cd1310's review against another edition
5.0
Watched the movie first, I enjoyed watching what Carson saw first and then seeing what really was going on but with the dvd out with the deleted scenes it doesn't really matter. The format was a really easy read but it has so many words that are well said that I can't let go of. The lessons Carson doesn't teach you but tells you about are enough to get you through more than high school.
graceburts's review against another edition
3.0
I've been in a state of perpetual grief since Glee ended in March 2015, reading this book was supposed to help mend my broken heart and while it didn’t exactly heal me I did enjoy the reading experience.
I love Chris Colfer with all my heart so maybe I'm biased but I thought this book was great. It’s an entertaining, fast read that has a good balance of humour and depth. The main character, Carson Phillips, isn’t exactly a good person, but he’s relatable and brutally honest in a way that makes him captivating. Carson is determined to make something of himself and will do anything to get out of the small town he lives in, including but not limited to blackmailing a good chunk of his classmates. The struggle of an aspiring writer paired with a plot centred around blackmailing is right up my alley and while the book isn’t a literary masterpiece I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend reading this one, even if it didn’t cure my post glee blues.
I love Chris Colfer with all my heart so maybe I'm biased but I thought this book was great. It’s an entertaining, fast read that has a good balance of humour and depth. The main character, Carson Phillips, isn’t exactly a good person, but he’s relatable and brutally honest in a way that makes him captivating. Carson is determined to make something of himself and will do anything to get out of the small town he lives in, including but not limited to blackmailing a good chunk of his classmates. The struggle of an aspiring writer paired with a plot centred around blackmailing is right up my alley and while the book isn’t a literary masterpiece I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend reading this one, even if it didn’t cure my post glee blues.
cassreadsforever's review against another edition
2.0
I just found this book report from high school. You guys, this is so me!!!!
... yeah it literally was me.
“High School. Society’s bright idea to put all their aggressive, naive youth into one environment to torment and emotionally scar each other for life.” This quite perfectly encompasses the attitude of the book, Struck By Lightning: the Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer. Carson Phillips is the sarcastic, witty, and brooding main character in the story about a trip through senior year the wish of getting into your dream college. That may seem boring, but Carson finds creative ways to blackmail his peers into helping him get into college.
Carson is hated by almost everyone in Clover High School, a small high school in a tiny town that hardly anyone every escapes. He is head of the writing club and chief editor of the school’s failed newspaper. Carson’s one goal is to get into Northwestern University as journalism major and get out of Clover. His college counselor informs him that his current activities are not enough to get into Northwestern so he decides to create a literary magazine. He gets the money to make the magazine by agreeing with his mother to take depression medications since she thinks that he is.
Carson’s next problem is that he cannot get anyone to write for magazine except Malerie Baggs, who is the epitomy of plagarism. When Malerie slips out a secret that she knows about the head cheerleader and the former student turned football coach, things take a turn. Carson begins to blackmail the whole football team, the cheerleaders, and any other people whose secrets he can learn to get them to write for his magazine. The students are extremely upset with Carson, but are too scared to not write for the magazine because they think that he really will tell the whole school their secrets.
Struck By Lightning: the Carson Phillips Journal has a great plot except it is not written very well. The storyline is compelling and has you turning the pages quickly so that you can find out what happens yet. The only dull part of the book is the section where the actual literary magazine is. I chose to emphasize the plot because of its’ brilliance and how the book was written since it is too “in the head” of the main character at times.
In a way, it is similar to Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, a horrid writing style, but a promising plot except for all of the romance. Struck By Lightning: the Carson Phillips Journal is meant to be a screenplay, not a novel that should be deeply analyzed for metaphors. The book read just like a play, but with more details on the setting than your average script. I suggest that you read this book if you do not mind terribly written monstrosities with a fantastic plot and the perfectly sarcastic view of everything.
... yeah it literally was me.
“High School. Society’s bright idea to put all their aggressive, naive youth into one environment to torment and emotionally scar each other for life.” This quite perfectly encompasses the attitude of the book, Struck By Lightning: the Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer. Carson Phillips is the sarcastic, witty, and brooding main character in the story about a trip through senior year the wish of getting into your dream college. That may seem boring, but Carson finds creative ways to blackmail his peers into helping him get into college.
Carson is hated by almost everyone in Clover High School, a small high school in a tiny town that hardly anyone every escapes. He is head of the writing club and chief editor of the school’s failed newspaper. Carson’s one goal is to get into Northwestern University as journalism major and get out of Clover. His college counselor informs him that his current activities are not enough to get into Northwestern so he decides to create a literary magazine. He gets the money to make the magazine by agreeing with his mother to take depression medications since she thinks that he is.
Carson’s next problem is that he cannot get anyone to write for magazine except Malerie Baggs, who is the epitomy of plagarism. When Malerie slips out a secret that she knows about the head cheerleader and the former student turned football coach, things take a turn. Carson begins to blackmail the whole football team, the cheerleaders, and any other people whose secrets he can learn to get them to write for his magazine. The students are extremely upset with Carson, but are too scared to not write for the magazine because they think that he really will tell the whole school their secrets.
Struck By Lightning: the Carson Phillips Journal has a great plot except it is not written very well. The storyline is compelling and has you turning the pages quickly so that you can find out what happens yet. The only dull part of the book is the section where the actual literary magazine is. I chose to emphasize the plot because of its’ brilliance and how the book was written since it is too “in the head” of the main character at times.
In a way, it is similar to Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, a horrid writing style, but a promising plot except for all of the romance. Struck By Lightning: the Carson Phillips Journal is meant to be a screenplay, not a novel that should be deeply analyzed for metaphors. The book read just like a play, but with more details on the setting than your average script. I suggest that you read this book if you do not mind terribly written monstrosities with a fantastic plot and the perfectly sarcastic view of everything.
ashtonbakerreads's review against another edition
4.0
I laughed out loud many times. This is a quick, fast-paced, hilarious read with a lot of deep insight. The movie is just as amazing!
103115's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
zandrahab1's review against another edition
3.0
this book really just seemed like some boring ya realistic fiction book but toward the halfway point it started to take a turn and the character development really was nice to see. it was also nice to see that not everything goes to plan. unfortunate events aren’t just in real life they’re in books too, they’re called plot twists. and the ending really just shocked me. i think the beginning had a lot of flavor text just getting to know our main character but a lot was too much nonsense and it took me a little while to get into the book because it was a bit boring up until about 100 pages in (as is the case for most books i’ve read so far) i think im going to watch the movie for this sometime
ainsley_b2's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aleyslays's review against another edition
4.0
I almost felt betrayed in a way, knowing the sun would rise again the next day.
livculture's review against another edition
5.0
I came to this book via the glee route when I first started the show and did that thing where you google all of your faves and see what they got up to before the show. This find was not a disappointing one. Carson is perfectly grumpy and macabre but remains witty and a narrator that carries the story along in a fab way. This book is so funny but the sad parts are so frustrating, what you doing to me Colfer?!?! All in all, this book is brill.
nannasa16's review against another edition
3.0
2.5
mi ha tenuto compagnia durante un viaggio in treno (dato che mia madre aveva ficcato "il trono di spade" in fondo alla valigia çWç) e non è male, anzi, Chris Colfer è davvero simpaticissimo e un sacco di battute mi hanno fatto morire dal ridere, solo che non riesco a vederlo come un "vero libro" mi sembra soltanto la sceneggiatura di una commedia davvero ben fatta (che dovrò vedere presto).
Secondo me il film sarà decisamente meglio del libro.
mi ha tenuto compagnia durante un viaggio in treno (dato che mia madre aveva ficcato "il trono di spade" in fondo alla valigia çWç) e non è male, anzi, Chris Colfer è davvero simpaticissimo e un sacco di battute mi hanno fatto morire dal ridere, solo che non riesco a vederlo come un "vero libro" mi sembra soltanto la sceneggiatura di una commedia davvero ben fatta (che dovrò vedere presto).
Secondo me il film sarà decisamente meglio del libro.