Book Review: A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger

Mike Welles had everything under control. But that was before. Now things are rough at home, and they’re getting confusing at school. He’s losing his sense of direction, and he feels like he’s a mess.

Then there’s a voice in his head. A friend, who’s trying to help him get control again. More than that—the voice can guide him to become faster and stronger than he was before, to rid his life of everything that’s holding him back. To figure out who he is again. If only Mike will listen.

Telling a story of a rarely recognized segment of eating disorder sufferers—young men—A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger is a book for fans of the complex characters and emotional truths in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.

Published by Balzer & Bray  

Best Bits: I hope that this review does A Trick of the Light justice. I've read two excellent (and very different) books involving eating disorders in the last couple of weeks, and I've been struggling with how to convey it to readers without fangirling too much. I'm not going to say that eating disorders are an easy topic to read about, but when they're done well I believe that they have the ability to educate, and hold the attention of the reader. This book was done in a way that allows the reader to see how gradual Mike's experience with anorexia comes on, and how powerful it's hold is. It also dispels the myth that it's just a "girl" thing. The narration was amazing, the characters were fascinating, and everything just felt real. Of course, everyone's ED (short for eating disorder) experiences are different, but nothing felt forced. I think that another gift Metzger gives to the reader is an understanding of how anorexia helps Mike cope, but at the same time see how bad it is for him. Through the narration we understand what thoughts invade Mike's senses to help him feel in control, but it gets the point where the reader just wants to see him well again. I wanted to see him fight back against anorexia. In short: This book provides an accurate and compelling portrayal of an underrepresented population in YA lit, boys with eating disorders; I'm eternally grateful for this fresh read.


Nit Picks: It's rare, but I've got nothing. This book was a near perfect read. I wish it had been a bit longer, but at the same time I can't imagine anything that has been left out. I guess I just want to grab more book by Metzger!


A Trick of the Light
By Lois Metzger
Published by Balzer + Bray 
208 Pages
Received for Review
Rating: A