In Struck by Jennifer Bosworth, Mia Price, the main character, lives in a near-future Los Angeles devastated by a catastrophic earthquake. Mia has a rather unique, special power - she can survive lightning strikes, and has become addicted to the power of being struck by lightning. She has scars all over her body from being hit by lightning so many times. In the aftermath of the earthquake, she has to deal with a lot. Her mother is unable to cope, so it's up to Mia to keep her family alive. There are also two cults that have rose to power after the disaster, and both have taken an interest in Mia and her power.
Overall, Struck was a good debut novel, but I didn't love it. I liked that that the premise was different from most young adult dystopian novels. I've been put off lately by a lot of young adult novels due to how similar some are to others, so it was nice to read a story with a very unique premise. There are a lot of religious themes, which I didn't mind, but I know religion in books is a touchy subject for some people. While I did like the story and premise, I didn't think the romance, between Mia and her love interest Jeremy, was very believable. It just seemed to happen way too fast rather than developing over the course of the book. Instant-love is a plot device I've become really tired of lately in young adult books.
Despite these flaws, I would still try future books by Jennifer Bosworth. For a first-time author, I think she came up with a really good story/premise and I'd love to see what she does with a bit more writing experience under her belt. If you are looking to read a young adult dystopian novel with a unique premise I'd give this one a try, unless you really hate religious themes.
Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.
1 comment:
I was completely amazed by and in love with Struck from page one! I was first intrigued by Mia and her self-proclaimed addiction to being struck by lightning. That's crazy, but I had to know more about her! Then the setting completely captivated me. It's Los Angeles 4 weeks after the next major earthquake. The city is in ruin, there's looting, tons of homeless people, not enough food, water or medicine to go around. But most interesting of all is the emergence of an extreme religious group led by Rance Ridley Prophet. He apparently predicted the earthquake, which left so many dead and injured, right down to the minute, so his following has grown exponentially! It's amazing what people will believe and cling to in desperate times! As a Californian who knows all about the impending "Big One," I couldn't help but be drawn into this possible future.
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