Thunderstruck: #1 in the 47 Floor Series

by Alie Summers, Karen Brosinsky (Illustrator), Randall Andrews (Editor)

In a dystopian world where genetically impaired children are removed from their homes and educated in an existence where they will be raised to become conscripted into the service of society, Arlo discovers that implants have been added to the children of The Tower to keep them from remembering their past and wanting for more. With help from the kids of the Tower, and kids from the Embassy, Arlo becomes the center of a revolution.

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 27, 2019

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Arlo is a fascinating protagonist, and he lives in an equally fascinating world. The book investigates how its dystopian society exploits underprivileged and special needs individuals (a concept that is particularly relevant to the world we currently live in). The various characters that Arlo encounters on his adventure are interesting and complex, with their own agendas and points of view. The pace is staccato-fast, which kept the pages turning. I appreciate a story that explores the gray areas in between the black and white moral choices, and this story didn't disappoint. The first book in a series, Thunderstruck only scratches at the surface of its larger world, with plenty of opportunity to broaden its scope and exploration. I'm excited to see how the series progresses in the next book!

[Rebecca Hefner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great dystopian YA novel. I don't read a ton of YA but am, of course, familiar with The Hunger Games and I think fans of that series and others like it will really enjoy this book. Arlo is our hero and the story is told from his POV. I felt immediately drawn to him. Living in his world with a disability is not easy, compounded by the fact that memories of his past are nonexistent. Enter Imma, our lovely heroine, who is eager to help Arlo uncover everything about his past. Their love story was probably my favorite part of the book. They eventually are torn apart, leaving an opening for their story to develop more in the next book. A great setup for the future series. YA lovers, add this to your TBR ASAP!

[Frank Darbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alie Summers, Thunderstruck, drew me into her novel with excellent characters, tight plotting, and a well realized Dystopia. Her clear writing style and well realized characters made “Thunderstruck” a good, fast read. I had not read her work before, so I went in with few expectations. What I found in this book primes me for the next book in the series that I hope she releases soon.
The author stays close to first Pearson deepPOV. The reader appears to ride in the head of the protagonist, watching through the POV’s eyes. Making her POV character near non-verbal, startled me but her use of deepPOV put me in the characters head and carried me with the stories. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy dystopia fiction.

[Cedrick Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I would like to mention that usually when we talk about diversity and inclusion we think about race and never bring up those with disabilities. It's refreshing to see that the main character Arlo is mute.

Now, I'll focus on the story. I thought it started off slow and took a couple of chapters to get going. But once it gets going, you can see the familiarities of the story and how it fits in with today's world. It's a fight the power message with great character development and a tender love story that doesn't get mushy.

Overall, it's a good dystopian story with more to come.

[Brittney Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. It took me a few chapters to get a good picture of the world that was being built and by that time I had started to fall in love with the characters. A dystopian world seen through the eyes of a person who becomes part of the Deaf community? Yes, please! I found myself wondering about what Arlo would do next throughput my day. Also, the use of imagery with the idea of being ‘Thunderstruck’ woven throughout is beautiful.