Good story. Easy to stay tuned into. Liked the setting and the characters. Even the recipes.
Author is Canadian. ( )

This book was a disappointment. Newton, the main character, is extremely unsympathetic. Whiny, arrogant, and spiteful, even his gradual change into a better person at the end of the story leaves the reader cold.

His new friends, Violet and Jacob, are one-dimensional characters and no reason for their interest in the extremely unattractive Newton is given. The construction of the plot is confusing and haphazard; cooking recipes and excerpts from the school's survival textbook litter the bland plot and the whole structure of the school itself is extremely vague. There are a few moments of humor, but on the whole readers looking for the promised adventure/survival story won't be placated with a few gruesome insect-eating scenes and a miraculous pig.

Verdict: I purchased this on the strength of the description and reviews and was disappointed. I've only gotten a few kids to read it. I'm clearly not alone, as the hardcover is already out of print.

ISBN: 978-0385747004; Published March 2009 by Wendy Lamb Books; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

This novel contains a variety of writings. There are recipes, e-mails, and other asides, which made the novel more enjoyable to read. The characters were unique and fun, and the conflict (feud) between characters were comical at times. Themes involve friendship (cooperation), and taking control of one's own destiny.

Adventure story of a 14 year old boy who is cursed with family members being struck and killed by lightning. Newton is sent to a special school to learn to survive. He encounters some interesting children which he befriends for the first time in his life. Newton and his classmates are then sent out on a journey to find a talisman in order to get into the hall of heros at school and Newton will stop at no expense to get this, including risking his life. ( )

Can Newton Starker avoid the family legacy of death by lightning? He learns some rules for survival at an unusual boarding school. Offbeat and intriguing. ( )