Families who loved Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teenager feels intellectually isolated or trapped by the social limitations of their hometown. It speaks to the ambitious, often cynical teen who feels they are destined for greatness but currently stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. The story follows Carson Phillips, a high school senior who resorts to blackmailing his classmates into contributing to a literary magazine to bolster his college application. Through sharp, satirical prose, the book explores themes of academic pressure, loneliness, and the complex relationship between a child and a parent struggling with depression. While the humor is biting and the protagonist can be abrasive, the narrative offers a deeply realistic look at the lengths a young person will go to for a chance at a better life. It is most appropriate for older teens who can navigate moral ambiguity and dark humor.
