THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL

THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL by Stacy McAnulty

Middle grade read The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty is an interesting read. Lucy Callahan was a normal girl UNTIL she was struck by lightning. Due to some "brain damage" from the strike she is a savant. Extremely gifted in math, her brain talks to her in numbers all the time until her OCD kicks in, and she does a repetition of 3 actions such as tapping or sitting and standing to quiet her brain. She also feels the need to Clorox wipe everything she comes in contact with. Lucy lives with her Nana and has been homeschooled. Due to her condition and her dislike of public places, all her social connections have been on a math chat group. Lucy's Nana and uncle (recently returned from the military and a slight father figure in Lucy's life) decide it's time for her to enter the world of 7th grade public school. Between her repetitions of 3 and wiping everything down, Lucy knows she is already going to be at a disadvantage with the other students. She decides to hide her math gift until she's a part of a group project where she knows she can make a difference. This middle grade novel is full of the usual predictable, current trend subjects such as bullying and the love of dogs at the local pet shelter. I can honestly say there was a point where I was ready to move on to another book. However, this one saved itself towards the end with how all the threads come together. It was the under lying theme of needing saved and saving that probably kept me going. It's deeper than friendship.

HEADS UP - one of the students has 2 moms. That is all that is said about it.