Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer - Paul's Review

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My Pre Reading

Title: Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal
Author: Chris Colfer
Year Published: 2012

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. 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 felt like it was a written adaptation of a film. And, it was. I still haven't seen the film, but after reading this I still want to. The character played by Rebel Wilson was written just like she usually delivers dialogue. She's one of the funniest young actresses out there, but reading it just isn't the same as watching it. The book itself even included pictures from the film. The descriptions of the characters weren't very detailed within the book. 

I am unsure in exactly what order this book and the film were created. The book was sold as if it was written before the movie, but it seems like it was an afterthought. 

I should get to the actual story, though. Carson Phillips is kind of an unlikable character. He doesn't treat his fellow students well, even though he sees himself as an outcast. The rest of the characters appear to be stock high school cliches, but by the end they each develop in interesting ways. 

I like how Carson Phillips blackmails all these nonwriters and forces them to write things for him. Towards the end of the book, you even get to see some of their writing. 

I don't understand why the title of this book was chosen. I see how it fits, but unless the big even is done differently in the movie, it seems like a sloppy reveal. 

I give this book a 3/5. It is a typical high school outcast story with some interesting characters and a witty voice. If you are a fan of Chris Colfer, you should definitely pick this one up. 

-PAUL

Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer - Paul's Pre Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal
Author: Chris Colfer
Year Published: 2012

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. 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.

Why?: Chris Colfer is best known for his role of Kurt Hummel on Glee. He has ventured outside his acting realm and into writing. I read his first book, the middle-grade The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. Although it was definitely written on a middle-grade level, I enjoyed it. Colfer's next creative endeavor was to write and act in his own original movie. That movie was then made into this young adult novel. Since the film was limited release I was not able to catch it in theaters. So, I decided to read the book first. 

Expectations:  I expect something more mature than his prior novel. I expect it to have the flow of a high school movie. I'm hoping for a diverse cast of characters. I've seen some publicity shots and the book itself has pictures in it, so I already have an idea of how some of the characters look in the movie. 

Judging a book by its cover: I like this cover. The literary elements of the book are shown with the pencil and paper. The broken pencil that looks like a lightning bolt is intriguing. Chris Colfer is also on the cover. It's always weird to have a character on the cover because I then think of how that character looks while reading, but with this book imaging Chris Colfer in this role is inevitable.  

-PAUL