A Trick of the Light

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.

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.

• Anorexia in Teen Boys: A raw and honest look at a rarely seen struggle, as fifteen-year-old Mike Welles battles a disorder that is too often misunderstood in young men.
• The Voice in His Head: Meet the most dangerous kind of friend—the one who lives inside your mind, promising control while demanding absolute obedience.
• A Family in Crisis: As his parents’ marriage falls apart and his mom retreats into her own grief, Mike is left feeling isolated and desperate for something—anything—to hold on to.
• Hard-Hitting Realistic Fiction: A powerful and unflinching story perfect for readers of Jay Asher and Laurie Halse Anderson, exploring the emotional truths of mental illness with profound empathy.