Guest Post: Lois Metzger

I am so honored to bring this treat for you today, a guest post by Lois Metzger. Today she shares her inspiration for writing ‘A Trick of the Light.’ Her words will speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
By Lois Metzger, author of A Trick of the Light

It's a question writers often get asked. Some find it hard to answer, because ideas can float around in your head for a while, or several different entirely unrelated things may have to combine to create a story.

In the case of my new young-adult novel, "A Trick of the Light" (HarperCollins), I know exactly where I got the idea, and also when.

On Wednesday, August 4, 2004, I read an article in the New York Daily News called "Not For Girls Only."

The article began: "Sue Roberts couldn't stop fuming after watching a 'Dr. Phil' show on eating disorders. The two-part series features several girls with bulimia and anorexia. 'What about the boys?' she remembers asking herself, then furiously writing an e-mail to the talk-show host."

Sue Roberts' 16-year-old son, Justin, the article said, "almost starved himself to death after several doctor's visits missed important signs." Justin was "a straight-A student who wanted to be perfect in every way." At 13, a coach happened to tell Justin that he could "shave a few seconds off his mile time if he lost some weight." Then, around the same time, a tall thin boy, a classmate of Justin's, looked over at Justin, called him fat and laughed. "Maybe I am," Justin thought, and decided to stop eating, pretty much just like that.

At first, Justin's parents complimented him on how good he looked, how disciplined he was. Then they noticed he was dropping weight too rapidly, that his personality had changed. "We were all walking on eggshells because he would blow up about little things," his mother said.

Within four months, Justin, five feet tall and originally 130 pounds, went down to 82 pounds. The article explained: "His lips, fingertips and nails looked bluish. He wore baggy sweatshirts to hide his frail body, but he couldn't conceal the malnourishment evident in his sunken eyes and hollow cheeks."

Justin's mother couldn't prove to her insurance company that her son needed hospitalization, so finally she had him admitted on her own. "His condition was worse than she thought," the article went on. "His heart rate was 42 beats per minute. He had zero body fat. His body temperature was 92, and there were patches of hair growing on his stomach and neck. It was his body's way of trying to keep him warm. He was days away from death."

During his brief hospital stay, Justin "saw an emaciated girl walking in the hallway, talking to herself." He decided: "I really don't want to be like that." He began eating and he recovered fully. In less than a year, he grew four inches. Talking of his present state, he could say: "I'm more outgoing, more confident. I'm happy now."

I got a strange feeling while reading this article. Kind of an other-worldly, floating, almost surreal sensation. I've written only three previous novels, and the same thing happened before I began writing the other books, too. In each case I knew immediately that here was a story that wouldn't leave me alone.

So it's not really accurate to say this is where I got the idea for "A Trick of the Light." This is where the idea was getting me.

I got in touch with the writer of the excellent article I'd been reading, Julie Patel, then a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News (she now she writes for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida). She put me in touch with Sue Roberts and Justin. They were extremely helpful in giving me more details about the journey of recovery, and referred me to a doctor at Stanford University, James Lock, author of two ground-breaking books on eating disorders. Dr. Lock gave me the names of some doctors and families in NYC so I could meet and interview them. I stayed in contact with Sue Roberts; I'm very glad to say she wrote me recently that Justin, now a young man, remains happy and healthy.

The 15-year-old boy in my book, Mike Welles, has much in common with Justin. He, too, develops an eating disorder rather quickly, and loses weight alarmingly fast. A doctor misleadingly tells Mike he is fine, insisting that anorexia only affects girls. As the disease progresses, Mike's vital signs are similar to Justin's. Mike, too, encounters a girl at a hospital, who freaks him out because she's talking to herself. Mike doesn't recover as fast as Justin did, but he does take significant steps toward recovery.

Julie Patel's article emphasizes that eating disorders among men and boys are on the rise (this was almost ten years ago, and the problem has only gotten worse). Ten percent of people with eating disorders are male, and currently there are ten million people in the U.S. with eating disorders, which means at least a million boys and men (and many people say the figure is much higher). Their disease still gets missed by doctors who think only women and girls can get eating disorders, and many hospitals and eating-disorders clinics still only admit girls and women. Then, as now, eating disorders have the highest death rate of any psychological disorder, estimated between five and 20 percent.

I didn't realize, when the idea got hold of me, where it would lead -- right to the heart of a struggle against a disease that too often ends in tragedy.

© 2013 Lois Metzger, author of A Trick of the Light

Author Bio

Lois Metzger, author of A Trick of the Light, was born in Queens and has always written for young adults. She is the author of three previous novels and two nonfiction books about the Holocaust, and she has edited five anthologies. Her short stories have appeared in collections all over the world. Her writing has also appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, and Harper's Bazaar. She lives in Greenwich Village with her husband and son.

For more information please visit http://www.loismetzger.com and follow the author on Facebook

What do you think? What social issues are stereotyped as gender specific but really aren’t? Join the conversation and comment below.

Happy Reading!

-      The Hodgenator

Review: A Summer of Sundays

When I saw in the description that this novel would appeal to fans of ‘The Mother Daughter Book Club’ AND ‘The Wedding Planner’s Daughter’ series, I knew I had to read it because, of course, I love both of those series.

Let me tell you, ‘Sunday’ is such a delightful, feel-good read wrapped in mystery.

And how adorable is that cover? That cover alone would make me pick this book up off the shelf.

Title: ‘A Summer of Sundays’

Author: Lindsay Eland

Pages: 336

Available: July 9, 2013

Source: Requested from Netgalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Fans of The Mother Daughter Book Club (Heather Vogel Fredericks) and The Wedding Planner's Daughter (Coleen Paratore) series will fall in love with the humor, classic charm, and very determined heroine of Lindsay Eland's sophomore novel.

When you're the third of six kids, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle, but Sunday Fowler is determined that this summer she'll find the one thing that makes her stand out from her siblings.

And when she discovers a silver box in the basement of the library her parents are renovating, she might just have found something to gain her the attention she so craves. Inside is a series of letters addressed to "The Librarian" and a manuscript. But who wrote them? With the help of annoying neighbor-turned-new-friend Jude, Sunday is determined to track down the author. And when she unveils this novel to the world, she'll be famous!

But uncovering this manuscript means stirring up secrets that some people in the town hoped to keep buried. And Sunday must decide if some things—loyalty, trust, friendship—are worth more than her name in the headlines.

My Thoughts:

As the novel opens, we meet Sunday Fowler, one of six who just wants to be noticed. When her parents stop at a gas station and leave her there, I was convinced I was going to read a ‘Home Alone’ type of story. Instead, I found this to be an endearing tale of an almost twelve-year-old little girl looking for her family to notice her.

Sunday is the “go to” child in the family, the one her parents know they can count on. While this is admirable, it is also tiresome to her. She wants more than just being Sunday.

When her father decides to bring the entire family in on his latest job—restoring a library—a new adventure in Sunday’s life begins. She discovers a locked box in the basement, and curiosity getting the better of her, opens it to discover mysterious letters written to “Librarian.” This sets into motion a summer Sunday soon won’t forget—and quite possibly a summer where she will make her mark. After all, what if these letters are a lost legend of a famous local writer? (I felt a bit like this element was paying homage to Harper Lee.)

The plot is solid storytelling—a family of six with two parents who love their children and are doing all they can to be there and provide. I found the book to have a nice pace to it, especially for young readers, and for once the parents enhanced the story instead of getting in the way.

Mom seems to always bake something scrumptious, and there’s always more than enough for her family of eight. Dad is a genius at remodeling and his current project is the local library, a project that the entire family pitches in to help restore and repair for a reopen. Really, I want to hang out with the Fowlers for the food alone. And the company. But really, for the food.

With a family this large, everyone has to do their part—but it seems like Sunday does more than her fair share. Of course, she is the story’s star and the focus is on her, but really there should be more equality among the kids. But isn’t this how it is in families? This is the realistic element that I felt a lot of young readers could connect with.

There are a lot of characters to contend with, which might become a bit much for younger readers, but the way the author has them step in and out of the story allows readers to keep up with them (instead of easily becoming confused, and with this many characters, it’s a risk the author pulls off).

My favorite character is Jude. He is not one of Sunday’s siblings, just a friend who wants to help her make her mark—and make the right decision. He is there every step of the way, and he knows the true meaning of friendship. His mother is a bit over-bearing with her “organic” kick (sometimes kids just need to be kids), but overall Jude stole the show a bit from Sunday with his good manners and level head.

With six children, a mom and dad, a best friend, and a local recluse who is rumored to eat small children, ‘A Summer of Sundays’ will keep young readers engaged with love, friendship, and the meaning of honor as well as engage them in a mystery. Who did write those letters?

I recommend this book for readers age 9+. It really will appeal to those tween readers who enjoy Candy Apple books and fun family reads. But this is not just a book for girls. While the main character is a girl, she has three younger brothers and a male friend that will appeal to the young male reader in your life as well.

What is the best “family” oriented book you’ve read?

Comment below and let’s talk about books.

Happy Reading!

-      The Hodgenator

Ramona Quimby giveaway

Today is my birthday, and to celebrate I am going to have a giveaway!

Last week I cleaned up my study and found all kinds of bookish items that I have collected over the last few years. When I was in library school, I held on to everything for when I get my very own school library. Well…I am still on the hunt and my collection of items is still there, so…I’ve decided to hold random giveaways throughout the summer and the fall to pass these items on to those of you who will put them to better use.

Up first…a Ramona Quimby giveaway.

Here’s what I have: a copy of ‘Ramona’s World’ and a ‘Ramona and Beezus’ nylon pullstring backpack for the little reader in your life.

Or if you are a librarian, it would be a great “summer reading” prize as well.

Summary of ‘Ramona’s World’ from Goodreads:

The best year ever!

That's what Ramona thought the fourth grade was going to be, but things aren't turning out as she hoped. Sure, she has a new best friend named Daisy. But how can she improve her spelling as her teacher insists, or be the role model for her baby sister, Roberta, that Mrs. Quimby expects? Fourth-grade life is full of adventure and challenges, and at the end of it all—a "zeroteenth" birthday to celebrate!

Now all you have to do is enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading!

-      The Hodgenator

Review: Notes to Self

Title: ‘Notes to Self’

Author: Avery Sawyer

Pages: 168 (Kindle edition)

Available: NOW for your eReader or local bookstore/library

Source: The author

Summary (from Goodreads):

Two climbed up. Two fell down.

One woke up.

Robin Saunders is a high school sophomore with an awesome best friend, a hard-working single mom, and a complicated relationship with a sweet guy named Reno. She's coasting along, trying to get through yet another tedious year of high school, when Em suggests something daring. They live in Florida-- tourist central--and Emily wants to sneak into a theme park after midnight and see what they're made of.

When things get out of control, Robin wakes up in a hospital bed and Emily doesn't wake up at all. Just getting dressed becomes an ordeal as Robin tries to heal and piece together the details of that terrible night. Racing to remember everything in the hopes of saving Emily, Robin writes a series of notes to herself to discover the truth.

My Thoughts:

This book was a surprise—not because I wasn’t expecting it to be great but because I was expecting this to be a lot like ‘The Pact’ with the “two fell and one woke up” scenario.

Instead, I had a story of friendship, heartache, and truth.

As the story opens, Robin and Emily have fallen five stories, but only Robin wakes up. She has a brain injury, but she is able to heal while her best friend Emily slips into a coma. Robin experiences turmoil as she struggles to remember the events of that night. All she can remember is “I fell.” 

That phrase is repeated throughout the first half of the novel, and I thought it was interesting because it showed that while Robin felt she was fine and able to go about her daily life, the one thing she was clinging to was, “I fell.”

The plot of the novel is nicely paced, centered on Robin trying to remember that night while healing from her brain injury. Instead of going deep into how the brain heals, the author chooses another route. We get snapshots of Robin’s past and how it ties into her present. We see her friendship with Emily develop from the start and how she pulled away from another friend, the one whose unconditional friendship made me want to jump on the page and hug him—Reno.

The notes themselves weren’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be more of a diary entry type of novel with Emily writing in a diary to help jog her memory. Instead, it’s random notes of things she wants and needs to remember, like how to take a shower. I felt that notes to herself could have been a great addition to the story instead a snippet here and there. For that reason, I find the title of the novel to be a little misleading. Unless you include her flashbacks to be a note to herself. After all, she is exploring what led her to that night in the first place. In that way, the title ties in, but I felt a different title would serve more justice to the novel itself.

As for characters, I absolutely love Robin. She is trying to pick up the pieces of her life while her best friend is in a coma. And Robin isn’t living for herself; she’s living for Emily, to find the truth of what happened that night. As a result, she experiences bullying when she returns to school. Her new nickname is “short bus” and she deals with taunts from resident bad girl Josie, who blames Robin for what happened to Emily.

I have to tell you that as a teacher, I was horrified to read of Robin’s treatment, but when I step back and really think about it, teens can be vicious, even to those who are suffering so much heartache. While some may be a bit offended that the kids called her “short bus,” this is a reality. Teens make up nicknames for each other, and many times those nicknames are there to taunt and humiliate.

As for Robin’s mom, bravo to the author for giving us an involved parent. She is there for Robin, encourages her. I notice in a lot of novels aimed at teens parents are absent. I realize that a lot of times that is necessary because parents just “get in the way” of the storytelling. That is not the case with this novel. Robin needed a parent, and she had one.

And of course Reno. That boy. Throughout Robin’s memories and her quest to learn the truth, Reno is by her side. He isn’t the typical “swoon-worthy” on the page. He is what Robin needs in her life: stability. He is her constant, and I loved him. There is one scene in the novel that really made me want to hug him and tell him what a good soul he is—and it deals with Robin seeing her dad at a bar. That is all I will say. If you’ve read this book, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, you will understand once you do.

There is family drama mixed in with teen angst and love, all while Robin is trying to heal her brain and put the pieces of the puzzle together.

I recommend this to readers of ‘If I Stay’ and ‘Thirteen Reasons Why.’ The feel of the novels is the same as is the pace. I would say this is appropriate for readers age 12+.

What is your favorite “teen in crisis” novel?

Comment below and let’s talk about books.

Happy Reading!

-      The Hodgenator