A Trick of the Light

A Trick of the Light, by Lois Metzger, is a stunningly unique masterpiece. Unlike most of her other published works, which were mainly Holocaust novels and anthologies, A Trick of the Light is a realistic fiction novel that depicts the story of Mike Welles - a young boy who, over time and with some help from the voice in his head, develops anorexia. This book mainly focuses on the theme of power - both in the loss of power and in the change of power.

Mike Welles was a normal 15 year old boy. He went to school, had friends, played baseball. He had everything under control. Until one day, he began hearing a voice in his head. “Don’t talk about it.” (pg. 6) This voice not only told him not confide in his friends, thus isolating him, the voice also made Mike think about the negative points in his life. How his parents never pay attention to him, or to each other. How big his belly has gotten, and how disgusting this should make Mike feel. Over time, with the help of a strange girl named Amber, Mike learns how to lose weight: by not eating and exercising. Throughout the entire book, Mike struggles with the voice in his head. With no real friends and absent parents, Mike spirals out of control.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought it was unique and a very good recreation of eating disorders. As someone who has experienced anorexia, I was very moved by this book because it was so relatable. The target audience would be teens and young adults, or anyone with an eating disorder. I feel like some people may get offended by this book, because of the rawness of it. Especially people that do not believe in eating disorders. Whether or not you believe in eating disorders, chances are, you know someone who does. You may even know someone who is struggling with an eating disorder. This book is extremely good at depicting the harsh realities of it. If you know someone with mental illness or an E.D, this book will help you understand their battle; if you yourself have mental illness or an E.D, this book will make you feel less alone. Even if you have no experience with either of those things - this book is still a must read, simply because of the brutal truths and amazing writing structure the author used.

Book Review by Adrianna R.