November 18

‘Second Star to the Right’ by Deborah Hautzig

Second star to the rightSecond Star to the Right is a fantastically moving book about 14 year old Leslie Hiller. Leslie is a fusspot who continually stresses over her mother being ashamed of her. To take control and to make herself joyful, she chooses to go on a diet. Yet things get out of control when Leslie can’t quit counting calories. She begins consuming less and less, believing that she’ll know when she’s thin enough. But she never feels thin enough. Before long Leslie is hurling whatever she eats, tossing food out of her window and is so depleted there is no way she can bring herself to school. Leslie is mindful that she’s gradually murdering herself and that she needs help, however thinks that it will be difficult to bring herself to eat.

Leslie is referred to medical help, where the medicines and responses to anorexia appear to be extremely dated. It disappointed me so much at whatever point somebody asked Leslie, ‘Would you be able to simply consume a little so you put on weight?’ not understanding there was more to her issue than that.

There is no conclusion to Leslie’s story at the end of the novel, which left me needing to know what happened to her. Generally, however, Second Star to the Right was a decent, and somewhat tragic read. I thought that it was extremely intriguing to see anorexia through the psyche of somebody experiencing it. I would recommend it to teenagers, both girls and boys. Anyone who can relate to it will love it, and will see the true beauty of the meaning of the words. Lily, Year 9

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Posted November 18, 2014 by marjk in category Realistic fiction, Student Reviews

About the Author

Teacher-librarian at Aquinas College, Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

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