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The Moth Girl

The Moth Girl

by Heather Kamins

Flying doesn’t always mean freedom.
 

Anna is a regular teenaged girl. She runs track with her best friend, gets good grades, and sometimes drinks beer at parties.
 
But one day at track practice, Anna falls unconscious . . . but instead of falling down, she falls up, defying gravity in the disturbing first symptom of a mysterious disease.
 
This begins a series of trips to the hospital that soon become Anna’s norm. She’s diagnosed with lepidopsy: a rare illness that causes symptoms reminiscent of moths: floating, attraction to light, a craving for sugar, and for an unlucky few, more dangerous physical manifestations.
 
Anna’s world is turned upside down, and as she learns to cope with her illness, she finds herself drifting further and further away from her former life. Her friends don’t seem to understand, running track is out of the question, and the other kids at the disease clinic she attends once a week are a cruel reminder that things will never be the same.
 
From debut author Heather Kamins comes a beautiful and evocative story about one girl’s journey of choosing who she wants to be--in a life she never planned for.

Praise for The Moth Girl:

“Beautifully written . . . Through the lens of a fictional illness, the novel depicts universal experiences of living with chronic illness.” —BuzzFeed

“Kamins knows her territory, and Anna’s emotional experience rings true. Readers . . . will be well served by this detailed, convincing, and timely depiction of learning to live with chronic illness . . . Effectively shines a spotlight on how the onset of chronic illness reshapes one teen’s world.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Quiet but powerful . . . Perfect for readers of Judy Blume’s novels who are looking for an air of magic.” —Booklist

“Recommended for readers seeking to ­understand living with a chronic condition—their own or someone close to them.” —School Library Journal

“Compelling.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

  • Pages: 272 Pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
  • Imprint: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
  • ISBN: 9780593109366
Penguin Teen