Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Release date: May 8, 2012
Pages: 373

Summary: Mia Price has been struck by lightning countless times. Because of this, she has a constant feeling of being…charged. There’s a heat inside of her that begs to be released. After a magnitude 8.9 earthquake hits Los Angeles, Mia puts aside her odd affliction to help her family recover from the devastation. The world has gone through a huge change: many earthquake survivors have allied themselves with the Prophet, a man who believes the world will end very, very soon. Others join the Seekers, who aim to prevent the apocalypse. When Mia heads back to school, she discovers that both groups want her to become their ally. But why? What’s so special about Mia?

My thoughts: Struck reads just like a film, so it’s no surprise to hear that Jennifer Bosworth is a screenwriter. She paints a picture of a near-apocalyptic Los Angeles so vivid that it seems real. Her writing style is charged with energy, and the pacing is thus quite quick. This is all very fitting for Struck, which has an explosive concept and a very short timeframe (the story takes place over three or four days). Despite the high energy, Struck still feels very carefully planned out. Events unfold with ample time given for reader understanding, which is great—especially considering just how much there is to explain. This is where I get to gush about Bosworth’s creativity: readers, this author has an incredible mind. The concepts of the Followers and Seekers (and the conflict between them), not to mention the earthquake’s cause itself, are all unlike anything I ever expected from Struck (in a good way, of course). You’ll be pleasantly surprised (like I was) by Bosworth’s blending of reality and supernatural.

The one thing that Struck doesn’t pay quite enough attention to is character development. Mia is, unfortunately, not very memorable. Perhaps this is because the story is so focused on propelling forward that there isn’t much time to look back on her history; perhaps it’s because she just doesn’t seem to have much personality in her narration. Either way, Mia is a bit of a disappointment. Similarly, the mysterious Jeremy flashes in and out of the story with little time for us to grasp him as a person.

But don’t let the average characters turn you away form Struck. It’s still a perfectly enjoyable read, especially for those who don’t worry too much about forming attachments to characters, and instead prefer to enjoy a darn good story. Because that’s what Struck is: a darn good story. Jennifer Bosworth will certainly hook readers with her thrill-ride of a debut novel. She certainly has a fan in me.

4/5 stars
For those who like: Apocalypse stories, supernatural stuff, thrillers
Source: received from publisher for review. Thanks!