Rating: 
Summary: Fun for Adults Too!
Review: If you're a grown-up thinking about reading these books, don't be put off by the fact that they're technically YA. I'm 30 years old and I got a huge kick out of "When Lightning Strikes!" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jess is a wonderful heroine, spunky, funny, and smart. The plot was a lot of fun, too -- a bit predictable in places, but the writing was so lively and energetic and just plain fun that I didn't care. Pure enjoyment! I can't wait to read the next one in the series!
Rating:
Summary: Fun for Adults Too!
Review: If you're a grown-up thinking about reading these books, don't be put off by the fact that they're technically YA. I'm 30 years old and I got a huge kick out of "When Lightning Strikes!" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jess is a wonderful heroine, spunky, funny, and smart. The plot was a lot of fun, too -- a bit predictable in places, but the writing was so lively and energetic and just plain fun that I didn't care. Pure enjoyment! I can't wait to read the next one in the series!
Rating:
Summary: When Lightning Strikes
Review: In When Lightning Strikes Jess Mastriani quite literally gets struck by lightning. Jess is walking home with her friend when it happens and afterward believes everything is fine. Wrong. Way wrong. You see, the next morning Jess wakes up knowing two rather odd facts. Number one is that Sean Patrick O'Hanahan was in Paoli, and number two was that Olivia Marie D'Amato was in New Jersey. She later realized that they were the two missing children portrayed on the milk carton that she'd seen before going to bed. Later that day she has Hottie Rob Wilkins drive her to Paoli to verify that she was in deep [trouble]. So she went. She saw. She was. In a bar a little later she calls the number on the milk carton and reports what she knows. This goes on a few days as new milk cartons come in until she is tracked down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They want to take her to Crane military base to study her talent and put it to good use. Jess refuses, until it gets out and the reporters camped out all down her street trigger an episode in her schizophrenic brother Douglas. So she goes. But later hears on the news that after Sean Patrick O'Hanahan was rescued and his mother imprisoned for kidnapping he once again disappeared. Now this wouldn't have bothered Jess nearly as much if she hadn't head rumors that likened Sean's father to Darth Vador. So she tracks him down, but before they can do anything the FBI tracks them down. So Jess has to save herself, Sean, and his mother, get away from Crane military base, and find a way to get home without sending her brother back into the hospital. Yay.This is the first Jenny Carroll I read and I have since preordered all her books and put them on the quickest delivery available as soon as it was possible. She is one of my favorite authors.
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Summary: Absolutely Hilarious Must Read!
Review: It was all Ruth's fault. If Ruth hadn't started crying when Jeff Day told her that they would have to bury her in a piano case, then Jessica "Jess" Mastriani would never have punched Jeff in the mouth. Then she wouldn't have been sent to Mr. Goodhart's office, where she had to endure another lecture on temper management, and she wouldn't have been assigned another week of detention. Still, detention wasn't that bad that day because she got to sit next to Rob Wilkins, a hottie who always ended up in the back row (alphabetical order) and she never would have known that he had a totally cherried out Indian motorcycle that she was just dying to ride. It was a sign of her affection for Ruth that she turned down a ride on Rob's motorcycle to walk home with her so that she wouldn't be alone. All Ruth could talk about was how he was a grit and that townies just didn't go out with grits. As if Jess even cared when Rob was so hot! Jess couldn't believe that Ruth was harping about Jess liking Rob when she left her perfectly functional car at home to try and lose weight by walking to school to pick up Jess - with a big storm on the way! The thunderstorm was on them before they knew it and so Jess & Ruth took refuge under the metal bleachers on the football field - where Jess was struck by lightning. The next morning, Jess woke up knowing the location of two kids whose pictures were on the back of the milk carton. Not just the location, but the exact address. Jess called the number on the back of the carton, gave them the info and quickly hung up. Before Jess knew it, there were reporters camped out around her house, a military base who wanted to study her, FBI agents were following her every step and one of the kids that she found had good reason to want to be lost. So when Jess had to escape from the military compound, get Sean back to his mother (who was in jail), convince Rob to date her even though she was only 16 (he was 18) and then somehow convince everyone that she didn't have this magical power she knew that it was all definitely Ruth's fault... This was an absolutely hilarious book. Jess is such an great character, very tough and never afraid to say exactly what she is thinking. I was laughing out loud through the whole book. The other characters are great, too, and you wonder if there are any normal people in Southern Indiana. Jess has a pretty cool power, but it doesn't help protect her from anything or anyone so she has to stick up for herself. The storyline was great and kept you guessing as to what Jess was going to do. If you have enjoyed any of Meg Cabot/Jenny Carroll's other books, you will love this one - a must read!
Rating: 
Summary: Read her other series, The Mediator
Review: It was hard to get in touch with this chacter. While I'm by no means a goody-goody, I've only had detition once in my life (stupid gym class). So i didn't have much in common with chacter, nor could i figure her out. she seems to have a death wish and she doesn't seem too friendly either. i'm not saying shes has to be prefect. she can be detiotion girl all she wants, but she reminded me of the main chacter in Demon in My View. they both seem angry at the world for no reason. the mitary base where she is taken too and the army guys there are all very sterotpyical. while i'm not saying our government is perfect, i'm tired of these conspriy theory stories. yes, big brother is watching you, but he's not right on top of you. she was risking national secruity by not giving all the names she knew. read the The Mediator or the author (under her real name) other series, the Princess Daires. just leave this mess be
Rating:
Summary: When Lightning Strikes.
Review: Jenny Carrol is a great author and I love her book When Lightning Strikes. Jess Is a pretty normal girl until she has to walk home two miles from school. A Thunderstorm hits and Jess gets struck by lightning. Everything is fine until she wakes up and knows where some missing children are. She thinks she will become a hero but she finds out having those powers isn't so great after all.
Rating:
Summary: Let's hear it for the girl
Review: Jenny Carroll did it to me again. I loved both SHADOWLAND and NINTH KEY, her Mediator books, and was dying to see if she could grab me again. She did. Jessica doesn't constantly encounter situations in which she must kick butt, as Susannah the Mediator does, but she doesn't sit around and wait for her Prince Charming to take care of her, either (even if he *does* ride an Indian motorcycle)! When she's struck by lightning, Jessica discovers she now has a way to find out where missing people are simply by looking at their pictures--she starts with kids whose pictures are on milk cartons. When she confirms that her sure knowledge of their present location is good, she tries to do the right thing, by notifying the organization that does the milk carton photos, and that's where the trouble starts. Not everyone wants to be found, and Jessica learns the hard way that the government isn't always her friend. But does she sit around and moan about the absence of everything turning out happily ever after? No--she does her best to fix her situation and set her mistakes right. Once again I loved the secondary characters as well as Jessica: her family in particular, with one son dealing with serious mental illness, is beautifully drawn and in a very short space. If you like books about psychics, books with action and motorcycles, and books about girls who *do* things, I recommend Jenny Carroll's work. They're fast, fun reads with complex, realistic characters. Now I'm in the dreadful position of having to wait for the next one . . . Maybe I'll just go re-read the three I have until the next book comes out!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT Begginning to a Great Series
Review: Jenny Carroll's "When Lightening Strikes" offers teens and adults a great read that will make you want to go on to read the rest of the series. When I heard this book was written by the same author as "The Princess Diaries," I expected nothing more than a sheer girlish book..(Which isn't bad from time to time.) The result was near surprising. I was literally HOOKED on this book from the first page on. When I reached about chapter 2, I claimed the book to be one of the best young adult books I've ever read. Jessica M was an average girl. She wasn't a popular girl..the only real friend she had is Ruth. When Ruth gets insulted by a fellow class mate about her weight, she feels walking home during a storm would help. She dragged Jess to come along, and Jess followed..only to be met up with lightning on the way. They took cover under some METAL bleachers and Jessica held on for dear life. Next thing she knows, she is being bolted by the lightning. She wakes up to Ruth's pleas and she knows where some missing children are. Surely, this stirred up alot of trouble, causing the FBI and tons of news reporters to follow her. What ever can this one average girl Jessica do? I can easily say this is one of the best books I've read. I, an average teenager, found this book to be very interesting. When I read on, continuing the series, I grew quite dissapointed, because none were as good as the first. I really reccomend this book to anyone. Jessica pulls you into her life and doesn't let go until the very end. Jenny Carroll leaves you wanting more. You surely won't be dissapointed with this great read.
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Summary: A thrilling first book in the 1-800-Where-R-You series.
Review: Jenny Carroll, author of the thrilling Mediator series, has begun yet another intriguing new series that begins with a blast. Jess Mastriani never wanted to walk home from school that day, but she did it because of her best friend Ruth. Along the walk, she got struck by lightning -- and almost died. Even though her family was worried about her, she thought she felt fine. But every morning when she wakes up, she suddenly knows the location of missing children. Children that were never thought to be seen again -- until now. When she calls the number to give in the locations of the missing kids, 1-800-Where-R-You, her whole life begins to turn. The government is finding that Jess would be a big help to the community -- the world -- if she could use her abilities for them more regularly. But Jess isn't so sure. Her intentions were good, but the outcomes are beginning to seem dark. Jenny Carroll's intense new series was a blast to read, but I like her Mediator series a bit better. I can't wait to read the second book in this series, Code Name Cassandra.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: Jess Mastriani is a normal 16 year old girl until that day. The day that she gets hit by lightning changes her life forever. She now has psychic powers and is locating all of these kids that she sees on milk cartons. You know, the missing kids? Not only that, the FBI is after her because they want her as a test subject to find missing criminals. What more will happen to Jess? I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys The Mediator series.
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