The Lightning Circle

by Vikki VanSickle, Laura K. Watson (Illustrator)

An intimate coming-of age novel for teens, told in verse with delicate line art, chronicling the beauty, magic and transformative power of summer camp, for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Judy Blume.

After having her heart broken, seventeen-year-old Nora Nichols decides to escape her hometown and take a summer job as an arts and crafts counsellor at an all-girls' camp in the mountains of West Virginia. There, she meets girls and women from all walks of life with their own heartaches and triumphs. Immersed in this new camp experience, trying to form bonds with her fellow counselors while learning to be a trusted adviser for her campers, Nora distracts herself from her feelings, even during the intimate conversations around the nightly campfires. But when a letter from home comes bearing unexpected news, Nora finds inner strength in her devastation with the healing power of female friendship. Presented as Nora's camp journal, including Nora's sketches of camp life, scraps of letters, and spare poems, The Lightning Circle is an intimate coming-of-age portrait.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Coming Of Age, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2024

About the author

Reader, writer, Taurus. My work ranges from cozy mysteries featuring snarky detectives to contemporary middle grade fiction to magical, storytime-ready picture books. I am always exploring a new writing era.

Currently, I live and work in Toronto. Everything I do, I do for my cat.

Reviews

[andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out March 26, 2024 - thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advanced copy!

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This was my first novel in verse and the experience was so much fun.

This is a story about seventeen year old Nora (soon to be Nova) who decides to spend her summer as a camp counselor so she can put the boy that broke her heart in her rearview window.

This book was all female friendship and how summer feels so contained and important to being young. This story explored Nora evolving into her camp identity of Nova, how she comes out of her shell. How she watches her charges grow up, sometimes faster than they realize they should.

This felt like nostalgia in a read and it felt like you could almost TASTE the s'mores and smell the sunscreen.

I loved this.

The only thing that would have made it better is if it were queer, which is the direction that I thought it was going.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a stunning escape. A vacation to girlhood and simplicity and was written so sweetly and with so much care.
(Context: This was recommended for girls at our local shelter and I was reading for situational appropriateness and TWs, but was absolutely surprised at the depth and soul of this)

[Lauren | Wordsbetweenlines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written and drawn YA coming of age story that is told in verse.

I have never read anything quite like this and I mean that in the best way. The short form verses tell so much with every word and the illustrations tied it all together.

It felt like we lived the whole summer at camp with Norah and the rest of the crew.

It brought back so many coming of age memories and how important all the little moments are.

I highly recommend this if you like coming of age stories, verse or graphic novels. It was a beautiful amalgamation of all of them to me.

Thank you tandem collective and tundra books for the book and the read along 🤍

[Grace (taylor’s version:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and nostalgic for a summer I haven’t experienced before

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me so sad that I didn't go to summer camp. Seriously. It's so nostalgic and magic and so heartfelt. This teen novel written in verse is loosely based off the author's experiences being a teen counselor at a summer camp and it's so charming. Fraught with teenage emotion and wonder - it's ode to growing up and to female friendship. Filled with little illustrations, this novel in verse is a quick read. Loved it. Sign me up for working at a sleepaway camp next summer please!

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kara says
I give other people's words
too much weight.

Maybe the problem is
that some people
don't give them enough.

3.5⭐️

I loved the overall vibe and aesthetic of this novel-in-verse. Very summery and quaint and charming.

The book introduces characters from different walks of life as well as the healing and transformative power of camp. However, I wished it went into greater depth into some of the issues it highlighted e.g. eating disorders and other common struggles faced by teen girls.

Not your conventional read for sure. I can't put it into words properly but this is a book to be experienced and felt.

But how do I teach them
to go out into the world,
to take risks,
to fall in love?

I went out on that limb
everyone is always talking about,
and I'm still recovering
from the fall.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful coming-of-age story told in verse. I read this in one sitting and didn’t want it to end. The story-telling is smooth and rhythmic and lovely. The illustrations make the perfect compliment to the poems. And I love the nod to “What My Mother Doesn’t Know” by Sonya Sones - another lovely novel in verse.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

Publication date: 26 Mar 2024

[✨Veruca✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a camper and a camp counsellor, this book hit very close to home on the best way possible. It was very honest, heartfelt and true to the spirit of summer camp and the family that camp provides. Overall, I truly loved it and I can’t wait to attend the book launch🫶🫶🫶

[Tamara | TheBookAssassin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another school book but this one was good cause I got to pick it! Cozy summer camp vibes, friendship, and girl power :)

I really loved the illustrations and the poem style. Very different than my usual reads. I was skeptical at first but I finished it in 2 hours.

[Emily Ramsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly nostalgic if you have ever worked at an overnight summer camp! Read it all in one sitting!

[virginiatingley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I lounge outside in my camp chair with a blanket wrapped around me, soaking in the early, cool sun of April and wishing it was July and August, this is the perfect book to read.

I adored how it captures the spirit of summer camp and the aching feelings of being a young woman. The illustrations are simple and gorgeous. I really love this.

[Amalfi Disla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un libro muy bonito 😍 las ilustraciones son dignas de enmarcar todas y el hecho de ser una novela en verso, eleva la historia.

Siento que el libro está muy bien para adolescentes, tiene muy lindo mensaje.

--

It is a very beautiful book 😍 the illustrations are worthy of marking all of them and the fact that it is a novel in verse elevates the story. I feel that the book is very good for teenagers, it has a very nice message.

[Roanna25 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very modern Judy Blume.

[AK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt nostalgic, despite me not having any camp experiences myself. I loved the strong female friendships that are built, and tested, and made stronger by life happening around them.

I love the snippets we get of Nora's life at home and the short snapshots of the other girls' experiences and lives. Everything is depicted in a way that kind of feels like magic and love all wrapped up for you.

I would definitely try another Vikki VanSickle book in the future. This was a delight!

TW: mentions anorexia, bullying

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5

Finished copy gifted by Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

all girls camp, a story about girlhood, being a child, being an adult, trying to recapture one or bypass and skip to the next. Longing for what was, excited for what's next. a story of girlhood, delicate and thorny, headstrong and shifting. of Kinship. of sisterhood. of nostalgia while you're still in the moment.

really wholesome and makes me whish i had this experience. even the boy-problem was unrequited love, not abuse or cheating or something violent.

Feel good book.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will bring back forgotten girlhood memories of summer camp, firsts, and girlhood friendships. Not everything is innocence and game fires though, one counselor struggles with an eating disorder, another is escaping boy problems. One camper proclaims she has been having sex for a year another gets her first period. At its heat is a story of finding your way and changing as you grow up.

[Michele M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lightning Circle is a teen story written in prose about a young camp counselor. It is told in beautiful prose and is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. It reminded me of my time as both a camper and a counselor. I definitely recommend this one if you were a former camper!

[Hailey Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this during the summer, as I think I would have enjoyed it even more - I’m very much a mood reader! But one other review said a modern Judy Blume and that’s honestly the best description.

[Brianna Kinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable, quick summer read!

[Read by Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a book of poetry than a novel in verse, the main character works as a summer camp counsellor for one summer where she heals heartbreak amidst a group of female counsellors and campers. Age 14+

[Jade qcbooklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75

Beautifully written and so easy to read. The graphics were real pretty and the story was adorable

[Character Building Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lightning Circle by Vikki Vansickle is a coming-of-age story about young women at a girls’ summer camp who wrestle with significant problems and find strength and solidarity within the community they build. Nora narrates the story’s prose-poetry, and from the outset, she presents herself as an unlikely camp counselor, leaving behind her fancy clothes, bubble baths, and a boy with whom she shares a mysterious history. Within days, she finds herself embraced and accepted by the other counselors. Once the campers arrive, she is stretched and challenged but also supported by her thirteen-year-old cabin charges who navigate challenges from homesickness to first periods, rejection from private school yo falls from horseback. Nora, or Nova, as she renamed herself, encourages, accepts, and stands beside them, knitting herself to them in real ways. When she gets the letter she’s been hoping for from the boy back home, her girls rally around her, giving her all the compassion and strength she has given them all summer.

I love everything about this book. It is a gentle book, a descriptor that scares many agents and editors, but as a teacher of middle school and high school students for over 25 years, I know we need more gentle books that show kids how to handle real problems in real-life ways, treating others kindly and finding kindness in others. This story celebrates women and the ways they support and stand by one another in good times and bad. Ms. Vansickle has not only given us a hero in Nora, but also in every counselor and camper at Camp Cradle Rock. She shows us courage and resilience in every character, and she encourages readers to be the same authentic, brave, and caring people she presents in the story.
This story would be an excellent choice for book reports, small group reading activities, or to be a part of a classroom library. While the campers are younger teens, the counselors are older, making this a perfect fit for young women from the age of 13 through adults. Whether you are a gurl reader or love a girl reader, this is a novel to add to your collection.

[Corrin V · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. Themes of friendship, growth and dealing with change. All characters are female. There is some girl talk about sex but does not go into much detail. Suitable for ages 13+

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. The poetry is lovely, the illustrations are simple but evocative, and the inner lives of girls and the cusp of womanhood are so accurate. I wish I'd had a Camp Rim Rock!

[Evie Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lightning Circle is a sun-speckled love letter to girlhood. This short, sweet-as-honey read will warm the heart of anyone who has ever had the joy of being on the brink of womanhood, free as a bird, at summer camp. The laughter, the tears, the bickering, s'mores - The memories. This book has it all.

[Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lightning Circle wraps around you like a blanket of nostalgia and Summer's spent away at camp. It's a beautiful coming of age story with beautiful illustrations and wonderful narrative poetry. I truly enjoyed the flow of the poetry, the way you get to see Nora Nichol's narrative transforms through bits of poetry. I'm so glad I got to put time aside and finish it in one sitting, allowing myself to let the moments I highlighted sink in. I was left with wanting the book to be longer, to see Nora after camp. And read about her coming home. But still, beautiful book and as an adult, I truly enjoyed it wish I would have read this as a teen.

Thank you Netgalley & Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Tiera Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am absolutely smitten with this book! I love how it is written in verse with some pages devoted to adorable drawings. I love how it gives me all the feels from attending a summer camp and the close friendships made there. I adore this book!

Thank you, Netgally!

[Juliette Huot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this novel to be a great representation of what it feels like to be a young girl interacting with other young girls. It was a delight to read and the illustrations are simply beautiful!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needing a break from her life at home, Nora Nichols takes a job as a counselor at Camp Cradle Rock, an all-girls sleep away camp in West Virginia. Between getting to know her fellow counselors over long talks around the campfire and mentoring the 13-year-olds assigned to her cabin, Nora is given the opportunity contemplate who she is as a person and what makes her strong, especially when an unexpected letter arrives from home. The Lightning Circle is written as Nora’s camp journal and features sketches (illustrations by Laura K. Watson) she completes throughout the summer.

VanSickle has expertly captured the summer camp experience. This book is steeped in nostalgia. If you have ever been to a sleep away camp, reading this novel will bring you right back to your time there from bunks with “plastic pancake” mattresses to swim tests and dining hall meals. I found myself fondly reminiscing over my own summers at camp on many occasions while reading.

As a novel-in-verse, The Lightning Circle has a beautiful poetic flow to its writing that helps to build the atmosphere of the story. Nora’s line art sketches also add to the reading experience—giving readers visuals of the characters as well as places and things around the camp.

I read The Lightning Circle in one sitting. It drew me in from the start and didn’t let me go until I was finished. I do wish it was longer though as there were plot points I would have liked to further explore. I gave this book 4 ½ stars and I will absolutely be recommending it to my friends—especially the ones who went to camp with me—when it comes out on March 26th, 2024!

Lost in the Shelves Book Blog

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Summary
Nora is a seventeen-year-old girl who is new to being a camp counselor. She is escaping her regular life for a summer of distraction. Along the way she finds comradery with her fellow camp counselors and lessons from the girls she helps care for. This is a story written in the form of poetry.

Big Picture Plot
Summer camp is a place where girls come together and discover sisterhood and adventure. A group of camp counselors and camp girls explore what it means to be a girl, a woman, a friend, and a dreamer; all from the perspective of Nora.

Individual Character Musings
Nora is heartbroken and appears to lack confidence in herself and her ability to be a good camp counselor. Along the way she develops her sense of self, finds confidence, and struggles as a teen in a group of different personalities.

My Take
I must not have read very closely and began this book without the knowledge that it would be a set of poetic musings from a seventeen-year-old girl at an all-girls summer camp. I felt really connected to the story, but also felt so disconnected. This book made me want to be a teen girl again and go to summer camp; but also made me so thankful I am out of that stage of life. VanSickle greatly captured the beauty of being a teen girl.


Would I Recommend?
I would recommend this to most people, especially girls and women. It was such a quick read (less than one hour) and took me on a trip down memory lane and through many emotions.


Rating: 4 stars