A cute middle grade novel! It took a while for the plot to pick up (the first 15-ish percent is just the two characters bickering over what timeline they are in), but once it got going, it was solid. I like the way that modern ideals took on 1980s antisemitism and how old-school techniques took on 2020s bullying. Both narrators were well-written, and it could bring up good discussions on comparing and contrasting different times.

This story is told exclusively through letters between the two characters, though it would have been nice to see the characters outside of the letters, perhaps in more of a narrative style.

I would probably rate this as a 3.5, but I tend to be positive in my reviews, so I am rounding up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I am an assistant librarian at an elementary school, so I am reading with those students in mind.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free Arc!

When I initially read the description of the book, I immediately thought of the movie The Lake House with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeve who communicate with each other through letters in the same mailbox but two years apart. I found that idea to be intriguting. So I was eager to read Right Back at You, where two characters write letters to each other but are 36 years apart in 1987 and 2023.

Talia, who lives in 1987, and Mason, who lives in 2023, connect with each other by writing letters that they leave to each other in their closets. They talk about their lives in Western Pennsylvania (for Talia) and New York City (for Mason). The similarities and differences between the spring of their seventh grade years unfold through the topics of bullying antisemitism, family, and friendship.

While I really enjoyed the well-developed characters and the Jewish representation, the format felt a bit strange at times. While it was cool to read their letters back and forth, that format did not always fit with the descriptive narrative style that was used once they started telling particular stories. It might have made more sense to interweave their letters throughout a more narrative style prose.

I would recommend this book for middle schoolers to read. Jewish students will appreciate the representation and students who are not can definitely learn valuable lessons about antisemitism and the Holocaust.

I thoroughly enjoyed Right Back at You. Both of our protagonists are well written characters with depth and character development throughout the story. I would technically give this 4.8 stars if I could due to me wanting more of an explanation of how some things in the book were possible. Other than my own rampant curiosity I loved this book. Jewish representation in media is so important to me and not something I saw or experienced very often growing up. The final letter was excellent but I still found myself wanting more, as I had grown attached to these characters, despite the loose ends.

This book covers some tough topics in a funny relatable and respectful way. Friendships can be hard to navigate and this gives kids good perspectives .