81. Right Back At You

81. Right Back at You. Carolyn Mackler. 2025. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, mg speculative fiction, Jewish, mg fiction, coming of age]

First sentence: Dear Albert Einstein,
I'm only writing this letter because Barb told me I had to. She said I could write it to anybody or nobody. I chose to write to you. She said I didn't have to send it. That's a good thing because you've been dead for almost seventy years.

Premise/plot: Right Back At You is set in 1987 and 2023. Mason lives in New York in 2023. He's troubled by many things: his mom's drinking, his dad starting a new job in a new city without them, the bullies at school, the lack of friends, shame. He begins writing letters and putting them in his closet never expecting a reply. Talia lives in Pennsylvania in 1987. She's troubled by many things as well: not being allowed to play baseball, being bullied because she's Jewish, no one being outraged at the antisemitism, loss of friends due to growing apart, etc. Both are a bit shocked and surprised to be communicating with the other. She comes to terms with it a LOT faster than Mason.

Right Back At You is undoubtedly and without apology a problem novel. The 'problems' tackled are antisemitism and bullying, but also alcoholism and neglect.

My thoughts: The premise was intriguing. I think the two story lines balanced each other out. Perhaps as individual stories without the speculative fiction aspect would have been too heavy-handed.

I liked this one. Not sure I absolutely loved it. But I did find it a quick, compelling read.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews