Reviews
Gone in a flash I love this book. I had read this book first well over a decade ago as a kid and wanted to pick it up again. Although the odd phrase was outdated for 2021 (it was published in 01) the story was fresh and fun. Jessica isn’t your typical townie but a strong fiesta female lead had me hooked from the beginning. Although you could say a little far fetched Jessica gaining a special gift after being struck by lightning set us up for a whirlwind of action and events. Family life hasn’t been the easiest for Jessica but she really cares for her family and friends which is why she regularly finds herself in detention where we meet the books love interest leather jacket wearing motorcyclist Rob Wilkins. This book is funny, fast paced and had me rooting for the underdogs. Even now giving the middle finger to those in authority makes me enticed by the plot and the book feel relatable. From the humour to the tears I was fully committed to Jessica’s story and can’t wait to continue with the series, following the story, the characters and hoping for more development and adventures as Jessica moves on to the next stage of her life. Being hit by lightning changed Jessica’s life. But a special psychic gift doesn’t take away having to navigate the awkward and ever confusing events of being a teenager.
In late elementary school going into middle school, Meg Cabot (writing under the pen name of Jenny Carroll here) was my FAVORITE author. I devoured her books, reread them over and over, this book included. I think the majority of her books, particularly her early-mid 2000s releases, are very much geared toward that age range. The way it's written in a very conversational, diary-style format, the way the main character makes sexual references without really making sexual references, and the quick pace of the plot certainly mean I have outgrown this book. None of those things are to my taste anymore. I will always remember it fondly for the entertainment I got in my early teenage years, but 20 years after its release, this is no longer really the book for me.
Written by Meg Cabot, this novel follows Jess, who was hit by lightning and now, after seeing a lost person's photo the night before, the next morning knows where they are. Oh, and she is a good girl who gets into fights on behave of her friends and family. So she has a lot of detention and gets to hang out with the "grits", who are the guys from the bad part of town, including Rob, whom she has a crush on. Let's begin with this question: why did I read a book written for pre-teen girls? Well, you see, I have read almost everything else by Meg Cabot (I draw the line at her children's books), so I thought "lets read these so that they can be read". Plus, the library had all of them. I will finish this series. I will. But this really isn't a good book. Oh, the premise is interesting, but the main character is annoying as all get out. I guess that is what teenage girls are like, if they are trying really hard to be something that they are not. The pacing is fast, and this is told as if Jess is writing a statement for the police (which it turns out is actually for the FBI), so I suppose that COULD be forgive, but I don't want to forgive it. I was very disappointed. I was hoping that this would be written like the Mediator series, not the Princess Diaries. My hopes were high, and I will finish the series, but I am disappointed.
