Review: Struck by Lightning

Struck by Lightning
by Chris Colfer

Plot Summary:

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.

Review:

This book is made up of Carson Phillips' journal entries, some newspaper articles and a literary journal to tell the story.  Carson's darkly sarcastic voice is very entertaining and so funny, as he tries his hardest to make something of his life despite what sounds like the worst high school in existence.  Teenage angst and prejudice and cruelty is very much in evidence, but Carson's lighting wit tears through the superficial layers of the characters and reveals a lot of heart in even the most unlikable characters.  Although Carson is the hero of the story, he has his flaws as well, and although it does seem justified compared to the flaws of his fellow classmates, it grounds the story by making it feel like a realistic study in character.

The story is mostly character-driven, because it is about Carson's underhanded efforts to get into Northwestern University, and how he uncovers the secrets of some of his popular fellow students, and Carson is the one who really carries the story.  Don't expect alot of plot or even many twists and turns (except for the secrets the students are hiding).  The only thing I had trouble with was the ending, which seemed so unexpected and I found it hard to understand why it had to end that way.  But I know this is a personal preference, and it really doesn't change how very enjoyable I found the whole of the story.

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Review: The Wishing Spell

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
by Chris Colfer

Plot Summary:

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales.

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

Expectations:

So I'm a Gleek, and Kurt played by Chris Colfer is one of my favorite characters on the show.  I really admire Chris' acting and singing ability, so the fact that he is also a writer does not surprise me as he is obviously ridiculously talented.  And even though this book is more geared towards middle school readers, I love the premise and was really looking forward to reading this!

Review:

This book does what I have wanted to see in a fairy tale redone story for a long time - it mixes up many different fairy tales and makes their characters interact - the stories have become real histories. Chris Colfer creates a world that has a believable government system and meshes the various characters and creatures from well known fairy tales so that they live side by side and gives them detailed backstories. The twins who fall into the Land of Stories, Alex and Conner, are fantastic guides for us on our journey through this world. Alex is the smart one, and a real fan of the fairy tale characters, while Conner is more down to earth, and wryly funny as he usually saves the day when the twins get into a scrape.

The beginning of the novel sets up the main conflicts - one concerning Snow White and the real motivations behind the Evil Queen's actions, and Alex and Conner's family life which has been recently disrupted by the death of their father.  There are character arcs and revelations that are obvious almost from the beginning (of course Alex and Conner will come to grips with their lives back home after sojourning through the Land of Stories, and of course the Evil Queen was not always evil) but the real charm in this novel comes in the way the many different fairy tales are reimagined and recreated.  I probably appreciated this book all the more because I am such a fan of fairy tales myself, and Alex's feelings towards them almost mirror my own.  For that, I think this novel is exceptional and a beautifully written tribute to the magic of fairy tales.

As a side note, there is a map in the endpaper of the book, and lovely illustrations that head each chapter (it kind of reminded me of Harry Potter) and weirdly enough, I just loved the feel of the pages! This book looks and feels nice. Sorry, I just needed to gush on a well-made book.