the same time. Unlike some science fiction books, it's love that saves the day here, accomplishing something that couldn't be done by bravery, cleverness, or physical strenghth alone. Even though the ending is abrupt, it ties up all loose ends.
The main character, Margaret Murry, a.k.a Meg, has low self-esteem and seems to always be the odd-ball. She doesn't get along with anyone at school, including the teachers and the principal, Mr. Jenkins. Not only that, but everyone likes to gossip about how it's such a shame that bright parents like hers produced not-so-bright children like Meg and her brother Charles Wallace. Charles Wallace is another misfit. He doesn't speak outside his home, and people wonder if he's "dumb". To top it all off, Mr. Murry, Meg's father, who was working for the government, hasn't been seen or heard from for over a year.
One stormy night, a stranger shows up at the Murry house and introduces herself as Mrs. Whatsit, whom Charles Wallace claims to have met before.
The next day, Charles Wallace and Meg meet Calvin, a friendly boy who is fed up with his large family. He, Meg and Charles Wallace become friends quickly, forming a team for the adventure to come.
That night, Mrs. Whatsit and her friends Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which show up. They "tesser" themselves, Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin away to "Uriel, the third planet of the star Malak in the spiral nebula Messier 101", where they see a big black shadow, called The Black Thing, which blots out the stars and gives off a feeling of great evil.
From there, Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin tesser to Camazotz, a planet covered by The Black Thing, on which Mr. Murry is being held. Camazotz is controlled by IT, a brain-like thing that forces everyone to be exactly alike, and torturing those who don't conform.
A man with red eyes, a main helper of IT, seduces Charles Wallace's mind, turning him into a zombie possessed by IT. On command, Charles leads Meg and Calvin to the cell where Mr. Murry is being held. Using the glasses that Mrs. Who gave her before she left for Camazotz, Meg frees her father, only to have Charles Wallace lead all of them to IT.
Meg, Mr. Murry, and Calvin narrowly escape from the crushing power of IT, tessering through The Black Thing to the planet Ixchel. Meg, badly affected by the journey through The Black Thing, is cared for by Aunt Beast, a big, hairy native of the planet, four arms and long tentacles for fingers.
After a discussion with Aunt Beast, Mr. Murry, Calvin, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who, Meg realizes that it is she alone who must make the dangerous journey back to Camazotz to rescue Charles Wallace from IT's clutches. Can Meg succeed where nobody else has, using love to challenge the power of IT?
Even if you generally don't like science fiction, or don't read it very often, you shouldn't miss A Wrinkle In Time. It's a quick read, 190 pages, but it will catch your interest immediately, and you won't want to put it down. The characters are realistic, 3-D, the unusual scenery is vividly described, and the plot is fast-paced. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
