Troubling a Star

L'Engle, Madeleine. (1994). Troubling a star. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers.

Reading level: Grades 5-7

Summary:
Vicky receives a trip to Antarctica for a birthday present from her aged friend, Aunt Serena. Despite warnings she finds in her school locker, Vicky heads to Antarctica for both an adventure and to visit her sort-of boyfriend who is conducting research there. Along the way, Vicky meets many new friends, encounters political intrigue, and finds out that she may be in life-threatening danger.

Comments:
Compared to the other books I've been reading, this book seems very amateur. The writing style is very simple. The situations are not remotely believable as something that would happen to a girl in grade 11. It was also strange that Vicky wrote so many letters. It's hard to remember that back in 1994 people weren't yet using computers and email frequently. I'm not sure if young adults today would really connect with this sort of realistic fiction; it doesn't mention text messaging, cell phones, or the Internet even once. One positive point is that L'Engle incorporates environmental concerns in her book. However, the environment is mentioned so often that it becomes a little too much. Readers are able to get a point in other ways than reading dialogue of people talking about the same issue every few pages. The main thing I disliked about this book was the protagonist. Vicky did not seem like a real person, so it was hard to take the book seriously.

Rating: 2/5