Review by Booklist Review
Three years after their middle-school friendship unraveled, a catastrophic storm pulses through New York City, and Tiny, Lu, Will, and Nathaniel are forced together again upon a roof where lightning strikes them, the kind of lightning that cracks with a vengeance . . . the kind that brings with it a courageous, unpredictable magic. As they race through the city afterward, their innermost fears and worries seem to turn into realities. Tiny swears she's beginning to disappear; Lu's literally numb to everything, not just wishing she was; Will's physical features are as unstable as his feelings; and Nathaniel has become who he's always thought he wanted to be: as perfect as his brother. As the storm continues to brew, the quartet begin to understand themselves and the events that have brought them together again. The universal theme of this fantasy-tinged coming-of-age tale is conveyed through third-person chapters that alternate focus among the characters, flashbacks that unravel the event that tore them apart, and a touch of mystery and magic. Most readers will choose to believe in the unbelievable.--Oppelt, Meghan Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Davies (the Beautiful Dark trilogy) offers a heady story of four once-close friends finding their way back to each other during a "stormpocalypse" in New York City, the night before they take their SATs. Nathaniel is a science whiz living in the shadow of his dead older brother; Will, formerly overweight, is now a popular soccer star; Lu, a theater kid, buries her many hurts; and Tiny, Lu's (supposed) best friend, feels insignificant to the point of invisible. During a chance encounter on a rooftop during a party, the four are struck by lightning and survive to find themselves supernaturally transformed in ways connected to their insecurities: Lu feels nothing but numbness, Will suddenly looks like his soccer co-captain, etc. In third-person chapters that flip between her characters' past and present, Davies acutely expresses their innermost feelings, hopes, and vulnerabilities. As these four teens crisscross the city, contemplating who they really are and what makes them worthy of friendship and love, readers will be hard-pressed not to reflect on similar questions themselves. Ages 14-up. Agent: Jessica Regel, Foundry Literary + Media. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-As a monumental thunderstorm threatens New York City, high school juniors Nathaniel, Will, Tiny, and Lu confront their pasts and attempt to make a future together. The four former best friends are thrust together the night before the SATs. Trapped on the roof of Will's home, they are the victims of a lightning strike that leaves each changed in a remarkable way. Seamless weaving of past and present gives readers glimpses into why each character has been transformed by the event. As the teens fight to return to normal in time for the SATs, friendships are rekindled and love rediscovered. Davies creates a fun adventure that will appeal to romantics who wish for a life-altering moment of their own. Nathaniel's superhuman strength and Will's uncontrolled body-morphing are examples of elements that beg readers to let go of reality and buckle up for the ride. The protagonists all realize how precious love is, whether it is for another or oneself, before they are ready to get back to normal. Jumping between present and past keeps the story fresh and fast, sucking in reluctant readers ready for a fun romance. Fans of David Levithan will appreciate the real-life struggles balanced with quirky elements. VERDICT For those who enjoy a touch of magic with their romance.-Carrie Finberg, South Park High School, PA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When lightning strikes four former friends the night before their SATs, each becomes "everything [he or] she had always secretly wanted and yet been so afraid of"; the suddenly-superpowered group reunites in an all-night adventure. In alternating "then" and "now" sections, the protagonists' fears--and the gradually revealed reasons for their estrangement--ring true, even if their motivations are sometimes made overly explicit. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
