I admit that I requested this book by the author without reading the summary. If I had, I might not have read it. I always feel like a sequel or companion book never lives up to the original piece. However, My Own Lightning did not disappoint. This story picks up a few months after the events of Wolf Hollow. Annabelle is caught in a storm and is struck by lightning. This leads to her having enhanced senses and a connection to the animals around her. Annabelle is a strong character, and I was excited to read more of her story as she encountered new friends and old acquaintances. This is a beautiful story about acceptance, friendship, and identity.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Picking up a few months after Wolf Hollow, Wolk continues Annabelle's story in rural Pennsylvania. It is summertime and Annabelle is enjoying that time of year while also mulling over all that happened before when she lost a good friend and learned more about people. In this story Annabelle is caught in a thunderstorm and struck by lightning. She is not badly injured, but life does seem different after it happens including the ability to understand what animals are thinking! There are also new neighbors who are not very outgoing but when it turns out that take in injured animals, Annabelle and her brother Henry are both drawn to them.
As an adult, I enjoyed this book very much. As a retired school librarian, I would be interested in reviews from students because I'm not sure how appealing this story is to them (although historical fiction is often a niche favorite of only a certain segment of the student population).

What a wonderful read! I absolutely loved Lauren Wolk's debut novel, Wolf Hollow. I was so excited to see this follow-up piece. Set a few months later after the events of the first book, My Own Lightning sees Annabelle grow up a bit more after a lightning strike.

Yes, she was struck by lightning and survived! Annabelle begins to see that there is more to Andy than just a schoolyard bully. Could she has misjudged him all along? What about her new neighbor, Mr. Edelman? Is he really as cranky as he seems?

This novel is about friendship, kindness, and acceptance. It is also about forgiveness. I loved good middle grade reads that make me think as an adult, and this historical fiction piece certainly does.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

My Own Lightning is the second installment about Annabelle McBride and her life in Wolf Hollow. Annabelle is still recovering from the tragic events that happened a couple months earlier involving her friend Toby. As she is walking home during a storm she is suddenly struck by lightning her world goes dim. She feels someone brush up against her and then finds that she is being carried by her father. After the lightning event Annabelle has lightning flower marks on her arm as well as a new hyper sense developed from her episode with the lightning. Annabelle used this new sense to help her understand the animals around her. Annabelle even crossed paths with Andy, the school bully that had been involved with Toby’s tragic death. Throughout the story Annabelle learns some very important lessons, including not judging people by their outward appearance or passed actions. She also learns about what it means to have compassion and forgive even when it’s hard.

Set in World War II-era rural Pennsylvania, this sequel to Newbery-honor winning Wolf Hollow once again allows readers to step into young Annabelle McBride’s world. Just months after witnessing intense bullying, Annabelle is suddenly struck by lightning during a summer storm. The powerful jolt knocks her down, yet a mystery person restarts her heart and disappears into the rain. When Annabelle recovers, she can sense the feelings of animals, a marvelous gift to help her seek justice for the injured and abused dogs on her neighbor’s farm. A well-paced, at times thrilling story with an introspective and amiable main character. Not to be missed by historical fiction and animal lovers. The publication date, May 3, 2022, allows just enough time to read the first book and place a hold for this sequel!*

*This link was shared with library patrons and the Los Altos Friends of the Library group

This is a wonderful follow up to Wolf Hollow. I loved the compassion showed towards animals in this book. Annabelle is dealing with lots of feelings and learning that people can be better than they were before.
I liked how Annabelle and Andy's relationship changed for the better.
A great read aloud.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I love when a book can take me to another time and place so completely that I’m a bit disoriented when I finally look up. And I especially love when I can escape to another time and place while still learning lessons that can positively impact my life today. My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk gave me both of these things and so much more. Wolk introduces us to Annabelle, a young girl who is recovering from a traumatic event and is struck by lightning on her way home in a summer storm during the era of World War II. She’s mysteriously saved by an anonymous hero and soon discovers she’s developed heightened senses and a new understanding of animals. She uses these skills to find lost dogs, save hurt dogs and better connect with the humans they are connected with, too. She uses her newfound knowledge to come to terms with the recent difficulties she’s experienced and learn about the complex world around her. This book envelopes readers into a different time and invites them to put their assumptions aside and get to know people for who they really are. Annabelle may be young, but she taught this adult a thing or two.

I loved this book.! It took me right back to the characters from the first book. It was like a visit from friends. I also liked how the child abuse and neglect. was woven into the story. Explaining so much about Avery's previous behavior, the revelations in to his life make his character richer and easier to empathizes with. This is a definite recommendation for me!

Returning to Wolf Hollow we find young Annabelle on her way home from helping to clean the schoolhouse, when a storm brews up fast and catches her out in the open and Annabelle is struck by lightening. All she remembers is being stung by thousands of wasps all at once than a pounding on her chest and her daddy picking her up and carrying her home. She is fine but can now feel what animals are feeling. Other than that there is also the new man that moved in down the road, a bully across the road from Annabelle's family farm that has a lot more to his story than people know, and the missing dogs, what do all of these have in common.

It is a lot going on a one time but as a reader it is not confusing at all, all the pieces fit together nicely. There is more than enough action and a lot of suspense. Whether you have read the first book or not this is a great book to read. I hope we get to see Annabelle again soon.

This review will appear on my blog on May 3rd.

Wonderful story! So beautifully written. Lots of imagery and description for the intended age level. However, those readers who stick with it will experience a book that will demonstrate what fine literature is.

Lauren Wolk has done it again. Her writing is lyrical, as if she's painting images on a canvas but somehow manages to do it with words on a page. Going back to Wolf Hollow felt like visiting old family friends, yet new characters are introduced in My Own Lightning. Some good, some bad, and some so desperately healing from grief and loss they don't know who they are anymore.

Just like in Wolf Hollow, Wolk shows readers that you can't judge people by first impressions or outward appearances. Annabelle learned some hard lessons and she's on a journey to put the past behind her and not repeat past mistakes. It was a pleasure to join her for the journey and watch her make discoveries for herself.

I have loved every book by Lauren Wolk and her newest book is no exception. The descriptions were poetic, yet succinct. All the senses were activated and enhanced in the main character, Annabelle and we got to experience them as well. It made me want to notice more about the world around me as well, things we take for granted. I love when authors make the antagonist human and multi dimensional and Lauren Wolk did that beautifully. There is so much compassion and yet the human struggle of finding forgiveness and what that looks like. It was such a beautiful book and I cried many tears over it. I highly recommend it!

A wonderful continuation to Wolf Hollow but also can stand alone on itself as well. Things are going back to normal for Annabelle in the months following what happened in Wolf Hollow, that is until she is struck by lighting. Now she can understand how animals feel but that does not help her in understanding people any better, especially Andy Woodberry or Mr. Graf who is looking for his missing dog. A wonderful but tearful book, just like Wolf Hollow was with the same wonderful characters.

Annabelle, struck by lightning to begin the story, has to rethink how she looks at people when she finds Andy, who had bullied her, was the one who save her life. New neighbors, caring for hurt dogs, and a love for her family has Annabelle discovering herself. Rather deep ideas but made for children (ages 10-12) to think of relationships and what they mean.

I was very skeptical of a sequel to Wolf Hollow, which very much felt like a book that didn't need a sequel - but Lauren Wolk proved me wrong! I loved that we got to know Andy a lot more. In the first book he very much felt one-dimensional, and this just shows that there's a lot of depth to characters that might not seem like it at first! I absolutely loved it.

Author Wolk returns to the community of Wolf Hollow in this sequel. After the deaths of Toby and Betty, Annabelle and her brothers avoid being anywhere near Andy or his parents' farm. Still convinced that Andy willingly set out with Betty to hurt her and her brothers, Annabelle holds firm to her belief that Andy is a mean and purposefully hurtful person. When farm dogs in the area start to go missing, including her brother Henry's dog and Andy's and a "city dressed" man appears asking for help in locating his dog too, Annabelle sets out to find the missing dogs believing that Andy's new nasty neighbor is somehow involved. Out searching when a thunderstorm descends, Annabelle is struck by lightning. If not for the the quick actions of an unknown person who restarted her heart, Annabelle would have died on the road. Being struck by lightning changes a person and Annabelle feels like she now can perceive the world through a sharper lens. She begins to see that her assumptions about people may have only considered one side of that person and neglected to see the rest. As the pieces of the puzzle of the missing dogs and her anonymous rescuer start to come together, Annabelle realizes that you don't need to be struck by lightning to be able to have an open mind and an open heart to see the people in your world clearly.