In “The Lightning Circle,” we’re invited into the world of Nora Nichols, a 17-year-old seeking solace and self-discovery at a summer camp in West Virginia after a heartbreak. The novel, uniquely presented through a blend of verse and delicate line art, unfolds like a personal journal, offering an intimate glimpse into Nora’s journey.

What makes this book stand out is its universal appeal. Though categorized as young adult literature, the novel transcends age boundaries, beautifully encapsulating the essence of coming-of-age experiences common to many women. The author’s skill in weaving words with simple yet evocative graphics enhances the story, making it not just a read, but an experience.

The prose is comforting and accessible, making it a perfect recommendation for young readers. However, its themes of friendship, self-growth, and resilience speak to a wider audience. “The Lightning Circle” is not just about Nora’s summer; it’s a mirror reflecting the myriad emotions and transformations we undergo in the most unexpected phases of life.

In conclusion, “The Lightning Circle” is a heartwarming, insightful read, perfect for anyone who cherishes stories of personal growth and the enduring power of female friendship.

This was a lovely book, about friendship and bonds that form through summer camps. The lessons and values that we can all learn from others. This was a lovely, uplifting book about teens and their struggles.

I genuinely enjoyed the verse style of writing. It was spunky and quick, and paired with the gorgeous illustrations you got the sense of a teen's journal and the inside of the main character's mind.

This would be a lovely summertime read for any teenager, or adult feeling nostalgic for summer camos and friendships long ago...

The Lightning Circle is a lovely contribution to the coming of age summer camp stories, Nora needed to escape home and heartbreak, so she took a job at an all girls summer camp far from her home. Though she is the youngest counselor at 17, the other young women there take her in and treat her as an equal. Nora is put in charge of a cabin of younger teens, where she has to be responsible, but also nuturing and understanding. In helping these girls, she finds strength within herself.

Nora has run away from her life to be a camp counselor for a summer. She finds healing and sisterhood.

This is a story, but written in verse and highlights girl/womanhood. We can lift each other up to amazing heights and occasionally tear each other (or ourselves) down to low lows.

It made me nostalgic for the girlfriends of my teens years and the incredible bond we had.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the electronic ARC of this title.

When I was young, I went to a sleep-away camp for girls for three years. This book took me back there in so many ways. Horses, friends, crafts, songs, rituals and more. A story of a summer, told very simply, with lovely line drawings--yet the power of memory was strong.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever gone to camp as a camper or a counselor or anyone who is considering it!

I love this kind of book. Told in beautiful verses, The Lightning Circle is a soft coming of age story of girls in a summer camp. I wish I had one. As we flipped the pages, we got to know each camp better and resonate with them. It's a found family at its core. I love how these girls found home in eachother. I love how they perfectly safe and sound in the environment. If you've never been to Summer camp, this book might just convinced you to take a shot. I love how it was written. The verses are beautiful ❤️

Thanks so much Netgalley and Tundra books for the e-arc in exchange for honest review 🫶🏽

Thank you NetGalley and penguin random house publishing for allowing me to read an E-ARC of this book.

First off I didn’t know the format of the book was poems so that threw me for a loop at first but I actually enjoyed this book. The lightning circle is a coming of age book for a teenage girl dealing with heartbreak and learning about female friendships. It’s a very quick read due to it being poems and the poems are very easy to read.

I love how the author describes each character and you definitely get the teenage angst in the poems! I loved the illustrations in the book and it made me want to go back to summer camp!

Overall I enjoyed this book and I am so glad I got to experience a different type of book than I normally read!

Very nice. Minimalistic storytelling. Touching and heartwarming. However, I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt—though perhaps that’s what the author intended? Lovely illustrations.

Disclaimer: I got an ARC of this from NetGalley! Thank you!

This was such a cute coming of age story - I read it in maybe an hour so it's quick, flowy read. Nora is the main character who goes off to camp for the first time as a counselor; and the Lightning Circle is about her summer's experience.

The Lightning Circle is told in verse with quite a few illustrations sprinkled throughout, with those illustrations complimenting the story-telling beautifully. I wasn't expecting what is essentially a summer camp novel to make me feel so nostalgic, but VanSickle's writing made me feel like I was a teenager again.

An easy 4 stars and highly recommend if you want a quick and heartwarming read.
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This was a beautifully written classic story of coming of age, written in verse gave it a modern twist as we explored the summer at a camp for teenagers.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This was the first novel-in-verse I have read, and I enjoyed it! The format of this book was very personal, and the lovely illustrations really complemented the poems and atmosphere of summer camp. Combined with the narrative in verse, it created a strong feeling of nostalgia for summer camp and the teenage years.

Nora begins as a melancholic, heartbroken girl but she slowly and surely gains confidence in herself and abilities through her experience as a camp counsellor. I recommend this book especially for young girls and women who appreciate the value of female relationships and connect with the emotional intricacies of girlhood :)

The Lightning Circle, written by Vikki VanSickle, is a captivating and poignant coming-of-age novel tailored specifically for teenagers. This remarkable piece of literature is presented in verse, accompanied by exquisite line art, as it unravels a tale that explores the enchanting allure, the profound magic, and the life-altering potential of a summer camp experience.

A must-read for anyone who has summer camp nostalgia and enjoys coming-of-age stories with positive female friendships. This novel-in-verse is beautifully written in a way that illustrates Nova’s summer experience and growth with strong imagery but without too much flowery language/fluff. The verse is readable and makes Nova relatable to young readers. The build up of Nova’s reasoning for attending camp keeps readers reading in anticipation, though I was a bit disappointed in what felt a bit too low-stakes after the reveal. I also wanted to see a bit more in dealing with a fellow counselor’s eating disorder, as it felt a bit too easily taken care of and therefore unrealistic. The only other downside was the translation of the illustrations to the ebook format, at least for me. They were very broken up and so did not add much to the reading experience, though many readers will enjoy this enhancement to the words. Overall, this was a heartwarming, uplifting, and nostalgic read.

I was a hardcore summer camp girl in 2006 (the year this book is set) and the author captures that experience perfectly. Friendship bracelets, swim lessons, the intensity of the fast friendships -- the sparse verse and line drawings conjure up so much nostalgia. I do wonder if today's teens will feel strongly about this book without having the nostalgia factor, but if you were a 2000s summer came girlie you'll love this.

"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 counselor 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.

This book will make you nostalgic for camp. The fact that it was written in verse, line drawings, and letters/notes worked so well for this story. Using this technique it is amazing how much personality the author was able to capture for each and every character. It was also amazing how realistically teen they all were. The angst comes through and I love how much and quickly they grow. "

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!

I was sent this as an arc read and I have to say it’s the best coming of age book I’ve read in a long time. I loved the illustrations and how the story was written had me captivated and reminded me of being a teenager at camp. I would recommend the lightening circle for anyone that has teens this is a perfect gift. I will definitely be telling my family to add to their stockings this winter season.

I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Recommendation
3 Star – Enjoyable, but something was missing for me. The writing, plot, or character was incongruent (the parts were not equal). I would recommend it to certain people, but not keep it on my shelf.

Book Description: Accurate to the story.

Word Craft:
The Lightning Circle is a Verse Novel. I knew that when I picked the book, and since they are not common, didn’t quite know what to expect. I chose a rating of 3 because something was missing for me. There was lots to like about this, but I found myself not caring much about any of the characters.
Verse makes development of any of the components of a Novel difficult because it must be constricted by the nature of verse.
The author has done a marvelous job with setting and tone. Camp felt welcoming.
When I noticed it, each verse stood on its own, so I am assuming most did.
I didn’t notice much use of simile or metaphor, but then again, if this is geared to YA, I get the straightforward presentation.
I found a new thing to like about Verse Novels – it’s almost impossible to info dump. You have to have brevity and clarity. This does.

Story:
It was constrained to one place, one event (summer camp), and stayed in that setting very well.
There were lots of characters, and the conflict was a bit mellow for young adults, but I’ll take it. I love this gentler writing and find it brave not to give in to the ever-increasing need for spectacular conflict. Thank you.
The resolutions felt reasonable. Nothing in the story was a huge conflict, mostly inner workings with outside evidence. I like these quiet pieces. I would recommend this to certain people, but it may not be for everyone.

I thought the illustrations added to the work.

Bottom Line:
Recommend
Will Read the Author’s other work.

This book is a well written story of a teenage girl wanting to have an adventure and get away from her life at home for a summer. Nora goes to a summer camp where she’s a counselor. She gets to bond with these fun 13 year old girls who have all these different personalities. This was so fun to read! The Lighting Circle is beautifully written in verse. I really do recommend you should go on this summer camp adventure with Nora!

As a summer camp kid and then summer camp employee young adult, I truly loved this. IT was sweet and it captured the feeling of living all summer in a camp and making friends/dealing with challenges, etc. The art was beautiful but didn't translate well for kindle at all. That made me sad, but it definitely seems like a book you want to hold in your hands. It just really got the summer camp experience and I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it!