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A review by libbytx
Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer
5.0
Chris Colfer brings to life an interesting and unique array of characters in his novel “Struck by Lightning.” The book poked fun at the cliche cast system of high school with dry humor and dark sarcasm while also bringing to light some serious life questions.
“Struck by Lightning” takes place in a small town called Clover - a place that perfectly fits all the cliches of a small town and a small-town high school. Carson Phillips has always dreamed big about his future, and regardless of the ridicule and unlikely chances, had never given up on his dreams. When Carson discovers he needs to publish a literary magazine in order to earn acceptance into his dream college, Carson resorts to blackmailing the most popular kids in school. From there on out, the choices Carson makes unravels a messy, but often times hilarious, chain of events.
I will admit - the only reason I picked up “Struck by Lightning” happens to center around the fact that the movie adaption is one of my favorite movies. In any other circumstance, I would never have taken a second glance at the book. Thank goodness I did read the book though, it now has become one of my favorites. Chris Colfer brought to life and gave a name to the sarcastic, moody teenager hidden inside us all.
A lot of times people use the expression “I couldn’t put the book down” as a way to accentuate what a good book they read, but when I say I couldn’t put “Struck By Lightning” down, I mean it literally. After sitting for three hours I had read the whole book cover to cover. Not once did the plot slow down and never did I feel like Colfer overloaded a chapter with information. From beginning to end, I was intrigued.
The fact that I could not decide if I actually liked Carson Phillips became something that fascinated me throughout the entirety of the novel. He had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor which appealed to me, but overall, he simply was a terrible person. He had no problem exploiting people for his gain, but I just could not will myself hate him. I remained on the edge until the very end of the book. By the time I turned the final page I could not feel any hate or love towards Carson, only pity. Colfer created a character that relates to almost everyone in one way or another, and because the book appears in the form of journal entries, the author cannot sway the reader to like the character more. Liking or hating Carson completely depends on the person reading the book, making “Struck By Lightning” a unique reading experience for every reader.
“Struck by Lightning” takes place in a small town called Clover - a place that perfectly fits all the cliches of a small town and a small-town high school. Carson Phillips has always dreamed big about his future, and regardless of the ridicule and unlikely chances, had never given up on his dreams. When Carson discovers he needs to publish a literary magazine in order to earn acceptance into his dream college, Carson resorts to blackmailing the most popular kids in school. From there on out, the choices Carson makes unravels a messy, but often times hilarious, chain of events.
I will admit - the only reason I picked up “Struck by Lightning” happens to center around the fact that the movie adaption is one of my favorite movies. In any other circumstance, I would never have taken a second glance at the book. Thank goodness I did read the book though, it now has become one of my favorites. Chris Colfer brought to life and gave a name to the sarcastic, moody teenager hidden inside us all.
A lot of times people use the expression “I couldn’t put the book down” as a way to accentuate what a good book they read, but when I say I couldn’t put “Struck By Lightning” down, I mean it literally. After sitting for three hours I had read the whole book cover to cover. Not once did the plot slow down and never did I feel like Colfer overloaded a chapter with information. From beginning to end, I was intrigued.
The fact that I could not decide if I actually liked Carson Phillips became something that fascinated me throughout the entirety of the novel. He had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor which appealed to me, but overall, he simply was a terrible person. He had no problem exploiting people for his gain, but I just could not will myself hate him. I remained on the edge until the very end of the book. By the time I turned the final page I could not feel any hate or love towards Carson, only pity. Colfer created a character that relates to almost everyone in one way or another, and because the book appears in the form of journal entries, the author cannot sway the reader to like the character more. Liking or hating Carson completely depends on the person reading the book, making “Struck By Lightning” a unique reading experience for every reader.