The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

A lightning strike converts Lucy’s brain into a math machine: “Savant means that my math skills are far beyond normal, and acquired means I wasn’t born with this wacky ability” (3). Her relatives believe it’s a miraculous superpower, but Lucy understands that it’s a rare form of brain damage. Acquired savant syndrome, a motif of the novel, is usually the result of brain trauma or illness. Most savants are either superb calculators or excellent artists or musicians. Lucy’s math genius comes with its own set of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. She loves doing math, and she loves her extraordinary math ability, but the OCD interferes with her social life.

Except in the anonymous world of online chatrooms, Lucy hides her math genius, fearing it will push people away who are already unnerved by her OCD. It’s the secret she tries to protect but must share with her close friends; the conflicts that result drive the plot. Math is her unique talent, the thing that makes her special but that she can’t fully accept; if she can’t be okay with her best side, it’s hard for her to feel okay at all.