Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris ColferMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal follows the story of outcast high-school senior Carson Phillips who blackmails the most popular students in his school into contributing to his literary journal to bolster his college application; his goal in life is to get into Northwestern and eventually become the editor of The New Yorker.
At once laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously dark, and remarkably smart, Struck by Lightning unearths the dirt that lies just below the surface of high school.
My Review:
Have you ever read a book, then saw the movie and thought the book was better? Have you ever thought the movie was better than the book? I have experienced both in my life, and in this case, it was neither. Both the book and the movie complimented each other so well, that I enjoyed the book better after seeing the movie. It honestly brought my original 3 star rating up to a 4. With that being said, I'd like to congratulate Chris Colfer on a job well done.
At first, I thought Carson's life situation sucked, but many people have survived worse, and he was doing just fine. I thought his sarcasm was believable, and I could definitely relate to his views of high school. Personally, I didn't hate high school, but you couldn't pay me enough to go back there. College on the other hand! Anyways, in the end, it was apparent he hid behind his snarky attitude and worked really hard to keep himself too busy to notice his sucky life. This was sad, and the ending even sadder. I enjoyed how the story got darker towards the end. And that ending?! That is all I will say, I don't want to spoil anything.
I liked Malerie as a supporting character. Although she was immediately portrayed as simple, she was a very strong and loyal person. I enjoyed her even more after seeing the movie. As for all the other characters, they were the epitome of high school, but I enjoyed their submissions to the literary magazine. It showed a deeper side of them that would've been too lengthy to describe in any other part of the book. It kind of makes you think that all those jackasses we knew in high school may actually have had a soul.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone remotely intrigued. I'm interested in checking out some of Chris Colfer's other literary works.
Favorite Quotes:
“You've got to show the world who you are before it tells you. Otherwise you become victim to someone you're not.”
“Whoa, I've really got to stop making plans with fictional characters. It can't be healthy to develop relationships with people who don't exist.”
“...because a life without meaning, without drive or focus, without dreams or goals, isn't a life worth living.”
“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.”
“I'm allergic to stupidity.”
“I don't necessarily consider myself a virgin, probably because I have such a penetrating personality”
“Sometimes for your own sanity you just have to agree with idiocy.”
“Youth is not an excuse for insanity.”
“Laughing at someone's dream was one of the cruelest things a person can do to another.”
Read from June 08 to 09, 2015
Top 5 Genres*: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)
View all my reviews
