Release Date: 8th May, 2012Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 373pgs
The Story
Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.
Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she haws a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.
Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn't who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.
The Review
A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!
As soon as I began reading the opening lines of STRUCK, I knew I was going to love it no matter what the book was going to throw at me next. Even the main character, Mia Price, could strike me down with some lethal lightning of her own and I would still want more and more of this book. I just couldn't get enough of it. I mean, just by judging this book by its cover - both beautiful and striking to the human eye - and the storyline itself, you knew it would be a whole ball of fun for the reader and after physically reading the book . . . it only proved to be worth its true greatness and I can definitely guarantee readers that this book will be filled with plenty of awesomesauce and trust me here . . . it will deliver. Not only was this book twisty, edgy and hella crazy, but it was also completely original and that's as good as it can get!
What really drew me into this book was the girl in question. Mia Price. With her being a lightning addict and all, I knew I needed to read this book. I mean, who in their right mind would want to be "struck" down by lightning? Mia Price, obviously. But the main question I was asking myself repetitively was this one right here: Who in their right mind would want their own character to be damn right crazy and be "struck" down by lightning? Jennifer Bosworth - that's who! Mia Price, the main heroine, has a strong connection to the storms that caused a major earthquake that devastated the entire city of L.A., and she doesn't know why. But when two cults are rising to power and claim they have the answers she has been looking for, Mia is interested. But when the alluring Jeremy arrives and warns her to stay away from the two cults, the young Mia will soon need to question where her real loyalities lie because her loved ones and not to mention the world depends on her final decision. Because if either cult discover her true power and use it . . . she could either save the world or destroy it!
Mia Price is the leading star of this striking tale and she's the kind of character I cared a great deal for because I couldn't help but love everything about her. She's incredibly strong, intelligient, caring, and above everything else she's a survivor. Honestly, what's not to love? Jennifer Bosworth does such an amazing job in developing Mia's character from start to finish and I'm not kidding here because she has not only managed to grow her character to her full potential but she has also portrayed Mia's character in a realistic light while giving her some extra flaws along the way as well. Good and human flaws that we all can relate to on some level. I love a lot of female heroines in my past times but Mia is definitely one to trifle with.
Throughout the book, Mia is introduced to a variety of colourful characters, ones with their own minds, beliefs and agendas that always made a great impact on the storyline's turnpoints. Especially the evil preacher ones . . . they were the best things ever. One of the most honourable mentions of supporting characters goes to Mia's brother, Parker, whom was a perfect contrast to Mia's character. He's a young teenage boy who might have a lot of things to learn, but I loved his sensitive personality and the ways of wanting to help out everyone around him whenever the chance arises, and I really admired that side of his character. I really did. He maybe naive to understand Mia on how she just wants to move on with her life, hide her secret and protect him from all of the evils of the new world, but without Jeremy I think we wouldn't have such a strong Mia Price so Parker . . . we love you dearly and your sensitive side.
Another character I deeply loved was the mysterious and alluring, Jeremy, a boy whom later becomes Mia's potential love interest. While I was attracted to his character, but he always had me questioning him on whether he should be trusted or not. But damn - I loved this boy so much! There were plenty of reasons to not trust him, but in the end he really came through and made things interesting and shocking. Sure, there weren't exactly sexy romantic scenes in this novel but the connection shared between the two of them - Mia and Jeremy - was absolutely outstanding and I could see why they ended up falling for each other . . . even though they took their damn time to form a relationship. But moving past that, I really loved and admired Jeremy's character and he was an awesome person with a heart full of gold. So fangals . . . trust me you're going to love him!
Overall and without revealing spoilers, I thought Jennifer Bosworth has created a mind-blowing debut novel and she's very gifted in her storytelling! Both cleverly written, intense, fast-paced, action-packed and containing all sorts of awesomeness that readers can appreciate, I can definitely guarantee you that this book is going to become a classic hit with young adult readers! With a city in chaos, two rival cults battling each other to get what they want and with an average-but-somewhat-very-strong young woman whom holds the key to how the world will end . . . if you're looking for something crossing between the likes of X-men and Dark Angel, or are looking for a very daring post-apocalyptic world awaiting for Doomsday to finally hit (you gotta love the doomsday element), then STRUCK is you're kind of read for sure!
The Rating
4 1/2 / 5 stars
