From the Publisher
"Fogelberg presents an exciting story... A brisk, thrilling novel of humankind versus nature... it's a fast-paced, intriguing story that will likely appeal to young and older adults alike and keep them turning pages." -Kirkus Reviews
"Lene Fogelberg's masterful debut novel tells an epic tale of love, loss, and profound connection. With lyrical prose and heart-racing action, The Lightning Tree captivated me beginning to end, and stayed with me long after the story ended." -Terri Giuliano Long, author of USA Today bestseller In Leah's Wake
"Captivating! With lyrical prose and an engrossing combination of supernatural mystery and slow-burn romance, The Lightning Tree takes readers on an emotional journey as Flora Reed's dedication to her sister leads to a most unlikely discovery about her family's traumatic past and the future of the planet." -Amalie Jahn, author of Phoebe Unfired and The Next to Last Mistake
"The Lightning Tree is unlike anything I've ever read. It is an environmental thriller interlaced with tragically separated sisters, burgeoning romance, and elements of true horror. Lene Fogelberg is a refreshing new voice and I can't wait to see where the series goes next!" -Carolyn Cohagan, author of The Time Zero Trilogy
"We are at a tipping point in history. In The Lightning Tree, Fogelberg distills this message into a timely and important novel that compels the reader to confront a broken relationship with nature." -David Massey, award-winning author of Torn and Taken
"At the heart of Fogelberg's beautifully woven narrative The Lightning Tree is the need to make sense of a world that doesn't make sense anymore. By pushing the boundaries of reality and presenting the natural world as a key protagonist, she turns its fight for survival into our own." -Madeleine White, author of Mother of Floods
Kirkus Reviews
2022-05-24
In Fogelberg’s YA fantasy series starter, trees begin attacking and killing humans, and three teens investigate why.
In Derwyn, Pennsylvania, high school junior Flora Reed has been an outcast for a year, ever since she and her sister were struck by lightning. She has strange scars on her skin, but her 14-year-old sister, Fauna, is in a catatonic state. In addition, Flora still struggles with the fact that their scientist father went missing years ago. However, her best friend, Carl Nielsen, convinces her to attend an end-of-the-school-year party to celebrate summer. Three boys there aggressively demand to see Flora’s scars and rip her T-shirt from her body before Carl and his friend Aaron rescue her. The next morning, Flora sees one of the boys that attacked her the night before, hanging from the very tree she and Fauna had climbed before lightning struck. Soon, the other two boys are found dead in the woods, twisted into tree branches. Each boys had an X scratched into his forehead, and then Carl receives a similar mark while running through the woods. Flora, Carl, and Aaron are sure the trees are attacking humans after marking them, but no one believes them. Soon, Flora and the boys must hide from an angry mob, and she starts to suspect that Carl knows more than he’s letting on—and the more she learns about the trees, the more she begins to understand their goal. Over the course of this YA novel, Fogelberg presents an exciting story not only of teens trying to escape the trees themselves, but also townspeople intent on pinning crimes on them. The story delves into classic SF themes regarding environmentalism and humans’ abuse of the planet’s resources, but it feels very original at the same time. Flora’s feelings of being an outsider due to her accident and her family situation feel genuine, and young readers will certainly be able to relate to her anxieties. Overall, it’s a fast-paced, intriguing story that will likely appeal to young and older adults alike and keep them turning pages.
A brisk, thrilling novel of humankind versus nature.
