Right Back at You

by Carolyn Mackler

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Not If I Can Help It, a story about reaching across time to find the support you need against bullies, bad friends, and antisemitism.

Mason lives in 2023. His parents have just split up, and there's a guy at school who won't get off his case. As part of an assignment, he writes a letter to Albert Einstein and it ends up getting a little too personal. He throws the letter into his closet...

...and the next day he gets a letter back from a girl named Talia, who lives in 1987. She has problems of her own, including classmates who make jokes because she's Jewish. She thought her friends would have her back. But it ends up the only person she really has to talk to is... a random boy from the future?

In the tradition of such beloved novels as When You Reach Me and Save Me a Seat, Carolyn Mackler has written a funny, all-too-relatable story about finding the friend you need... even if that friends happens to live in another year.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Time Travel, Audiobook, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Jewish

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2025

About the author

Carolyn Mackler is the author of the popular teen novels, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (A Michael L. Printz Honor Book), Infinite in Between, Tangled, Guyaholic, Vegan Virgin Valentine, and Love and Other Four-Letter Words. Carolyn's novel, The Future of Us, co-written with bestselling author Jay Asher, received starred reviews and appeared on several bestseller lists. Carolyn has also written Best Friend Next Door, a novel for younger readers. Carolyn's novels have been published in more than twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, and Indonesia.

Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. Her new novel for teens, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I, will be published in May 2018. This is the long-awaited sequel to the Printz-honor winning novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.

Reviews

[Chrissie Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason, who lives in NYC in 2023, is struggling with his dad's decision to move to Atlanta, his mom's drinking, and this guy at school who will not stop picking on him. His mom decides he would benefit from seeing a therapist, who gives him an assignment of writing a letter to anyone he'd like — but no one has to read it. He chooses Albert Einstein and prints off the letter before tossing it in his closet. Later, when he goes back to retrieve the letter, he discovers another in its place ... written from a girl calling herself Talia and saying she's living in Pennsylvania in 1987.

Despite an understandably rocky start, Mason and Talia soon become pen pals, with a few time-related rules in place. Once Talia and Mason start to open up to each other Mason learns Talia is having her own problems with a bully at school who makes hurtful jokes about Talia being Jewish, on top of wanting desperately to try out for her school's baseball team (despite being a girl), and a recent estrangement from her former best friend.

As the two pen pals grow closer, they help each other in lovely ways — supportive, understanding, and caring...exactly what the two needed. Right Back at You is a charming little pen pal time-play story perfect for middle grade and adult readers alike.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right Back at You is a time travel epistolary novel about the letter exchange between Mason in 2023 and Talia in 1987. They are able to communicate through a wormhole in their bedroom closets. The pair form an amazing friendship and share similarities even though they exist in different time periods. I enjoyed the discussion surrounding bullying and the 1980s references. It was a well-paced story, and it really tied all the threads together nicely in the end.

[Jen Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the letter format will appeal to many students. I may appreciate the 80’s references more than my students though.

[Ari Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOK!

I love this book so much! It is so great.

Thanks so much Carolyn Mackler!

[Beth Given · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mason is struggling. His dad has moved to Atlanta for a job, and his mom has stayed with Mason in New York City where she works long hours in healthcare and comes home to a bottle of wine every night. Middle school is tough; Mason is bullied incessantly by kids who make fun of his clothes. His therapist asked him to write a letter to help articulate his burdens and anxieties. But then the letter, which he had hidden in his closet, vanishes -- and soon, there's a handwritten response from Talia, a girl who lived decades before, hundreds of miles away. They become penpals through this curious wormhole of time and space supporting each other while they deal with middle school bullies, sexism, alcoholism, and antisemitism.

This middle-grade novel-in-letters hits on so many relevant themes. I really enjoyed the characters and the fun time-travel element.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 hours on audio- So many books for middle schoolers center on bullying - I sure hope it’s dealt with by the adults better than it is in these books. I was pulled into the lives of Talia and Mason and am pleased with how things turned out.

[MaryJo Landwehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about two pen pals from different times! Sweet story about friendship and family and baseball!

[Lennon Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was amazing although a tad short definitely a book I'm gonna read.

[HF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly heartfelt and hooked me from the start. The concept of pen pals from two different decades confiding in each other as they deal with the challenges from their own present days (antisemitism, bullying, parents with alcoholism, etc.) was executed perfectly. I think it was the right call for this book to be told strictly through their letters, it gave a deep glimpse into both Mason's and Talia's characters. I rooted for them as individuals as much as I rooted for their friendship. I can see this one being a big hit with kids for the simplicity of the writing combined with the profound message of standing up for what's right weaved into the pages.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love, love, love this middle school novel! Pen pals writing through time travel, one in 1987, the other in 2023 with a closet as their Time Machine. It hits on some hard topics: antisemitism, alcohol addiction, bullying, parental abandonment issues.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel so much. I loved it and I finished it in two days because I could not stop reading it. I personally felt all the parts where they talked about Judaism because my best friend is Jewish so In a way I just felt so connected to it. I was on the verge of tears when Dr. R.’s mom talked about how her family was murdered and treated awfully just because they were Jewish. Although it was a pretty sad book, it also made me laugh at times. I love an amusing book that also make me want to cry. And at the end when Talia wrote the letter to mason all grown up, it was so meaningful. All in all, this was an AMAZING book and I would recommend it to anyone.

[Bethany W · Rating 5 out of 5]

penpals through a wormhole? i'm in. a really fun book but also hits on tough topics like bullying, antisemitism, and alcoholism.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun perspective as the reader to experience two strangers become friends! So sweet and enjoyable! My kids loved this one, too!

[Angie Swiatnicki-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tackles some HUGE issues our kiddos have to endure and does it in a way that makes the reader feel safe, valued and heard. Great book for book clubs and lit circles in a classroom!!!

[Charlotte Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book! I love the letters and time difference!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book by Carolyn Mackler.
Loved the writing style and how it was aimed at children but I could still learn so much.

[Carly Gruber · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I am reading this book and I LOVE it because I usually get uninterested but when I saw the notes I just kept on reading it because it made it interesting. I hope this is one of my favorite books. Can’t wait to read the rest.🤗

[Maria Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet pen pals through time.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Joänna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow, too much baseball, and a bizarre mix of first person narration and dialogue that a kid would never write. The ending was odd. I just didn't care for it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mason lives in 2023 and Talia in 1987, yet they are connected through a strange wormhole in their closets that allows them to become penpals across the decades. It comes at the perfect time, because they both could use a friend.

Mason’s dad has left him behind in NYC and his mom is drinking too much. His dad always coached his baseball team, and so Mason has quit baseball, much to the chagrin of his teammates.

Talia’s best friend joined the cheerleading squad and has left her behind, just as some mean boys have started mocking her for being Jewish and drawing swastikas on their notebooks.

Mason and Talia begin sharing their struggles with each other and offering advice and support. I listened to the audiobook, which has dual narrators to match the book. A nice quick read that has a solid ending. I really enjoyed this one.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book, middle school students going through hard times, thirty-six years apart, find one another and become friends by writing letters transported through a wormhole, makes for a good, relatable read for 5th grade and up.
Standing up to bullies, antisemitism, and a son’s concern about his mother’s drinking are topics all taken on with great care.
The author’s chosen cultural references were not my favorite, but I think this would be an engaging book for many of my students.
3 1/2⭐️

[Heather Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun adventure through time. The two main characters form a wholesome friendship writing to each other about their real life experiences spanning decades.

I thought this book was pretty relatable because it covered topics almost everyone has had to deal with at some point growing up from sibling rivalry, your parents fighting, school and friendship drama-plus it got into racism/antisemitism and covered anti-racism in the character’s journey to stand up for herself and her people.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason's 2023 life kind of stinks right now. His dad abruptly took a job in Atlanta, leaving Mason and his mom--who drinks too much wine to pay much attention to Mason--in New Jersey. So Mason quit the Little League team his dad helped coach. Now Steel, the uber-nasty son of the other coach, a wealthy donor to their school, is making Mason's life hell. Mason's therapist suggests he write out his feelings in a letter to anybody, so he chooses Albert Einstein. He leaves the letter in his closet--and, inexplicably, it vanishes, and Mason gets a letter from Talia, who lives in 1987 in Pennsylvania. Talia's life also kind of stinks. Her best friend has decided to hang out with the cool kids and tell Talia that they are "growing apart." Then an uber-nasty boy at school starts harassing Talia for being Jewish. His harassment includes swastikas and throwing money at her and shouting mock-Hebrew, and getting others in her class to do the same. No one, not even her former friends, seem to have her back. And certainly her mean older brother doesn't--he just makes it worse by telling her it's her own fault. Her parents try, but their contacting the school just increases the harassment. So the only person Talia can really talk to is Mason, however bizarre that might be. Soon they are telling each other everything, and maybe, just maybe, making things better?

This was great, and I especially enjoyed the 1980s perspective since I was around back then! The kids have a normal amount of disbelief before accepting their "wormhole," and it isn't explained beyond that. They do come up with some rules so they don't make any time-related mistakes, but Talia is happy to get some baseball scores ahead of time so she can have the upper hand on her brother. Her confusion about all the tech Mason keeps talking about will make modern kids laugh! None of the families here are perfect, but neither are there any real villains beyond the rather one-note bullies at school (which includes teachers who ignore the problems). Just people trying to make things work. I think kids will like this one. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.

[Lesa Dierking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 'simple' book left mixed feelings about it.
I really liked the say it used the letters in a sort of time travel way between 1987 and 2023.
However, while I understand why it was written the way it was, because it was to be letters written between two 12/13 year olds, the I focused way TOO much on the mechanics of the writing. I have no doubt that I was focusing too much on the use of the punction use when describing speech or conversations between people that the writer was relating. Kids *might* use a couple of times, but not like dialogue formally written. I know, I know...don't focus on that, that's not the point. I can't help it, so I'm hoping that's just my age.
I was very much moved, moreso than I recall other books I've read on the subject, of the Jewish storyline. I grew up in small town, rural middle America (in the early and mid-1980s) and I did not meet anyone who was Jewish until I was living in a much larger town when I was in my mid-20s. Still, I've never felt the sense to be so nasty or degrading of Jews. I think it's because it's kids who are just awful and nasty about this. Yes, I know ... bullies ... but this is hitting me differently because yes, this type of hate is different, because millions of Jews were murdered in Nazi Germany. The thought that society is forgetting about that horrible event is horrifying in itself. Such an ugly time, while incredibly uncomfortable, needs to be remembered.

I'm curious, did other adults feel this discomfort while reading a middle grade fiction book?

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Olivia Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to give this book four stars, because it has a good plot, but not a lot of action. I am the types if reader who wants some more life and movement. But, I loved the format that it was written in (Letters back and forth). I would recommended this to someone who likes realistic fiction with a touch if history and mystery added in. SPOILER: I say mystery, because of how the author connects both Talia and Mason's stories. I did not expected that Mason's dad was the boy next door! It was surprising and enticing. I also have heard stories about the 1980's, and it seemed accurately described in the book. I loved how it showed the problems like bullying travel down from generations, and we should not forget others sacrifices before us. I loved the reminder of the horror of World War ll, because it seems nowadays that people tend to forget about all of the gruesome, awful, not even words to describe it, Holocaust. I hope to never hear of jokes or teasing about it in real life, but some people sadly do. We should not forget the struggle and heartache of all the Jewish people went through. I hope that more people will see that no matter your race or belief, everyone should be treated equeal with kindness. Thank you so much for reading my review. I hope you enjoy this book. Bye bookworms, and keep on reading!! ; )

[Tiffany Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

12-year-old Mason is miserable. His father has moved out, his mother has a drinking problem she won't admit to, and he's being bullied by one of his ex-teammates on the baseball team. His mother sends him to a therapist, who recommends he write a letter to someone, real or imaginary, to get some of his thoughts down. Mason chooses Albert Einstein, and after writing a personal letter, he puts it in the back of his closet.

The next day, he finds an answer to his letter in the same spot, only not from Einstein, but from a girl his age named Talia. Her letters are dated 1987, yet he's in 2023! Though both of them are confused, they continue writing back and forth. Talia is being bullied because she's Jewish, and has also been banned from baseball tryouts because she's a girl.

I enjoyed everything about this story, from the characters' authentic voices, to their relatable problems, to the whole time-travel concept. The funniest parts of the book were when Mason made references to Google and looking things up on his phone, and later when he gave Talia baseball scores so she could win bets against her obnoxious older brother. I loved this book, and I think it will appeal to readers in 5th or 6th grade, too.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Two twelve-year olds, one from present day (2023) and one from the past (1987) help each other deal with bullies at schools. Present day Mason deals with Steele, a classmate and former baseball teammate and 1987 Talia deals with Ed, a classmate who makes fun of her for being Jewish and draws swastikas and her older brother Jake who says she should hide her Judaism.
If you like time travel stories like Lisa Graff's Rewind, the waking up in the future story 12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future! or stories about overcoming bullying and/or antisemitism (i.e. Gordon Korman's Linked), you'll enjoy this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for an honest review.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My youngest daughter picked up this title at a Scholastic book sale at school and loved it; she has been encouraging me to read it and considers it her favorite book, but I was slow to act, primarily due to not reading a lot of physical titles in this stage of life. I was feeling guilty at not reading a book that is important to her, so when I was going to have a road trip to Milwaukee with my oldest (who also had not read the book), I picked up the audiobook. At four hours, it was a good option for the round trip.

RIGHT BACK AT YOU is told in two storylines, between Talia in 1987 and Mason in 2023. Their paths converge in a mysterious way, and we get to see how they can support each other and offer advice from their own areas of strength to guide the other. Anti-semitism, sexism, and struggles with parents and friends are covered to various degrees, and given the disparate timelines, we get to be amused at the confusion around talk of cell phones and other modern conveniences like food delivery.

I am not at all surprised at why this book captured my daughter’s attention and rates high with her, and we enjoyed having a conversation about it afterwards.