One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand. I would lie awake in bed at night, counting from the crack of thunder to the explosive flash of lightning. Windows rattled and my heart pounded in synchronicity during those summer Mid-western thunderstorms. The novel, The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors, awakens our own personal experiences with storms.
I suspended my disbelief in the novel since the author is a lightning strike survivor. Michele Young-Stone’s personal experience lends credibility to the random and bizarre things that the characters experience. Lightning damages, surprises, and fuses people together. Lightning is a powerful force, forever changing that which it strikes.
The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors is told in the alternating voices of Becca and Buckley. Becca, struck by lightning at age eight, suffers a variety of effects. Sure, memory is affected, but there are effects like having to buy a new watch every month because of her electromagnetic charge. However, it seems to me, it’s her unreliable relationship with her parents that’s the real shocker in her life. Becca moves to New York and explores painting, and her artistic expression serves as a springboard for self-discovery and healing.
Buckley is an outcast at school. At home, his step-dad and grandma crush his spirit. It’s Buckley’s mother who believes in him. Buckley and his mom manage to scrape together enough resources to escape the trappings of their small Arkansas town. They plant positive seeds in their new town. However, the most unpredictable of all characters in the book – lightning — forever changes their dreams. When Buckley’s mom is struck by lightning, he can either turn to hope or despair. To work through his wonderings and grief, Buckley writes a book for lightning strike survivors. Various handbook excerpts link the chapters. These brief passages are interesting peeks into the mysterious world of lightning strikes.
This is a wonderful book and Michele is a fantastically funny and gifted writer! I was lucky enough to have her guest post on my blog a while back — such a thrill! Glad to see her book getting some well deserved exposure!
Thank you so much for reviewing my debut novel. I’m glad that you liked it. Becca and Buckley and the other characters are very real to me! Best, Michele
Cant wait to read it, hoping its available for kindle. Heard such great things- everywhere! congrats! right out the gate…:)