Struck starts with an unusual paranormal twist: Mia Price's powerful attraction to lightning. Add to that a more familiar "girl meets boy" theme, and set it against a backdrop of two warring factions that want to exploit Mia's extraordinary abilities, and debut author Jennifer Bosworth offers a novel with plenty of action.
Mia is not your typical heroine. She enjoys being struck by lightning, feels it in her blood when a good storm nears. Living in a future Los Angeles ravaged by disaster and choked by food and medicine shortages, Mia struggles to keep her family together. Her brother is keeping secrets, and her mother is growing increasingly distant as she becomes obsessed with watching a religious cult leader on television. And then there's the mysterious new boy who catches Mia's attention.
Mia is instantly likable, a strong character who doesn't back down easily. Bosworth's visual imagery makes each scene come alive, and Mia's growing frustration with her family palpable on the page. Although Struck appears to be a stand-alone title, there are enough loose threads that a sequel could connect. Even without some of the questions being fully answered, this debut will certainly resonate with readers looking for something different in the paranormal world. --Sherrie Petersen, children's book reviewer and blogger