Review Detail

I don't really understand why everyone loves this book so much. Maybe when it came out it was groundbreaking and fascinating, but these days there are lots of scifi/fantasy books for a younger audience that are better in every way.

First of all, the author really isn't always the best person to record the audiobook. That aside, I wouldn't have enjoyed the story had I read it myself.

Meg really bothered me. I know L'Engle is praised for creating such a relatable character, but I have to disagree. Meg is annoying and whiny as heck. Nearly everything she said was a complaint in one way or another. It might have been lamenting her (absolutely atrocious, apparently) appearance or yelling at somebody because the situation sucked. I couldn't stand it. There's a difference between being melodramatic to the point of annoyance and normal teenage feelings.

Calvin and Charles Wallace, however, I enjoyed. They were both unapologetically themselves.

And what about the story, you ask? I was surprised to find that I was enjoying it pretty well at about 2/3 of the way through. And then came the ending. Or, should I say, non-ending. Yeah, that seriously pissed me off. You can't just bring up this whole storyline and then toss it out the window once your character(s) have learned their lesson.

Needless to say, I won't be joining Team L'Engle. Her books were probably groundbreaking when they came out, but here in 2013, I just can't get on board.