I am a Lauren Wolk completist and I will continue to read everything she writes. She never disappoints. Her writing is lyrical and evocative, and her characters are so well drawn that I feel that I would recognize them if I passed them on the street. Wolf Hollow didn't need a sequel, but I'm happy to read the next installment to Annabelle's story.

While this is being billed as a sequel to Wolf Hollow, it can easily be read as a stand alone. Delivers an important message that people can change and that you never know what someone else might be suffering with.

I loved how the characters grew in this sequel to Wolf Hollow, but I also loved how there were chances for forgiveness and redemption!

Excellent middle grade novel! My Own Lightning has multiple difficult to discuss topics done in a very tasteful and child appropriate way. It addresses child abuse and the abuse of dogs. My Own Lightning makes you think about how to treat those who have wronged you in the past when they are trying to be better for the future. A wonderful read to challenge your moral compass.

I enjoyed this book, which is a YA book. While, as a teacher, I doubt I would share it in class, I would have it as part of my classroom library.

Set in Western Pennsylvania, 1944, the story centers on Annabelle and her relationships with family, friends, and acquaintances. Annabelle is struck by lightning on her way home from helping her teacher at school right after the summer has begun. She gets caught in a storm and knows she shouldn't be out in weather like this when suddenly, lightning strikes her. Remarkably, she survives but she remembers being hit hard on the chest and coming around totally confused. When she is found and taken home, the family calls the doctor who checks her out and announces she will be okay but things could be different for her for a while. This definitely turns out to be true.

Now, I love the way this book deals with the generations of a family living in a home together and how well they all get along. Annabelle lives with her parents, two brothers, great-aunt, and grandparents. They get along well with everyone doing their part. The children do their chores without complaint. The elders in the family are respected, even if things they say or do is not always appreciated. I think this was a strong point of the novel as children today may not always see a strong family unit nor do they always have chores like these children did since they lived on a farm. Plus, the fact that the kids did things around the house without complaint is good for young readers to see. They are also able to see how the characters in the book were able to have a life away from home, how they could explore all over the place without their parents having to worry---another thing children of today do not get to experience.

In the story, animals, especially dogs, play a large part. Following her accident, Annabelle realizes she has a special affinity with understanding dogs. It was known, after talking with the doctor, that she had heightened senses, but se was actually sent to the city to be seen by doctors researching cases such as hers.

Another strong positive about the book is the fact that Annabelle met new people who live near her without ever worrying about going to their farm and home. Imagine children doing that in today's world. Parents would be so worried whereas Annabelle's parents expressed some concern and simply asked her about the family, Also, Annabelle had experienced bullying and the effects of it when a friend had died as the result of terrible bullying. However, she was able to finally talk with one of the people involved and learn more about the person thus managing not to totally forgive, but understand then form a new and better relationship.

I felt this story held strong lessons in not only what life was like in a simpler time---safer for kids to run around, no cell phones, no internet, maybe no tv---yet they had a full and wonderful life. Lessons were often learned on their own without parents helicoptering around them.

This book would be a good one for a mature reader. The book is actually recommended for grades 5 and higher and I agree with that.

I did receive this book from #NetGalley and #DuttonChildrensBooks. The author is #LaurenWolk.

I read this before realizing it was a sequel! However, I was able to enjoy this book even though I hadn't read the first. Annabelle continues telling her story, she is struck by lightning during a storm and saved by someone who didn't stick around to be found out. After the storm she realizes the lightning has changed her and she has to adjust to the new changes in her life. I loved the world and can't wait to read the first one and share with my daughter!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton books for the advanced copy!

My Own Lightening takes up after a little time has passed following Annabelle’s adventures in Wolf Hollow. Still reeling from the loss of her good friend Toby and surviving vicious town bullies, she is struck by lightening. As her body slowly recovers from this trauma, she works on recuperating physically and from the emotional trauma of her past summer. To her surprise, she discovers that her senses are heightened and she can understand animals more than normal humans. At the same time, dogs are going missing and Annabelle with the help of Andy, one of her former tormentors, are working to figure out what’s behind these disappearances. The story progresses as Annabelle meets new friends and works to figure out the solution to this problem. Well written, this title is sure to please fans who enjoyed Wolf Hollow. Readers will get to know more about Annabelle and her family as well as gain insight into the life and motivations of Andy. A page turner about second chances, discovering your strengths, and friendship that will not disappoint.

I wasn't one of the people that loved Wolf Hollow. For me it was pretty good, but it was one of those books that I am surprised to see on awards lists. Then, I read Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk, and maybe I finally got it, or that one just connected with me more. My Own Lightning falls into the latter group, I really connected with this book and it what it had to say about people and life.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.

How absolutely lovely it was to return to Annabelle’s world in rural America at the end of World War II in this beautifully crafted sequel to Wolf Hollow.
It has been a year since the tragic events that led to the deaths of Toby and his tormentor, and Annabelle is still trying to process her grief and the guilt she feels.
When caught in a surprise storm, Annabelle is struck by lightning. It turns out that somebody has performed life-saving first aid to help her, but nobody comes forward as her hero. After the incident, all Annabelle’s senses are heightened, in particular an ability to understand animals. Several dogs, including her own brother’s, go missing in the area and Annabelle uses her new skills to try to uncover what happened to the dogs. Along the way she has to put her opinion of her old bully Andy Woodberry aside to be able to collaborate with him as he reveals himself as a caring animal lover.
This historical fiction will have readers pondering how to react to people’s flaws including their own and how we all need to learn to forgive, both others and ourselves.. Albeit a sequel to Wolf Hollow, this title can stand alone and might appeal to a broader audience given its theme of kindness towards animals.

Wolk has delivered a masterful sequel in My Own Lightning. Annabelle, still reeling from the life changing events in Wolf Hollow, is struck by lightning during a storm, leaving her with the unique ability to feel the emotions of animals. It also leaves her with a vague memory of a mystery stranger who saved her life by pounding her chest and restarting her heart.

When I read the synopsis I was worried this story would be too fanciful and unbelievable, but the author has written a story that tackles difficult topics beautifully, in a way that makes them accessible to young readers. I found this story reminiscent of other classics like Bridge to Terebithia and Walk Two Moons, exploring sad topics in a way that stays with the reader long after the story ends.

Wolk has created complex, multidimensional characters, at times deeply flawed and hurting but also resilient and compassionate.

Reading this book was like a coming home to a beautiful, familiar world in which your friend lives. Annabelle and her family were just as welcoming and good in this sequel as they were in Wolf Hollow. Annabelle's family are everything that you would want in your own people, kind, understanding, and they will stand up for you when you need it. The writing in this book gives you the opportunity to really be immersed in this story and it captures you from the very beginning.
Just as in the first book Lauren Wolk reminds us that first impressions are sometimes not giving us the whole story and when we understand where someone has come from we are able to be so much more empathetic to their actions.
I really enjoyed being able to be come back and check in on Annabelle and see how she is doing. This book did not disappoint!

ARC received via Netgalley.

The sequel to Wolf Hollow, this book takes place several months later.

Annabelle is still struggling to accept what happened a few months ago, but she is starting to heal and find her way forward. When she is caught in a sudden summer thunderstorm, a strike of lightning changes her perception of the world around her. Can she use her new-found senses to discover more about the true character of those she still holds at fault?

Through a series of events, Annabelle finds herself learning more about Andy, the boy she holds at least partially responsible for the events leading up to Toby's death. What she finds is that people are not always how we perceive them, and sometimes people can learn from their mistakes and become a better person.

I loved getting back into Annabelle's world and seeing more of her life.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dutton Books for Young Readers for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This picks up where the last book left off, following Annabelle and her conflicting feelings about what happened in the first book and how to move forward from the trauma of it all.

A fantastic sequel--I wasn't sure how it would really top the first one but Lauren Wolk found a way!

This was a worthy follow-up to Wolf Hollow, which follows the story of Annabelle McBride and her life in Wolf Hollow. It's been several months since the tragedy involving her friend Toby and Betty Glengarry and Annabelle is still trying to process all that went on. She misses Toby, but she is still trying to move forward with her life. As ever, she is observant about the people around her, and while she still jumps to conclusions, she's pausing to think through what she thinks of the people around her and whether she might be right or wrong. Because of what ended up happening with Toby, she's often questioning whether she should say something to her parents or keep things hidden and whether someone else's secrets are hers to tell (usually she decides not). As she is mourning Toby one more, a storm comes on suddenly and she is struck by lightning. Although she survives, it seems to unlock something in her to see the world a little bit differently. This was a book I ended up finishing in one day because I just HAD to find out how she would resolve all the different things as well as how her mind would grow or change about certain things.

The voice of Annabelle that the author creates is one so full of wisdom, even if it's not immediate. Yes, Annabelle makes mistakes and she may not always make the best choices, but she's constantly introspective, which I love. I love that she's open to the fact that she might be wrong or that she still has more to learn, but I also love how she's willing to look past the surface of things and see the goodness that others might miss.

If you liked Wolf Hollow, you should absolutely read this book. While I think that you could likely read this book on its own, I recommend that you read Wolf Hollow first as it gives you added appreciation for her interactions with Andy Woodberry. His story was particularly compelling in this book and I loved seeing what happened to him. Overall, I highly recommend this pair of books.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a very classic work of youth literature, I can definitely see it winning awards, just like the Wolf Hollow book to which it is a sequel. I really enjoyed the strong positioning of the story in place and time, and the relationships between people, and between people and animals, that it explores.

I’m sure someone has already said that My Own Lightning is the sequel you didn’t know you needed. It may be cliche, but it’s also true.
Lauren Wolk’s Wolf Hollow, a Newbery Honor book, is a captivating, complex middle grade novel that doesn’t leave the reader hanging for a sequel, or indeed, even expecting one. Revisiting these characters, and the events of the previous novel that have shaped their relationships in My Own Lightning, Wolk’s latest work of historical fiction, is a gift to readers.
In the sequel Annabelle is still coming to terms with the tragedy that happened months earlier when she is struck by lightning. She survives thanks to the heroic efforts of someone she never saw, but only felt in the touch of rough hands on her cheek. After the strike, she finds herself sensitive to the feelings of animals which helps her in trying to solve the mystery of some dogs that have recently disappeared.
But Annabelle can’t seem to avoid Andy, the boy who, along with bully Betty, was responsible for triggering the events that led to that tragedy. Her story intersects with him in a way both she and the reader would never expect.
This novel is every bit as engaging as Wolf Hollow and the writing is equally excellent. Wolk manages to move her characters forward in a realistic way, particularly Annabelle who grapples with the concepts of justice, redemption, and forgiveness.

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Wolk is a popular author for a reason. My Own Lightning tells the story of a girl named Annabelle who is struck by lightning, then mysteriously saved before her father finds her. This life-changing incident causes Annabelle to suddenly have acute sensitivities to sound, smell, and sight. She also can sense animals' feelings with a sort of superhuman ability.

When Annabelle's brother's dog goes missing, some people suspect the bully in town, Andy. Meanwhile, a stranger comes to town looking for his lost dog. The characters go on a search to find out where all of the missing dogs are going and uncover a safe haven for dogs, kind neighbors, and the idea that looks can be deceiving.

This is a slow-moving story about life on a rural farm, but a great character development story that will inspire middle grade readers to seek out more books by this author.

My Own Lightning is a sequel to a book I haven't read; despite that, I was generally able to follow the references to the previous volume. Set in western Pennsylvania as WWII is continuing, it recounts the story of Annabelle, her family, and several of their neighbors. The novel begins with Annabelle being struck by lightning, and the rest of the novel deals with the aftereffects of that event.

This was a nice, comfortable book to read, but I can't escape the feeling that I missed something. Much of the storyline deals with the fallout from the previous novel, and, having not read it, the impact of the resolution never really gelled for me; perhaps that's the missing piece, but it seemed more like a vignette to me than a complete novel. Despite that, this is an enjoyable book, about summer, family, and friends, old and new.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I admit that I requested this book by the author without reading the summary. If I had, I might not have read it. I always feel like a sequel or companion book never lives up to the original piece. However, My Own Lightning did not disappoint. This story picks up a few months after the events of Wolf Hollow. Annabelle is caught in a storm and is struck by lightning. This leads to her having enhanced senses and a connection to the animals around her. Annabelle is a strong character, and I was excited to read more of her story as she encountered new friends and old acquaintances. This is a beautiful story about acceptance, friendship, and identity.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.