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

232 pages, Kindle Edition

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.

[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.

[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!!!

[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.

[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.

[Melanie Flanigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOK!!!! BEST BOOK EVER! So this contains spoilers so if your not up for it don’t read, anyway… So mason lives in NYC in 2023 with his mom and his dad moved to Atlanta without him and mason is mad at his dad and he has a bully named Steele so he sees a counselor and the counselor told him to write his feelings on a peace of paper and write to someone, Albert Einstein, and it ends up getting a little to personal, he shoves it in his closet. A couple days later he goes to rip the note, but the note is gone and a new note from a girl named Talia who lives in Pennsylvania and lives in 1987 and she also has problems of her own writes back and, the two become pen pals and chat about their lives. Later mason is moving to Atlanta too, Talia and mason are both exited but their what they like to call the letters traveling between 2023 and 1987 their “wormhole” the “wormhole” doesn’t travel with mason to Atlanta so they stop writing, and then Talia writes again in 2023 and that was the end of the book. I highly recommend reading this book!

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this book hooked me from the start! Due to an unexplained “wormhole” in their closets, a boy from 2023 and a girl from 1987 are able to “exchange” letters about life in their present times. Of course, the world has changed in major ways since the 80s, and Mason has to do a lot of explaining of things like Google, personal computers, cell phones, and even bubble tea! Some things have not completely disappeared in the 30+ years that are between them; bullying and antisemitism from aggressive classmates is still present and in active form. When Talia and Mason form a bond through the sharing of their “letters”, the friendship becomes a way for both kids to figure out how to stand up for themselves and change their own destinies. Because they realize if they don’t, hateful bullies will become ever stronger, just as they have in past history…
Subjects such as parental separation, alcoholism, the Holocaust and antisemitism are addressed, but in appropriate ways for a book aimed at middle-grade readers. This book should be in every classroom, everywhere.

[Lauren Bayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Diana of Shelved by Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science fiction isn't always my favorite genre, but I do love a good time-travel book or a time-wormhole book, like this one. Seventh grader Mason is asked to write a letter by his therapist, and he chooses to write to Albert Einstein, wishing that he could travel through a wormhole to another time and place. Instead, his letter travels through a wormhole from the floor of his closet to the floor of Talia's closet, a seventh grader 300 miles away in 1987. Both kids are going through a rough patch -- Mason's father has just moved to Atlanta and he's quit the baseball team while Talia is being teased at school for being Jewish with classmates drawing swastikas and humiliating her in any way they can. Both kids deal with their bullies by writing to each other, eventually finding out that their lives are more connected than they thought. I couldn't figure out how Mackler could give this one a satsifying ending, but I loved it.

Thanks to LibroFM for the Educator ALC.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A MG time warp story about two kids facing similar situations 36 years apart.
📝
Mason lives in 2023 where his dad just left for a new job, leaving Mason with his mom who works hard as a nurse, only to come home at night and drink. When his new therapist suggests he write a letter to someone about his feelings the letter ends up moving from Mason’s closet to Talia, a girl his age in 1987. She has her own problems losing her best friend and being bullied for being Jewish at school. As the two correspond back and forth they become close friends and confidants during a hard period of their life.
📝
I’ve never read CM’s books before, but the Scholastic book trailer for this title was so good that I had to pick it up. I’m so glad I did! I felt the emotions with this one, especially at the end. I’ll have to dive into Mackler’s back catalog now!

CW: antisemitism, bullying, misogyny, addiction, parental abandonment

4.5 ⭐️

[Crystal books_inthewild · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The unique back-and-forth letter format between Mason and Talia was so engaging—it drew me in immediately. Their voices felt real and vulnerable, and the way they confided in each other created such a strong emotional pull. I appreciated how the story explored huge, important topics—bullying, antisemitism, divorce, friendship, identity—without ever feeling heavy-handed. Carolyn Mackler strikes a perfect balance between heart and humor.

There were several "wow" moments that totally caught me off guard in the best way. The plot twists and emotional revelations landed with impact, and the resolution was deeply satisfying. I was especially moved by how both Mason and Talia found the strength to speak up against injustice in their own lives—they're such powerful, inspiring characters.

Highly recommended for middle grade readers—and honestly, for anyone who loves a meaningful, heartfelt read!