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Book Jacket

The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors:
A Novel
by Michele Young-Stone

Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books
Publication date: 04/13/2010.
Novels, 384 pp.

Number of reader reviews: 21
Readers' Consensus: 4.5
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First Impressions: Page 1 of 3
Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Karen L. (Troy, IL)

The Handbook for Lightening Strike Survivors
The author had me drawn in from page 1. The characters were easy to get to know, the story line kept moving and you wanted to know more. The title doesn't do the book justice...I know if I had not received this ARC I would not have bought this book just because of the title. Found the blurbs between chapters interesting and in some cases very informative. Great book... get past the title.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Iris F. (W. Bloomfield, Michigan)

The Handbook for Lightening Strike Survivors
I loved this book!!! I was hooked within minutes and was totally engrossed with the two stories that ran parallel to each other regarding Rebecca and Buckley. Their characters were well defined as were the others that rounded out their stories. The author's craftsmanship was apparent throughout. With few words she was able to convey so much, she was never trite, and the story was never predictable. I hated to see this book end, but look forward to future works by this author.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Karen R. (Columbus, OH)

Great First Novel
I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, with very good character development. I enjoyed how the story was interspersed with pages from the book The Handbook for Lightning Strike survivors. The characters, while flawed, were very interesting and have stayed with me and in my thoughts even after I was done reading the novel. I highly recommend this book.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Susan F. (Rabun Gap, GA)

Lightning Strikes Perfection
The title of this book gives no hint of its literary pleasures. Reminiscence of authors such as Anne Tyler and Connie May Fowler, the first time author, Michele Young-Stone, sweeps us away in an engrossing tale of 2 ordinary young people, bound by the randomness of lightning strikes. I was immediately drawn into the book and found its plot and ending most engrossing. It's wonderful plot twists were well thought out and satisfying. The characters, especially Becca and Buckley, were very well developed and personally engaging. I will be letting my book club know about this fine new book.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Claire M. (Hilton Head, SC)

A Perfect Strike
Read this book! I was hooked from page one and the characters just grew on me, even the unsympathetic. The parallel stories of Buckley and Becca were destined to connect at some point and the plotting drove it forward. I had not thought about lightning stricken survivors and was fascinated by how different strikes can be and how survivors adapted. In the beginning Becca’s father infuriated me with his indifference but learning that people often don’t believe the survivor was intriguing. If it hasn’t happened to you or you haven’t seen it happen what can it be like? Strike survivor Young-Stone has written a highly engaging story of the randomness with which lightning and life strike. A minor quibble about the ending being predictable doesn't dissuade me from telling Book Clubbers, young adults and everyone who loves a well told story to READ THIS BOOK.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Jane N. (Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey)

The Handbook-Great Story
This is a wonderful love story, but not in the traditional sense. The story is told through the lives of the two main characters, Buckley and Becca. It is the story of these two trying to fit into their particular world and how they come together to find their place. The handbook is interwoven through the book and at times is distracting, however for the most part it works well. If you are looking for a good book discussion book, this will work beautifully. I fell in love with these characters and would love to read about them in another book.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Barbara F. (Santa Rosa, CA)

Lightning Strikes
The Handbook for Survivors of Lightning Strike Survivors is a well written, sympathetic but not sentimental, book about the coming of age of two distinctly different people. Lighting strikes, both real and metaphorical, provide the structure of the book. Lighting strikes can happen to anyone at anytime and it is not only the direct victim who suffers the consequences. It all adds up to a compelling read. This book will be a great Book Club selection with so many points of view to explore.

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