Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival

by Arthur Slade

The Starker family is infamous. They’ve been chronicled on blogs, profiled on TV and researched by paranormal investigators. They appear to be cursed: everyone of Starker blood has died after being struck by lightning. Fourteen-year-old Newton Starker is the last of his line—except for his great-grandmother, Enid, a woman as friendly as a pickled wolverine—and he’s determined to survive.

Newton has spent all of his life surviving, following a list of rules for self-preservation, guidelines passed down through generations of Starkers. But Newton wants to try something new. He has enrolled at Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival in Moose Jaw with the hope that he’ll be able to beat the odds—he has a dream of becoming a great chef someday. If he wants to go beyond just getting by, Newton is going to need more than rules. He’s going to need friends.
    From the creative mind of award-winning writer Arthur Slade—author of Dust, Tribes and Megiddo’s Shadow—comes a quirky, laugh-out-loud story about dreaming big, standing out and knowing when you need help.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM NEWTON STARKER'S RULES FOR SURVIVAL

• Do not take a bath during a thunderstorm.
• When thunder roars, go indoors. Fast!
• Beware of cumulonimbus clouds.
• Check the weather before exiting any building.
• Remember not to get angry. Anger has been the downfall of many a Starker.
• If your hair stands on end, you are about to be struck by lightning.
• Lightning travels down telephone wires. Use only cordless phones.
• Check the weather. Recheck the weather. Check it again.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Canada, Middle Grade, Fiction, Survival, Adventure

227 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2008

About the author

Arthur Slade was raised in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan and began writing at an early age. He is the author of the bestselling The Hunchback Assignments series of books, Dust (which won the Governor General's award), Tribes and Jolted. He lives in Saskatoon, Canada (which really is a real place). Join his creative & somewhat clever newsletter at: what a zany newsletter!

Reviews

[LauraW · Rating 4 out of 5]

I abandoned this and then picked it up again later - and ended up liking this one better than I expected to. I finished reading it on a day when I really needed something that wasn't quite as heavy as more serious fare. And, thinking about it, the voice of the main character, Newton, was actually pretty spot on middle school.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun, a fully charged story!

Arthur Slade is an award winning author. His honours include: Governor General's Award, Mr. Christie's Book Award, Saskatchewan Book Award, and Red Maple Honour Book. This book is both shocking and electrifying in its tale and the mastery in telling it.

Our hero is more than a little unusual for he is Newton Stalker. He is the second last surviving Stalker, for his whole family has been decimated by lightning strikes. Having recently lost his mother, he moves to the Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival in Moose Jaw. It is a school far more entertaining than Hogwarts. The school's motto is: 'Survival Through Fierce Intelligence'. The board considered all factors in allowing Newton to attend and even upgraded all of the buildings' lightning rod protection.

The cast of characters is zany and fun - from Newton's only surviving Stalker relative, his Great Grandmother Enid who is 102 and lives in a retirement home in Moose Jaw, to Newton's first friend Jacob Edward Clarke, an aspiring author, to his antagonist Violet Quon, a daughter of a Mountie with some pugilistic skills, to the unique headmaster, a giant of a man, who is always in a kilt and lumberjack shirt, Mr. McBain.

This book deals with issues like death and grieving. It also deals with the story of coming of age, and finding your place in the world. The book is like a cross between Edgar Allen Poe, Rudyard Kipling and C.S. Lewis. It is wonderfully-written, greatly entertaining and I could not put it down. Slade presents unique characters in unusual situations and does so in a way that draws the reader in and causes us to cheer for them as the story progresses. Arthur Slade is one of my favorite authors writing for youth today, I rank him up there with Kenneth Oppel, Patrick Carman and Laurie Halse Anderson. The only thing I regret is how short the book was, and how many things it leaves unanswered. I can only hope we see more books set at the Jerry Potts Academy, and we meet Newton Stalker again.

(First Published in Imprint 2009-03-13.)

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Arthur Slade. As well as an author profile and interview with Arthur.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd. Disjointed. At times irresistible. Ending bleh. Slow start. Best part was josephine.

[Erin Forson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jolted; Newton Starker's Rules for Survival
by Arthur Slade
When I was seven, my parents took me to a farm where I tried to feed an apple to a cow. I say tried because the fence I reached through was electrified. When the cow approached me and I jerked back a little because the cow was so big, my hand caught the fence and BAM! Just like that I felt a jolt of electricity go through my body to the rubber soles of my feet and back up again. It was the worst feeling ever. I know, I know, many of you have your own electricity stories—I have seen otherwise intelligent students do crazy stuff like lick batteries, and stick knives in sockets to impress friends (really?), but this was the stuff of your nightmares. Newton, the main character in this novel, bears a family curse. He is the last living person in the Stark family line. Every other Stark has died from electrocution, more specifically being struck by lightening. Newton wants to survive, and he thinks that at Jerry Potts School for Survival he can learn how. This book was an easy read, and had interesting (although gross) recipes in it. The chapters are short, the characters interesting, and I learned a lot of new words. Plus, if I ever get stuck out in the forest with only a knife, I think I just might be able to survive now....NOT!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is Young Adult Fiction and I have rated it from that point of view.

Arthur Slade has given us a story about a 14-year old boy with a very unusual heritage. For over 200 years the Starker family have all been killed by lightning. Newton is the last male descendant and as such is extremely restricted in his lifestyle, something a lot of young people will relate to. His home is equivalent to living in a bunker.

I really enjoyed this book, and I’m sure it will appeal to this age-group. Every chapter is short, every episode is a chapter. Aside from the constant fear of lightning, “always check the weather before going out”, when Newton enrolls in the Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Living and Survival in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, he learns about friendship, trust, overcoming fear, and above all patience, although it takes the whole book to teach him the last.

Newton’s Survival List is the filler and the glue that joins the chapters. The book is very easy to read, each short chapter a different part of his learning. There are some good survival tips for anyone in the book, as well. I would recommend this book for children and teens 8-14, but not exclusively. A fascinating, entirely different type of style and storyline to enjoy.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book 5000000 stars I would. Probably one of the best younger YA books I have read in a while. Jolted has a little bit of everything in it, from cooking, to survival to incredibly smart pigs. The humor kept me laughing in my office (much to the annoyance of my office mates) and the small bit of action near the end gave me just enough worry that not everyone may make it out ok.

What also made this so much fun were the numerous changes in writing style. Going from first person narrative, to emails Newton receives to excerpts from his survival manual to his own survival list kept Jolted exciting and fresh on every page. I will be recommending this book to many of my tween patrons for quite some time.

[Judith Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yup, bought it. It took a bit to get into because this is a different book. But what a fun read this turned out to be. I have read the first few pages to classes and kids get hooked immediately. Usually I book talk the book, but have found that reading those first pages grab the kids more effectively with this book. It is pretty hard to talk the book and give the right tone to this very odd kid who lives in fear of death by lightning strike because of his family's history. How he faces the lightning is what it's all about.

[Cj Zawacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jolt, A Living Now Book Award, promised to be a novel that detailed an apocalyptic aftermath of a nuclear plant and terrorist dirty bomb scenario> Calling itself a must-read for the unimaginable consequences after such an event, has left me a very confused reader. The central story is about an artist named Theodore Wamp. or
Thaw, and his struggles with his girl who has mixed feelings for him. The story occurs in the State of Carlton, as evacuations move from the threat of nuclear fallout over a two-year period. Well, such agencies as FEMA, the RED CROSS, and the US Government are referred to, we see no continued help arriving as a small town struggles to help, and find it's community overwhelmed by these events.

The book is very choppy in back and forth segments in Thaw's quest to become a regarded artist and leader of this town's community. We even experience a bear attack on him, but then bounce from a serious life or death hospital scene to another year without a mention down the timeline. I can find little help in any insights to help prepare any community to an event in dealing in such a seceniro from this book

[Jacqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out well. Interesting concept and all that... But as it progressed the more and more I began to really dislike the main character Newton... And I don't think that was intentional.
By the end I was totally put off by Newt, especially how he treated Violet throughout; it was just so toxic and sad (especially when the root misunderstanding was revealed to him). What made things worse was the 'love story' that was hinted at between the two. Violet, you in danger girl. Newt is bad news... And that has nothing to do with the lightning curse (that was never fully explained nor resolved). Don't waste your time on him Violet, Newt's a little bag of shit who literally left you to die and would not have 'come back for you' if it weren't for a literal pig (a random vaguely magical animal character, who was nonetheless my favourite in the whole book... Followed closely by the tragic and awesome Great Grandma Enid).
Ah well, at least it was short and sweet. I liked Slate's other works... But not this one.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was kind of funny, in a sometimes slightly evil way. I loved reading about the adventures of Newt and his friends, and I'm totally in love with his pig Josephine! It was well-written, and I really liked the very short sections which meant I could pick it up as a reward whilst doing jobs (clean the loo and read a section.. sweep the floor and read a bit more!) I've even recommended the book to a younger friend whose response was "s'alright" which means it's pretty good!
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions

[Christine Yee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, easy read by a proven young adult author. Newton Starker has a serious problem. He belongs to a family cursed to die by lightning strike. Hoping to improve his chances, Newton chooses to attend a boarding school that focuses on teaching students survival skills. Newton's adventures (and misadventures!) at school provides the context for Slade to address issues of loss, death, friendship, loyalty and courage while maintaining a light-hearted tone throughout. The chapters are short and the characters are well-defined and engaging (who can resist a pig as a sidekick?)

[Jessamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining

What an interesting premise for a story, the last member of a family troubled with death by lightning strike attends a school for survival and cuisine among other important arts. Each story of Arthur Slade's I read, whether written for YA or adult, is just excellent!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, clever YA story about the youngest of a family that is overwhelmingly killed by lightning. Newton has lived so far in terror, scurrying to safety, isolated. Then he decides the risk of a school for survival is worth it. And the adventure--games, friends, enemies, family history--begins.

Entertaining, and with some substance, too.

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newton has it rough. His Starker family members get killed by lightning, so his great-grandmother is his only surviving family. His father isn't a Starker. Newton has decided to try the Jerry Potts Academy for Survival, maybe this place can teach him the skills he needs to survive. Great read, hilarious school.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newton is 14 years old and his mother was struck by lightning and killed. All of the relatives from Newton's mother's side died from Lightning strikes. The plot is clever and fun to read. The author creates a fun narrative both outside and inside Newton's head. The pig is a clever addition too.

[Michelle VanDaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolted was a fun story although it dealt with some dark issues, mainly death and survival. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and following their journey. This book was well written with in depth relatable characters. I am looking forward to reading more from this Author

[Annemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an unusual story line. Arthur Slade's JOLTED is definitely worth the read. If you like "different" and / or "quirky" stories then this is just the book for you. It will definitely keep you turning the page.

[B.J. Hyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining! I'd give it a 5, except I found a few mistakes. I loved the pig.

[Marjean P · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read!!!

[Maysa Gillingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the book started out rather slow, but after I got into it, it was interesting.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was honestly kind of a pointless read for me. I just read it to read it and move it from my TBR to my Have Read shelf. It had some cute parts, but overall didn’t really “wow” me.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living in fear makes one overly cautious and stunts one's growth. Newton strived to break out of that.

[Emily Felton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read and good story about how survival means to cool your ego and focus on what is most important. Great for middle school-age kids to read!

[Thanos78256 · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one. I'd never heard of it, and I only bought it because I found it in the bargain bin and it looked vaguely interesting.

It was a relief to read something that was generally well written, though I would expect as much from a middle grade novel (it's the young adult stuff that usually has the writing/editing/grammar issues). While I'm pretty sure most 14-year-old boys don't talk the way Newton and his friends did, the style worked well enough in the context of the novel. Some of the descriptions were really well done, and I'll probably always remember that Newton's great-grandmother was "as friendly as a pickled wolverine" (a phrase like that tends to stick in your head)! I liked the inclusion of Josephine, Newton's pet pig (even though it was pretty unrealistic), and the academy, with its kilt uniforms and Scottish flavour, was interesting. However, there were a few points that kind of turned me off.

The Jerry Potts Academy is a school that teaches survival skills, and apparently that includes killing whatever crosses your path and eating it. There was a particularly disgusting scene about halfway through the book that had me (and many of the students in the book) gagging. It might be right up a 12-year-old male reader's alley, but it was a bit much for this 30-something female reader. Later in the book, it's implied that a person might get dizzy, pass out, and hallucinate after not eating meat for a couple of meals. Aside from being a bit insulting to the intelligence of vegetarians, it's downright ridiculous and untrue. And since Newton was something of an aspiring chef, I would have expected him to be a little more knowledgeable about food.

The last part of the novel reminded me of The Hunger Games, only much more lighthearted and of course nobody died (although when Newton kept thinking things like kill or be killed, I was a bit worried). The story was different, with the Starker family curse (lightning!) and some of the characters were interesting... but there were some things that could have been done better. I would have liked to know more about the school and see more about the teachers (we only really get to know a couple). Plus, the ending is rather ambiguous and almost seems tailor-made for a sequel... except there isn't one.

Overall, it was fairly entertaining. I might be more inclined to recommend it to its intended audience, though; some parts were a bit puerile for my taste.

http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...

[aks]

Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival is a book about a boy named Newton who lives by the rules he made so he wouldn’t die by getting hit by lightning as most Starkers have. When he sees Jerry Potts Academy for Higher Learning and Survival, he decides that he has to go there, but when he actually does, he has a lot of problems. For one thing, on his first day of school, his kilt (part of his uniform) drops in front of his classmates, which he blames on another student, Violet Quan. Despite this, he manages to make a friend out of Jacob, a fellow ninth grader who wants to be an author, and he also gets a pet pig named Josephine.
I found that Jolted was hard to get into. It took me awhile to read- too long for such a small book. I procrastinated for ages until I finally made myself sit down and read it.
Although it was hard to get into, I would still describe the author, Arthur Slade, as a good writer. I thought that Arthur excelled at descriptions and dialogue. I believe that all the characters did not do anything that was extremely out of character, so good for you Mr. Slade.
The idea of this book is an interesting concept. Having a hereditary “curse” that dooms you to death via lightning certainly isn’t boring. However intriguing the idea seemed at first, somehow this book manages to be boring and quite easy to be put down.
Jolted had a unique chapter format. None of the chapters were numbered and they had various lengths. Thinking back on it, the chapters made the novel seem choppy. Some chapters were told in different perspectives. For example, one chapter was in point of view of a French chef and another was just a list of facts about Violet Quan, who also was Newton’s love interest.
Speaking of Newton and Violet’s romance, I found it was cliche. I saw it coming from the moment we met Violet. Not that I didn’t enjoy this plot line, I just would have liked it better if it hadn’t been so predictable.
Despite all of these complaints, I did enjoy the book enough to give it three stars opposed to one or two, but I didn’t like it enough to give it four or five stars.
Note: this review was originally written for a school project.

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine living in fear of going outside because if you go out at the wrong time. This death wouldn't be at the hands of another person or the misfortune of an accident. You have to check the weather before you go out; it's essential to your survival. This has been proven in your family again, and again, and again. You don't live in Tornado Alley. You aren't in the path of a hurricane. A simple cloud can start your hair rising? What so governs your life? Lightning.

Welcome to Newton Starker's life. Several years earlier his mother was killed by a lightning strike. His uncle and his grandmother also died from the same cause. Going back centuries, all the blood relatives in the Starker line have died because of lightning. The only ones left are Newton and his cantankerous great grandmother.

Now Newton is starting his ninth grade year at a school he think will help him. One of the school's chief tenets is survival. Even though going to Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan means wearing a kilt for a uniform, Newton will take that chance. It's a chance to learn how to live no matter what the circumstance and get a very elite education.

Trouble as well as lightning has a way of finding Newton Starker. In this quick read, he struggles to break free of the isolation that has become his life and the stigma of his family's well known problem. A troubling incident had forced his mother into thinking that friends were something the family couldn't have, and he struggles to interpret the friendship people offer him. Netwon's periodic lists of survival rules as well as excerpts from the school guide add humor to this book.

[Alan Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

By: Arthur Stale
Reviewed by: Alan Cheriyan
Genre: Fantasy, Survival

Lightning has hunted for its prey, the Starkers for many centuries and only two remain. As it has killed every other member of the Starker family, even his mother. Will they be able to continue their bloodline or will they become extinct? Many awards have been awarded to this book including, The Silver Birch Award in 2010 and in 2008 it won The Fiction Book of the Year Award. This is probably because Arthur Slade has a unique writing style, which makes reading this book, a very good experience.

Newton, the last hope of the Starker family to carry on their bloodline. The Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival sparked the lad 19s interest, causing him to choose it as his institution of higher studies. The passing of time made him disobey his mother 19s instructions by making a friend. Jacob was not the smartest, strongest or coolest student in the academy, but he stood by Newton and helped him survive. A pig for a pet is rare, but Newton had that too. On the first day of school, his pants went down which was an embarrassing start for him. His life is hard, trying to escape from one of the fiercest works of nature and from embarrassment.

Readers who like fantasy books about survival will most likely like this book because this book because the protagonist in the book is trying to survive by escaping from lightning. Reading this book will be an enjoyable experience for many readers because Arthur Slade writes in a way which countless readers have never seen before. All in all, this book was interesting and well-written and many who have read this book cannot wait for its sequel.

[Camden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: This review was done by an 8th grader. And it has Opinions.

This book is better if you don't take it seriously. The lightning curse is a great idea but the book never explains why it was his family (unless I missed something in Andrew's journal or God hates taffy robbers) leaving us to wonder what the explanation is. A random truffle pig can apparently understand the human language, read a human being's mind, and magically find hidden objects without fail. Even though, Newton's lack of social skills can be attributed to hardly being outside and his few friends is attributed to his lack of social skills so +1 for Jolted logic. Another thing I would like to point out is that this book is surprisingly dark. Newton lives alone with one friend and a pig, the other only other Starker was struck saving him, he is constantly taunted for being a Starker, and lives everyday knowing he will die in an instant. The book was easier to read because it had short chapters, but this was because Jolted had a myriad of chapters, leaving you with only 2-5 pages to read until reach the next chapter. One problem keeping this review from a five stars is that Jolted would talk about Newton ordering truffles, to how it went wrong in France, to an excerpt of the Jerry Potts Academy Survival Handbook, then back to Newton. Point is, the book would jump around between various different topics throughout the whole book. This problem was less frequent towards the end of the book, but it still made it hard to focus on the main story. Overall, was a great book for $1.49 and I would recommend it to a friend. P. S. I jumped between my points to enhance them.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel had such an amazing plot. Imagine generations of the Starker family being killed by lightning. Newton is one of the last of his family members left and he is determined to survive. He has lived his life by the weather reports, always being scared to go outside. He decides it's time to concur his fears and fight his own battle by enrolling at Jerry Potts Academy for Survival.

This is a great novel for younger teens or tweens. It's cute and packed with small adventures. Though a lot of events happen throughout the book, the author doesn't go into great detail with each one so it almost seemed choppy to me. It was a short book and I think some of the situations could have been expanded so the readers got more information not only about the events but also about the character's feelings and reactions.

For me the characters were a bit underdeveloped and my favorite character ended up being Newton's pet pig. I thought she was so adorable and reading about her made me want to get one for a pet too. I absolutely love pigs!

This novel has a unique story line and I think would be a huge hit with a young crowd.


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