This novel was probably one of the most creative YA contemporary’s that I have read in a really long time. So I have to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review such a captivant read that I probably wouldn’t have been able to discover on my own.



The story follows Rachel, a teenage girl who is surrounded by people that have been struck by lightening and who spends much of the time in the novel trying to get struck herself.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was how it really did a good job at showing all of the different types of relationships that we have in our lives: familial, friendships, and romantic. And it takes the time to show that no one type is more important than another.

Rachel’s mom runs a support group for survivors which I think is a very important part of why this narrative works as well as it does. Obsession is a key theme through out everything (including romantic obsession something which I feel is normally glorified in YA). Sinel is able to show the reader how obsession can be both healing and harmful sometimes even within the same moment.

I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a light introspective read. Sinel manages to get the reader to really think about just how much serious injuries affect everyone involved; even indirectly. Thanks again to NetGalley for helping me discover this read.

I took maybe two or three weeks to get through this book. Partially because April is exam season for those of us in university, but mainly because I was just very bored.
We went round and round in circles with Rachel being obsessed with finding a soul mate to the point where she absolutely disrespects her love interests' (Jay, who by the way has Asperger's, a high-functioning form of Autism, meaning social interactions can be very difficult for him) boundaries, gets mad at him for setting boundaries, making up with him, and then starting the cycle all over again.
She's also so hell-bent on "belonging" to/with and "being loved" by her mother and her lightning strike support group that she actively seeks out being struck by lightning despite knowing the extent of the consequences. When her best friend (Serena) gets struck and nearly killed (because the lightning, surprise, interrupts the electrical systems of the body, namely the heart), she is more concerned with the fact that Jay is giving Serena mouth to mouth to resuscitate her than the fact that, oh I don't know, Serena's heart has stopped beating. Then she's JEALOUS that Serena has been struck by lightning and is now part of this group of people who have suffered great pain and will continue to experience side effects of the event for the rest of their lives.
Rachel is just not a likable character, which I'm usually fine with, but this time around whether it be because I read this book during a very stressful time in my life (yes I'm writing this review instead of finishing my final neuroscience essays that will be worth 40% of my grade) or because I just can't stand people who want to be/make themselves sick or injured or whatever to belong to a certain group. In the end, Rachel did see the error of her ways and figured out that her mother and the support group love and will always love her even if she isn't a victim of the same tragedy they have suffered, but it's too little too late.

This one is a little crazy...I mean, who chases lightning and WANTS to be struck by it? No thanks! But Rachel does...and I *guess* I can see her reasoning. I feel like the author had to let reality slip just a tiny bit to have her character make the decisions she does. I didn't find Rachel or any of the other characters overly interesting or rememberable...and Rachel makes some super bad decisions, over and over. The plot was a little slow going, and so it didn't ever really suck me in to make it not-put-down-able...and reading it on kindle, when I put my kids to bed, is the only way I kept going, I think. Had I read this in physical form, I may have DNF at some point...or maybe the fact of reading it in such short bits is what deterred me from more enjoyment.

What a fascinating, deeply engaging read. I was hooked right from the start! The characters were lovable too.

Did not make me want to continue reading, the story looked good as a description but it fell flat. the plot was all over the place in my opinion and the characters were just flat and have no emotions. this felt very cliche to me and personally did not enjoy it but my friend who read this book after it came out loved it so i guess it just wasnt MY cup of tea.

I thought I would like this book more than I did but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe later down the line I'll give it another shot and maybe I'll like it more.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of Soulstruck. I’m so sorry, I wish I could rave about this book but it didn’t grab my attention. The story and the characters were forgettable. I’m sure it will touch some people, though and I will be keeping an eye out on the author’s future works

I really enjoyed this YA book, it had a different story with the lightening survivors group and Rachel wanting to be a survivor because she wanted to fit in. It was a story about growing as a person and finding out where you fit in, to family, and socially, as a teen this can be a hard thing to do. I really liked Jay's character, I found it interesting to read about a character with Asperger and it was refreshing to have a love interest who was different to the norm. I thought the relationships between Rachel and her friends and family were realistic, I felt empathy for her due to her relationship with her mum, and I was glad we slowly found out why her mum was the way she was.

Thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for a copy in return for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sky Pony Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Actual rating 2.5 stars

Rachael is hoping to be struck by lightning.  Her mother was struck many years ago and seems more devoted to her lightning strike survivor group than her own daughter. Her mother also claims the lightning strike enabled her to see who her, and others, soul mates would be.  As she refuses to tell Rachael who her soul mate is, Rachael hopes that being struck will not only make her feel more accepted by her mother, but give her a glimpse of her future too.

She thought she had found 'the one' in another strike survivor - Reed, a boy who turned up out of the blue to her mother's survivor group.  But after a short romance, he left her heartbroken and injured from an accident.  Between fighting with her best friend, navigating high school crushes, her changing feelings for her friend Jay and trying to uncover the mysteries surrounding her father (who died before she was born), Rachael has her hands full.

Unfortunately, although I found the premise of this book really interesting, the way the characters were written were just too juvenile for me.  I read a lot of YA books, but the characters in this one just felt childish.  The teenage angst and immaturity that radiated from Rachael surrounding all the relationships in her life just let the book fall irritatingly flat.

For example, Rachael spent a fair amount of time in the beginning of the book panicking that Reed would 'notice she was two years younger than him'.  Two whole years.  Phew, that's practically, forever, right?  and quotes such as:


"He could be a serial killer on the run or something" she said after I'd spent nearly every minute with him for two weeks. "Oh, come on"

and

We kissed, and even though it had been a few weeks, I still couldn't believe I was with him.  I was definitely falling in love with him. It was the real deal.


Had me sighing and wanting to put the book down due to the silly insta-love theme.  I mean, obviously two weeks is SUCH a long time and clearly you know everything about the person.

The character I did enjoy was Jay, Rachael's friend who has Asperger's.  He was a fantastic character and I really enjoyed his wit and 'realness'.  Rachael was pushy and selfish with him.  She struck me as a very 'all about me' character and took everything as rejection if she didn't get what she was looking for right away.  I wanted more for Jay.

I wish I had enjoyed this book more because I think it had the potential to be a much better book.  If the writing had felt less rushed and clunky and the characters, other than Jay, had been less whiny and more likeable.

I enjoyed this book. The characters are believable and I could relate to them. The search for love and your soulmate is universal. Everybody wants to find the person meant for them. Rachel just needs to figure out how far she is willing to go to find hers

Quite a cute story actually, i was suprised I liked it that much. We follow the story of Rachel who has a lot of questions about her pas, about her family and about the mystery surounding her mother and her thunder survivors group.. A lot of people will relate to Rachel

I started reading this book in the early afternoon and read it through within a few hours. It was easy to get pulled into, which surprised me a little as I wasn't certain I would love the book after reading its synopsis. There is a lot more depth and personality to the characters than I imagined there would be.
Although the synopsis may allude to it, Rachel Ferguson isn't just a girl who only wishes to be struck by lightning so she can find her soulmate. She is the daughter of a woman who has been struck by lightning, which has enabled her to see soulmates (although she refuses to tell Rachel who her soulmate is). Her mother has become rather enmeshed with a Lightning Survivors group, holding meetings at her house and having other survivors frequently drop in. This begins to create a divide between the two, wth Rachel feeling that her mother no longer values their relationship. Her mother has also kept mum about Rebecca's father, only sharing with her daughter that the man died before she was born.
Feeling excluded, Rachel yearns for the day she might be struck by lightning. She even plans for storms and goes to the most lighting-prone locations. Yes, this is a bit odd. However, what really carries the book in the realistic relationships Rachel has with her two best friends. I really loved the connection Jay and Rachel shared and the growth of their relationship. There were plenty of awkward moments that gave the book a very authentic feel.
The book was paced very well and I thought the ending was satisfying enough. I wish Reed's story had been better developed, but he wasn't a super likeable character anyway, so meh. Overall, I give Soulstruck a 3.75/5. It's a gem for YA fanatics.

*I was provided with an ARC by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel's mother was struck by lightning and can now "see" soulmates. While the title of this book might make you think that this is the only topic explored, it's definitely not. Rachel is trying to figure out a new crush on an old friend, getting over an ex, typical fights with her best friend, and a slightly strained relationship with her mother. It might seem like a lot going on, but I found it incredibly realistic (okay, minus the lightning strikes thing). Rachel's friendship with Serena felt real, right down to the reason for their fight. I loved Jay and the fact that his Aspergers was glossed over; I can understand that some might want to know more about it and him, but it just reminded me that he was more than that.

Overall, I would recommend this book to all young adults.

Sorry but I couldn't get into the book at all. I tried though, I'm so sorry for my ADD brain.

Soulstruck by Natasha Sinel a five-star read that will divide opinion. This is going to be one of those books that you will either love or hate much like marmite I’m guessing there won’t be much in between. Rachel as a character will do much the same, we get to see her grow and develop into the woman that she will become. Each of the characters brings a new angle to the story and add another layer to the story. Rachel's mum was a character that I didn’t know how to take at first there was something about her, but as the story developed we got to see more of her understand the distance and her story and the whole read just took on a more compelling angle. That being said this wasn’t what I imagined, I thought it would be more drama, but it was just a nice read with good story and enough to keep you hooked. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I finished Soul Struck within 24hrs and was completely hooked from the first page.

Soul struck was a girly, fluffy read with a fatalistic twist that makes the reading experience so much more enjoyable!

It was a romance that was cynical of soul mates and love. It was a young adult novel that beautifully handles the growth and turmoil young adults go through at some stage.

I also was super appreciative of the author for normalising and humanizing the amazing people whom have Asperger's. I've only recently learnt a little about Asperger's due to a friend having it and seeing it portrayed so normally but still accurately was brilliant.

It's a very casual writing style but it is enthralling and a great quick read to take you away for an hour or two.

Rachel Ferguson has a tough life. Her single mother, who was struck by lightning as a teen, seems distant. Her two best friends are changing, and she develops feelings for Jay even as she is “dumped” by her bestie Serena. It is not too angsty, and the teens were likable. This was a comfort read, slow and easy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciate NetGalley and the publisher, who allowed me to be an early reader for my fair and honest review.

This book seemed to be interesting, as the plot was unique. However, I could not get into this. Cool theory, but the follow through was disappointing.

How I’d Describe This Book to My Friends

We follow Rachel, a young lady in her early teenage years who lives with her mother near Cape Cod. We see this sleepy island town as the off season begins, the tourists are packing it in, and the rain starts coming. This in and of itself sets the stage for a quaint story, but Rachel herself has an intrinsic eccentricity: she wants desperately to get struck by lightning.

Apparently at one point, Rachel’s mother was struck by lightning. She now possesses the unique ability to determine who everyone’s soulmate is, and spearheads a support group for people who’ve been struck by lightning. She and Rachel have moved all over the place during Rachel’s formative years, and so now they are excited to settle down and put in some roots for Rachel’s high school season of life.

Rachel has two best friends: Serena, and Jay. The three of them are thick as thieves, BFFs! Besties! Nothing can eeeeeeeeeever go wrong!

You can probably see where this is going a mile away, but just in case you can’t … girl, it’s a love triangle and some broken, bruised friendships and fee-fees. Rachel was spurned by the boy she fell in love with when she had an accident, and has been trying desperately to get struck by lightning ever since, hoping it will bring her some romantic luck. She doesn’t know her father, but is positive her mother is keeping it from her because of a delightfully romantic backstory that she is just not privy to.

What follows is a 200+ page romp through the late summer months here, near beautiful Cape Cod, where our tragic heroine runs after lightning strikes and deals with having a crush on Every Boy. Unfortunately, what could be an interesting premise is mired and bogged down by clunky writing, and a plot with more drama than a high school theater production.

Bottom Line

Soulstruck is a neat concept, and it made me want to visit Cape Cod in the off season. But other than the few facts I learned about lightning strikes … I didn’t really get much here. It makes me sad, because this was clearly a labor of love, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. If you want a deeper, more satisfyingly fluffy YA beach read, check out Huntley Fitzpatrick or the good ol’ standby, Sarah Dessen.