Meg-A Readers: When Lightening Strikes Review

Meg-A Readers 2013

My FIRST Meg Cabot Book

I was about to start 5th grade in 2003 when I discovered the amazing author Meg Cabot. Our local library had a program where you earned prizes for reading a certain amount of pages/books depending on your grade. I remember that I was trying to find a book at the library because I was a few books away from whatever prize I wanted. Searching the shelves I picked up the first book of the 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU series and decided to read it. It was devoured in one night. I went back and borrowed the rest of the series from the library and read it all that summer. I eventually purchased them because I loved re-reading the story. The Princess Diaries series was the next series I started and now I own all of these as well. I continued to follow her book releases and have read almost all of her young adult series. Since this is the book that started my currently vast collection of Meg Cabot novels I wanted to review it. I'm quite sure my opinions have changed as a now college junior from a then elementary fifth grader. But this remains my favorite of all Meg Cabot's series because it was my first and I still love picking it up to read, though I read it much faster now because I tend to rush to the parts I love!

The Goodreads Blurb: Jess Mastriani has never been what you'd call a typical Midwestern teenager—her extracurricular activities, instead of cheerleading or 4-H, include fist-fights with the football team and month-long stints in detention. A part of Jess would like to be the prom queen her mother has always envisioned her being, but another part is secretly counting the days until she's saved up enough money to buy her own Harley. Then something happens that guarantees Jess will be one of the in-crowd...at least until her newfound talent ends up getting her dead.


Jess Mastriani was my role model then and ten years later I still love her. She has a fiery personality, is intensely loyal, and has an strong moral compass. I'm from the midwest and I strongly relate to her for that, as well as many other personal reasons. I feel she is character that many can make connections with. Jess also became an example that taught me many life lessons. She teaches never to back down from what you believe in, fix your mistakes, and put family first. All things that I still believe today! The first book strongly sets the premise that the rest of the books follow, which is to be expected. But it does it in a subtle way. In many series authors often make the first book an information dump, but Meg Cabot skillfully introduces us to the key characters, sets up the themes for the series, and tells an amazing story. When Lightning Strikes sets up relationships that the reader becomes very involved in, or at least I do! The book leaves you wanting to know whats next for Jess, as well as several other characters. I think that Jess's newfound talent was also a very unique thing. I had never read another book like this when I first read it, and even now I can't think of another book quite like it. If you haven't already go read the 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU series. They are quick reads that tell a compelling, unique, and memorable story. Check out When Lightning Strikes on Goodreads or Amazon!!!