Illuminated

PARANORMAL:  Jillian Anthony is a social pariah.  Everything changes, however, after a freak lightning strike does something to Jillian that seems to change her entire life. Her stepsister used to be the wildly popular one, but suddenly Jillian begins to date the most popular guy in school!  When tragedy also strikes and Jillian's outcast history is once again brought to light, she is accused of a crime she didn't commit.  Now, with the help of two new friends who also seem to have strange powers, Jillian must convince the town of her innocence while dealing with not only normal teenage problems such as romance, school bullies, and new, awkward friendships...but also with events set in motion by her newfound abilities.

This book had so much potential! The plot line that eventually unfolds is altogether unique.  However, the drama and the secondary story lines drowned the plot in unnecessary theatrics  and drawn out circumstances.  Every once in awhile, the true plot comes through but was quickly overshadowed again.  There was simply too much going on, and too much focus given to scenes that could have been eliminated altogether without detracting from the heroine's new circumstances.  Often, more questions were brought to the forefront than were answered, which led to  a lot of confusion. A heavy-handed editor could eliminate numerous plot holes, continuity issues, and grammar mistakes.  This could be a real page turner if it was only simplified, with more details given to the main storyline.

Nicole Duke