Released: November 20, 2012
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Pages: 272
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Carey
Synopsis: Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal follows the story of outcast high school senior Carson Phillips, who blackmails the most popular students in his school into contributing to his literary journal to bolster his college application; his goal in life is to get into Northwestern and eventually become the editor of The New Yorker. At once laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously dark, and remarkably smart, Struck By Lightning unearths the dirt that lies just below the surface of high school. At a time when bullying torments so many young people today, this unique and important novel sheds light with humor and wit on an issue that deeply resonates with countless teens and readers.
Review:
Let me confess this: I love Glee. Well, I loved the first two seasons of it. After Rachel, Finn, Kurt, and everyone graduated, it went down hill. I also love Chris Colfer. I'm actually related to him. So I'm excited that I finally got to read this book of his. And of course I'm reading it before the movie, which looks fabulous itself.
The book is a journal from the main character's, Carson, point of view. He starts off saying that he can't wait for college (Northwestern) and can't wait to be a freelance journalist. Since I was in yearbook in high school and I love writing, I automatically, only one page in, was in love.
I feel Carson's pain. I hate my small town that I live in. I want to get out and live life in a big city. I'm extremely ambitious. I've known what I've wanted to do since I was eight, and people always give me that look like, "oh-kaaaay. Good luck with that." I am Carson. (Does that mean I'm Chris Colfer?)
So Carson's really bad school counselor called Northwestern to see how his application was doing, right? They said that he has to something else, that school newspapers and writing clubs aren't good enough. So he tries to start a literary magazine. Except nobody wants to join. So guess what he does?
He blackmails people. Seven people to be exact. The yearbook editor that sends racy photos online, the cheerleader and football coach that are sleeping together, the satanic goth girl whose parents are bible freaks, the druggie, and the two closet gays that he caught making out in the bathroom. And let me tell you: it works. And he also gets more people to join, since he got the queen bee to join.
The thing about Struck By Lightning is that it's told in a journal style. I'm pretty sure it's because this was based off of the screenplay version that Colfer also wrote. And that would make sense. But either way, it's original this way. How often do you read a relatively new YA novel written in journal entries? Answer: Not often.
So over time, people actually do turn in submissions. Carson even gets to know Malerie, Vicki, and Justin a little bit. And it's nice to know that in the midsts of his blackmailing that he's somewhat making friends for the first time in high school. It's obvious that that's how it'll turn out, that he made some friends.
Carson was accepted into Northwestern, but later denied because his mother threw away his letter. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Her excuse was the she didn't want him to get hurt. That dreams never come true. EXCUSE ME? You never throw away someone's future like that, literally. I got so angry at the book that I almost threw it across the room. But that would've been rude to the book and Chris Colfer, so I didn't.
The ending is the biggest plot twist ending of a book I have ever read and I could go on forever about how much it pissed me off. The rating is docked an entire star because of it, oh my god. Chris Colfer, what were you thinking?
I just hope that the movie's good. Speaking of the movie, here's the trailer:
Chris Colfer? He has the funniest, best quotes in this book ever. Like I could sit here and pick out ten in five pages I would quote often. It's great. My favorite quote from the entire book: "'It's one of the most amazing experiences, finding something to write about, or realizing something for the first time. It comes out if no where and just hits you. Then it's all you can think about and it goes through your body and tries to escape and be expressed in any way possible. It's a lot like... Like...' 'Lightning?' Malerie asked me. 'Yeah,' I said. 'Like lightning.'"
Because of Colfer's originality, semi-realisticness (I'm pretty sure that's not even a word, but I don't care), and how questionable this novel is, the original rating is 4.5. Blame the ending for why it became a 3.5.
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