Rachel Rambles About Struck By Lightning

Struck By Lightning by Chris Colfer
From Goodreads:
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. At a time when bullying torments so many young people today, this unique and important novel sheds light with humor and wit on an issue that deeply resonates with countless teens and readers.

I had no idea what to expect from this book. All I knew was that the film version looked like it was going to be pretty awesome, and that guy from Glee wrote it. I hadn't read any reviews or anything, so I really didn't know if this was going to be any good.

Struck By Lightning didn't exactly blow me away with its awesomeness or anything, but it was a pretty good book. The main character is a typical outcast kid at school. He's the kid who gets bullied and wants more than anything to get out of the small town he's trapped in. I thought Carson was absolutely hysterical. He was sarcastic and hilarious and bold, and reading from his point of view was a lot of fun.

Even though this book deals with some serious issues, it was mostly just a really funny book. There were so many high school related jokes that I could relate to so perfectly, and I felt like Chris Colfer really got the whole teen angst no one understands me! thing down.

This book is made up of Carson's journal entries, which could have potentially been super cheesy, but I really liked it. It made sense in the story since Carson is a writer, and his voice came out really well in the journals. The reader got to experience his completely unedited thoughts.

Struck By Lightning didn't change my life or anything, but I definitely enjoyed reading it. It was a quick read that had me laughing hysterically on almost every page. Carson's descriptions of his high school and classmates are spot-on, and any kid who has ever felt excluded in school at some point will be able to relate to him easily. 

If you're looking for some excellent teen angst and a quick read that doesn't require too much emotional investment, then I think you should give this book a chance. I can't wait to see the movie! If the trailer is any indication, it's going to be awesome.

-Rachel