Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

by Danette Haworth

Book Overview

TRADE PB This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802797911
• ISBN13: 9780802797919
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Walker & Company
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

A Lightning Read

I'm much older than the intended audience for this book, but I read it anyway and found it a delightful story. It features three young girls in the 12 year old range, and a boy of about the same who is close friends with one of the three. I thought it was a very honest and insightful look into the emotional traumas and triumphes of this age group. I'd really like to read more about these characters. They'll stay with me.

a fun, funny and sweet novel

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth is the first middle grade book I've read in a long time (for shame, I know). Firmly entrenched in YA, this book totally set off that "Think of what you could have missed and all that you're missing!" voice in my head and I'm grateful for it. This is a fantastic debut. Set in a small, Florida town, Violet Raines is a fierce, fun protagonist on the verge of a lot of change. Junior High looms on the horizon, her best friend Lottie is being monopoloized by the glamorous new girl in town, Melissa (who hails from Detroit and doesn't appreciate Violet's hometown as much as Violet thinks she should), and her other best friend, Eddie--well, she doesn't have a crush on him and that's that. This tailspin of change has Violet questioning her now evolving role within her group of friends while fighting to keep things the way they've always been: uncomplicated, free and always fun. When Lottie's family faces an unexpected crisis, Violet realizes the only way out is through. Can anything good come of it? Well... you'll have to read to find out! This is a very sweet novel and I read it in a few hours--not because I was in a hurry to finish it, but because I couldn't put it down. Violet's voice jumps off the page (as another character remarks, "[she's] no shrinking violet!"), and is full of attitude and humour. She's a delightful and strong and strong-minded female protagonist for boys and girls alike to root for (and they will root for her). Supporting charaters are also solidly "there" with quirks and charms all their own. And the setting! The setting is incredibly vivid. I have a feeling Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning is as close to Florida as I'll get without actually ever going there (one day, one day). The film My Girl, one of my favourites, came to mind a lot as I read this. The plots are VERY different, but both that movie and this book offer unforgettable main characters on the brink of growing up, and the challenges and struggles therein. The way Haworth navigates Violet's journey is thoughtful and considerate and results in a very sweet and touching story that has a very natural and satisfying conclusion. It's going to be fun telling people about this one. This would be a great read for people of all ages.

Mother and daughter approve

My daughter read this book for a report in school, and we read too so we could help out (if needed). All loved it. The character interactions rang true and it was pretty funny.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

When you've lived in the same sleepy town your whole life, you get real comfortable. As comfortable as a favorite pair of old shoes that you've broken in good. And that's just the way Violet Raines feels about Mitchell Hammock, Florida. What's the point in a new pair of shoes that'll just blister your feet? It's the summer before junior high and Violet looks forward to spending lazy days with her best friend, Lottie, and feeding the fish under the old net bridge with Eddie. And on scorching hot days, the three like to collect cups for a free BrainFreeze at the gas station nearby. Since they live in Florida, they get to do that a lot. Then Melissa moves to Mitchell Hammock from Detroit, with her big city ideas and her highfalutin ways, and the atmosphere between her and Violet becomes charged with friction as quickly as the sudden downpour in a summer thunderstorm. Florida is the lightening capital of the world, and by the end of the summer, Violet has been burned more than once and has also managed to hurt both of her friends. Somehow, Violet has to figure out how to repair the damage she's done to both Lottie and Eddie, even if it means including Melissa. In the process, she just might find out that it's fun to try on that new pair of shoes, and that, in time, they can become just as comfortable as the favorite pair you've worn forever. Danette Haworth has crafted a beautifully written, pleasurable read. In VIOLET RAINES ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, Violet's spunky, blustery voice is a terrific contrast to her sweet, gentle soul. There is something about Violet that reminds me of Opal in Kate DiCamillo's BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE. I rarely read a book more than once, yet as I flipped back through the pages to write this review, I found myself caught up in reading it again. This is one of the many reasons that I am awarding VIOLET RAINES ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING a Gold Star. Don't miss this one! Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

You'll love Violet's unique voice!

In many ways, Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning is a coming-of-age story, but here's the thing... Violet Raines is coming of age on her own terms and in her own sweet time. Danette Haworth's debut middle grade novel is perfect for kids like Violet who aren't in a hurry to grow up, girls who are still more interested in mud pies than makeup. Violet faces her share of issues -- a long time boy friend whose really nice eyes she's suddenly noticing, a new girl who just moved to town from the city, and a best friend who thinks that glamorous lifestyle is pretty interesting. It throws Violet for a loop, and when her friend's family faces financial troubles, Violet has to decide what's really important through all those crazy changes. There are so many things to praise about this novel -- the lively, quirky characters, Violet's fabulous voice, the Florida-in-summer setting, painted so perfectly I kept swatting imaginary mosquitoes while I read. I loved this book. Really loved it, the way I love fireflies and lake swimming and ice cream cones in summer. Any kid you know who loves that sort of thing is going to love it, too.