"What we, as advanced students of literature, desperately need is some concrete guidance on how to do close reading and detailed analysis of our literary texts." This is a lament I've heard often from advanced students looking to raise their game and reach their highest potential in literary studies. Making sense of how a text works - in terms of both its meaning and its form - is tricky, and because literary texts are complex and dynamic, using a method which is rigorous and creatively flexible enough for close reading and detailed analysis is vital. Analysing a Literary Text: the A* Way provides just such a method to help students grapple meaningfully with their novels, short stories, poems and plays. It is a method that has worked well for my Advanced-Level Literature students over the years. It calls for hard work and dedication, but the rewards in higher grades and greater involvement and enjoyment of the material can be great. Put in the work and experience the growth.